Day 2 of the Kentucky Downs season Sunday brings the 1/ST BET and Xpressbet $3,000 Exacta-Thon back into focus. Each day, earn your share of $3,000 in additional dough if you can land the winning exacta in at least 3 races on the card (minimum bet $2 per exacta). The Tapit and Untapable Stakes are co-featured on the 10-race card that gets underway at 1:55 pm ET. Many of the nation’s top jockeys who were at Saratoga yesterday for Travers are in Franklin for the huge purses and field sizes.
Kentucky Downs: Race 2
Horses from Colonial Downs have shown a flat-bet profit at Kentucky Downs the last 5 years and #4 Marcinkowski brings that Virginia form off a runner-up try. She could be set to graduate the maiden ranks in her first local spin as offspring of Blame are a sharp 19% winner with a $1.85 return for every $1 bet locally the past 5 seasons.
The Exacta-Thon Play: Key 4 over 3,7,8
Kentucky Downs: Race 4
There’s no such thing as an easy exacta at Kentucky Downs, but a rare field size of just 8 and the top 2YO barns in recent years make a lot of sense with #7 New Purpose for Brad Cox and #8 Emma’s Justice for Brendan Walsh. The former’s sire American Pharoah has been a superb KD sire with 19% wins and an 18% flat-bet profit by his offspring here the last 5 years. Favorites win 49% in 2YO maiden routes during that same timespan, the strongest such category at the track. Not looking to make a big buck here, just check 1 of the 3 Exacta-Thon boxes if able to connect.
The Exacta-Thon Play: Box 7-8
Kentucky Downs: Race 7
Trainer Wesley Ward is a 23% allowance winner at Kentucky Downs with a positive ROI the past 5 years and has #1 Clock Tower here and a notable blowout winner of his only local appearance when breaking his maiden in 2024. Saratoga preppers are easily strongest here statistically. Lots to like. #12 Chasing Liberty is a local stakes winner and brings that recent Spa form as well. Use this trusted pair with a few more underneath options.
The Exacta-Thon Play: 1,12 with 1,12,4,2
Kentucky Downs: Race 9
#14 Plensa is 10-1 morning line and going to be a key for me today with a win play and try to work the exactas around him. Last year’s Gun Runner Stakes locally goes for a Rusty Arnold barn that’s dynamite in KD stakes and just missed another winner on opening day.
The Exacta-Thon Play: Key 14 over 3,4,6,7,9
Kentucky Downs: Race 10
#4 Severely Overpayin would live up to his name if that 8-1 morning line price is the closing offering. Dominant debut winner lures Prat and while Jose D’Angelo barn hasn’t been the same this year as past, he’s been spot on with which stakes horses to bring to Kentucky Downs in the past at 4: 2-2-0. Instead of a win play, let’s wheel him on top and play for some bingo underneath.
The Exacta-Thon Play: Wheel 4 over all
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