After night racing in Louisville last Saturday, Churchill Downs returns to an afternoon card this weekend headlined by the $250,000 Keertana Stakes. The 1-1/2 mile affair for fillies and mares goes as Race 10 on the 11-race slate and makes up the fourth leg of an attractive late Pick 5 sequence that kicks off with an allowance sprint over the sod in Race 7. I am not in love with the feature from a wagering perspective, but do have a few horses I will lean on both in-race and horizontally on Saturday afternoon.
Race 5: # 9 Zippin Gigi (3-1 ML)
There is very little speed signed on in this $25,000 claimer at 7-furlongs over the main track, which bodes extremely well for #9 Zippin Gigi. The son of Run Away and Hide makes his second start off the freshening after chasing 11-time winner, The Distractor early at Keeneland last month before tiring late. The Paul McGee trainee has not had things easy on the front end of late, but is in a great spot here after shaking off any potential rust last out. Wire-to-wire under Brian Hernandez, Jr.
Race 6: #11 Flawless Quality, 12-1 ML
This maiden special weight for fillies and mares at 7 panels looks ripe for a price, so let’s take a swing with second-time starter #11 Flawless Quality. The daughter of Quality Road did not do much running in her first try, but that came over a sloppy racetrack on Oaks Day earlier this month. The Dallas Stewart trainee lacked early speed from the rail and chased dominant winner Sundance Feature early before tiring badly in the lane. The price will need to be at least 10-1 to make it a worthwhile endeavor, but a move forward if not two is expected. The move from the rail to the outside should benefit as Julien Leparoux takes over riding duties.
Race 11: #5 Bougie Not Basic, 5-1 ML
The card concludes with another maiden special weight at seven-eighths for the ladies where #5 Bougie Not Basic returns to the races for trainer Mike Maker. The Pura Vida Investments filly got hammered down to 2-1 on debut in an 11-horse field at Keeneland in mid-April, but disappointed her backers with an underwhelming stalk and fade to kick off her career. That said, she should take a big step forward here moving off the rail and gaining the invaluable racing experience last month. Look for a big run from this daughter of Oscar Performance who moves from turf-to-dirt and attracts Ricardo Santana, Jr.
Good luck!
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