Quills Picks Winners – Wednesday 9/9 – Kentucky Downs Race 12
It is closing day at Kentucky Downs and they have a jammed packed card on top for the final day of their boutique meet. Some of these races were rescheduled for today after extreme heat called for the postponement of some of the races last Thursday.
Our feature today is the Grade 3 Dueling Grounds Oaks Invitational. A field of 11 fillies will go a mile and five-sixteenths in their last stakes race of the meet. It is also our last time to see the horses try to handle the European-style course until next August. Let’s take a look at today’s race.
Kentucky Downs Race 12 – Dueling Grounds Oaks Invitational (Grade 3)
Favored in today’s featured race is the 9 Kentucky Belle (3/1 morning line). She won the Grade 2 Saratoga Oaks last month with a wide move to get up late by a head. She has won three of her last four races and looks to show her prowess on the turf by closing late in this race.
The 5 Embrace Time (12/1 ML) finished strongly while near the front but still finished third in the Pucker Up Stakes at Ellis Park last month. She does have the ability to close from further back, but with no obvious speed in this race, this could be a race where she could use that experience of being close to the pace last month.
The 7 Bohemian (8/1 ML) won the Pucker Up with a last to first rush to win by a head. She should love the added ground here as well and should be the filly with the strongest closing kick in the group.
The 11 Time to Dream (9/2 ML) finished fourth in the Grade 3 Lake George Stakes, but has an excuse as the jockey lost an iron at the beginning of the race when the filly broke outward and hit the gate. She did close well, but that start may have hampered her last month. But she will have to contend with a potentially wide trip in that tight first turn.
Joe’s Pick
Your guess is as good as mine with who will be on the lead early on here today. We have a field that is filled with closers, including the two European imports. In a race like this, I want the horse with the strongest closing kick in the group.
That filly is Bohemian. She has a strong closing kick and did race here last year. That experience from last year with the win last time out should help her fly home late for the win.
I’m calling this race 7-5-9-11 and my play is $20 to win on the 7. Best of luck and I’ll see you in the winner’s circle!
