Editor’s notes: Just like he did during the 40-day Saratoga meet last summer, Ed Sehon (aka Mr. Ed) will provide VSiN readers with daily picks during the 15-day Keeneland meet that opened last Friday and runs through Friday, April 29 (no racing on Mondays, Tuesdays or Easter Sunday, April 17). Sehon’s selections are meant to give an overview of how to attack each day’s card through the use of Best Bets on individual horses as well as multi-race wagers. He generally tries to do it on a bankroll of (about) $100 a day, though will sometimes go higher on bigger days like he did on Blue Grass Stakes Day last Saturday.
Sehon had his first losing day of the meet on Wednesday as he’s won 3 of the 4 days so far; the silver lining was he risked just $76, lowest of any day so far. Here are Thursday’s, again risking just $76 as he’s saving more of his bankroll for the weekends with the higher-quality races.
Race No. 5 (3:08 p.m. ET/12:08 p.m. PT)
Mr. Ed’s BEST BET is chalky newcomer #1 Nabokov (2-1 morning line). “Super trainer-jockey combo of Chad Brown-Irad Ortiz Jr. leads field of expensive maidens competing for $100,000 purse. Posting a string of excellent works, $775,000 son of top sire Uncle Mo, late-developing sophomore railbird may never be headed. I’ll look for him this summer at Belmont and Saratoga. Wager: $20 to Win.”
Race No. 7 (4:12 p.m. ET/1:12 p.m. PT)
Mr. Ed likes #3 American Hero (4-1 morning line). “After watching Flavien Prat guide my Kentucky Derby choice Zandon from last to first in Blue Grass Stakes on Saturday, I’m convinced he’s the absolute best jockey in a deep colony of mostly American riders. On paper, my Hero appears rather ordinary. With Prat aboard, he’s a standout for trainer-of-the-year Brad Cox. Wager: $10 to Win and Place.”
Race Nos. 7-9 (4:12 p.m. ET/1:12 p.m. PT)
Mr. Ed likes the following $1 Pick 3 (cost $36)
Race 7: 3,4,5
Race 8: 1,2,5,7
Race 9: 2,7,8
TOTAL WAGERS FOR THURSDAY: $76
TOTAL WAGERS THROUGH WEDNESDAY: $403
TOTAL MONEY CASHED: $566
TOTAL PROFIT: $163