Handicapping Articles

    “PLAY of the DAY” by Brian Nadeau                        Date  4/22/26      Featured track  Keeneland       Race number  8       Race overview  A very modest MSW for 3up at 1 1/8 miles on the turf.       Pace  It looks like it could be on the honest side, as there are more than a few entered who want to be close early on.      Trends  The Keeneland turf typically plays on the fair side, with winners eligible to come from everywhere, especially at a demanding distance like this.      Best Play  #10 GOLD SOVEREIGN (4-1) (turf only): Brown runner didn’t fire on the GP Tapeta…

  “PLAY of the DAY” by Brian Nadeau                   Date 4/19/26 Featured track Keeneland Race number 8   Race overview A wildly deep and competitive renewal of the 300k Palisades for 3yos at 5 ½ furlongs on turf.   Pace There’s a ton of it here, as more than a few want to roll early, so there’s a legitimate chance this falls apart in the lane. Trends The Keeneland turf typically plays on the fair side, with winners eligible to come from everywhere, though it seemed a bit speedier early in the week. Best Play #11 INTRICATE SPIRIT (9-2) (turf only): Clement stalker ran OK on Tapeta off…

    “PLAY of the DAY” by Brian Nadeau                        Date  4/18/26      Featured track  Keeneland       Race number  6       Race overview  A solid N2L for 3yo fillies at 1 3/16 miles on the turf.       Pace  There’s basically none on paper, so this should be a tight early, and one that will sprint off the far turn.      Trends  The Keeneland turf typically plays on the fair side, with winners eligible to come from everywhere, though it’s worth noting the inside paths did seem to play well Sunday (so monitor things Wednesday and Thursday as well).      Best Play  #9 KENTUCKY BELLE (8-5) (turf only): Cox filly was a…

  “PLAY of the DAY” by Brian Nadeau                   Date 4/17/26 Featured track Keeneland Race number 10 Race overview A deep and competitive MSS for fm3up at 5 ½ Fs on the turf. Pace It’s a turf sprint, an there are several entered who want to run or just off the early lead, so they should be motoring early. Trends The Keeneland turf typically plays on the fair side, with winners eligible to come from everywhere, though it’s worth noting the inside paths did seem to play well Sunday (so monitor things Wednesday and Thursday as well). Best Play #5 AMANI’S MUSIC (7-2): Cox filly was 2nd after…

    “PLAY of the DAY” by Brian Nadeau                        Date  4/16/26      Featured track  Keeneland       Race number  9       Race overview  A deep and competitive N1X for 4up at 1 1/16 miles on turf.       Pace  There’s no true speed entered, so expect a tight pack early, in a race that will turn into a sprint off the far turn.      Trends  The Keeneland turf typically plays on the fair side, with winners eligible to come from everywhere, though it’s worth noting the inside paths did seem to play well Sunday (so monitor things Wednesday, and earlier on this card as…

    “PLAY of the DAY” by Brian Nadeau                        Date  4/15/26      Featured track  Keeneland       Race number  7       Race overview  A compact N1X for 4up over the short stretch finish line at 1 1/16 miles on the main tack.       Pace  It it should be honest, as both #2 Rothko (7-5) and #3 Roger Roger (9-2) look like they want to be on or just off the early lead.      Trends  A fast main track seemed to play fair over the weekend, with winners coming from everywhere.      Best Play  #5 FACT (9-5): Tactical sort caught a good one in his comeback 2nd but still ran big, should only move forward off…

  “PLAY of the DAY” by Brian Nadeau                   Date 4/12/26 Featured track Keeneland Race number 8   Race overview A relatively modest MSW for 3ys at 7 furlongs.   Pace It looks honest on paper, as more than a few want to be close and involved early on. Trends A fast main track was a bit forward early in the week but very fair on Friday, with winners coming from everywhere. Best Play #8 CIVIL LIBERTY (5-2): O’Neill runner came back off a five-month layoff and just-missed by a neck to a potential Baffert star (who returned to win by the length of the stretch and is…

Happy Jenny Wiley Day! You can go five or six directions in both the Lexington and Jenny Wiley. It doesn’t appear the Lexington will produce a Derby runner this year given overall point totals, but the winner here might well come back in the Preakness as a “new shooter”. Trivia Question: Who was Jenny Wiley? Race 9 – The Jenny Wiley – Grade I One Mile and One Sixteenth on the Turf for Fillies and Mares Four Years Old and Up Expensive Queen: She’s three for four since coming to the U.S. Most recently she won the Al Stall (93 Beyer) where she leveled off nicely. She’s going…

  “PLAY of the DAY” by Brian Nadeau                   Date 4/11/26 Featured track Keeneland Race number 9   Race overview An extremely modest renewal of the G1 Jenny Wiley for fm4up at 1 1/16 miles on the turf.   Pace With the exception of longshot #9 Aussie Girl (8-2), there’s none here, so expect a tight group behind her, and a race that will turn into a sprint off the far turn. Trends The Kee turf typically plays on the fair side, with stalker/closers having just as good of a chance as the front runners, unlike the speedy highways you may see at GP or SA. Best Play…

    “PLAY of the DAY” by Brian Nadeau                        Date  4/10/26      Featured track  Keeneland       Race number  4       Race overview  A relatively modest field of 40k N2Ls for 3up at the short stretch finish line of 1 1/16 miles.       Pace  There’s no true speedsters signed on, so expect a tight group early and a race that will turn into a sprint off the far turn.      Trends  A fast main track seemed to play forward on Wednesday, though one day is not enough to make an assumption, so continue to monitor things as the week progresses.      Best Play  #2 PROFOUND (3-1): Turf runner is bred…