Ohio Derby Picks and Thistledown Stakes for Saturday 6/24/23

There are 12 races at Thistledown Saturday including four stakes headlined by the $500,000 Ohio Derby. Post time is 12:00 p.m. ET with the Ohio Derby at 6:20 p.m. Get in the game with mobile betting on FanDuel Sportsbook.

As always, check the program for scratches and changes, check the weather, and keep an eye on the track conditions with potential rain in the forecast.

(I will reference Equibase's Speed Figure in selected races, which tells you how fast a horse has been running in each of its races -- adjusted for track, distances, and conditions).

Thistledown Picks

According to numberFire horse racing projections and Guaranteed Tip Sheet (GTS), these are some of the best bets to make at FanDuel Racing today. The best value option will not necessarily be the top pick(s).

1. Relish the Ride and Big Truck, Race 10

FanDuel Racing Odds: 5/1 and 3/1
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Race 10 is the $75,000 George Lewis Memorial Stakes for state-breds going 1 1/16 miles. Big Truck (3/1) should pick up an ideal pressing trip. He exudes consistency having hit the Exacta in 5 of his last 7 starts, but he's 0-for-4 in the Exacta at Thistledown. However, he is 7-for-9 at this distance and both numberFire and Guaranteed Tip Sheet project him as a top win contender. Relish the Ride (5/1) is 6-for-9 in the Exacta on this surface and is 3-for-5 at this distance. He has more upside than the older horses in this race and form cycle analysis is projecting a big pop in this third race off the long layoff and the return to the route distance.

2. Sixtythreecaliber and Le Da Vita, Race 11

FanDuel Racing Odds: 5/1 and 9/2
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Race 11 is the $250,000 Lady Jacqueline Stakes at 1 1/8 miles. A full field of 12 fillies and mares and the pace calculates to come in a few points faster than par but the pace pressure will be quite heavy with three confirmed pace types, Red Hot Lass (10/1), Secret Fix (8/1) and Candy Island (30/1) all battling it out on the front end for pace supremacy. The numberFire data and Guaranteed Tip Sheet both rate Sixtythreecaliber (5/1) and Interstatedaydream (7/2) as win contenders. Each horse figure to secure advantaged pressing trips behind the wall of speed on a surface that rewards that kind of Energy Distribution Profile. Sixtythreecaliber ran a solid 2nd behind a highly regarded horse in her second race off a layoff. She's also won at this 9-furlong distance.

Brad Cox-trained Interstatedaydream is the model of consistency and reliability having hit the Superfecta in all 10 of her starts. She ran an admirable 3rd behind Secret Oath and Clairiere three races back in the Grade 2 Azeri Stakes. She is 2-for-2 going 9 furlongs and has won at 5 different tracks so she is a very reliable shipper.

Le Da Vida (9/2) is improving with more speed off her trio of third-place finishes this year.

3. Two Phil's and Bishops Bay, Race 12

FanDuel Racing Odds: 8/5 and 3/1
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Race 12 is the $500,000 Grade 3 Ohio Derby at 1 1/8 miles. Full coverage and picks from FanDuel Racing in the Ohio Derby preview. Both numberFire and GTS rate Two Phil's (8/5) best and Bishop's Bay (3/1) as the main win contender.

Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.