Keeneland Horse Racing Picks and Top Stakes for Sunday 4/16/23

The three-week Keeneland Spring Meet continues following yesterday's easy wire-to-wire winner for In Italian in the $600,000 Grade 1 Jenny Wiley Stakes. Sunday features a pair of stakes on the 9 race card that starts at 1:00 p.m. ET.

As always, check the program for scratches and changes, monitor the weather and keep an eye on the track conditions with on and off rain and cloudy/gloomy conditions.

(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 after adjusting for track, distances, and conditions).

Keeneland Betting Picks

According to numberFire horse racing projections and Guaranteed Tip Sheet, these are some of the best bets to make at FanDuel Racing today.

1. Malibu Springs and Wild Thinker, Race 6

FanDuel Racing Odds: 4/1 and 6/1
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Race 6 is a Maiden Special Weight for 3-year-olds sprinting 6 furlongs. The top pick by numberFire's data is Malibu Springs (4/1) with Zed (4/1) and Magic Tap (7/2) to challenge.

Hall of Fame jockey John Velazquez rides Malibu Springs from the rail for trainer Todd Pletcher. This son of Quality Road has been working well and is well-meant at first asking. Top jockey Irad Ortiz, Jr. rides Magic Tap for HOF trainer Steve Asmussen. Wild Thinker (6/1) finished third on debut last month chasing Squire Creek, who returned to win nicely here last week as the strong favorite. Top jock Luis Saez rides with a good slot in the No. 9 post.

2. No Nay Hudson and Private Creed, Race 7

FanDuel Racing Odds: 9/2 and 4/1
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Race 7 is the $250,000 Palisades Stakes for 3-year-olds sprinting 5 1/2 furlongs on the turf. The numberFire data projects the tepid favorite Private Creed (4/1) to challenge Damon's Mound (6/1) for the win. Guaranteed Tip Sheet likes Private Creed and also No Nay Hudson (9/2) as a win contender with Jonny V riding for the meets leading trainer Wesley Ward.

Damon's Mound breaks from the outside 12 hole and he tries turf for the first time after a graded stakes-winning 2-year-old campaign. No Nay Hudson ran a high quality race in four of five starts. Private Creed is dropping from a Grade II and never missed the money in two at Keeneland or four at the distance. Bushido (5/1) won both of his races wire to wire with ease. Gaslight Dancer (8/1) should be rolling late in his first race since the Breeders Cup.

3. Key of Life and Stonewall Star, Race 8

FanDuel Racing Odds: 1/1 and 3/1
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Race 8 is the $400,000 Grade 2 Beaumont Stakes for 3-year-old fillies at 7 furlongs. The heavy favorite Key of Life (1/1) is the top pick by numberFire's algorithm along with Guaranteed Tip Sheet. She's undefeated in a pair at Keeneland and in the money 7-of-7 career starts. Top jockey Flavien Prat rides for EPO trainer Brad Cox.

Stonewall Star (3/1) is a challenger by both tip sheets with Luis Saez up, and she should be involved from the start seeking her fifth wire-to-wire win in eight races. Interpolate (9/2) has Irad Ortiz, Jr. riding for trainer Chad Brown, and she's been getting incrementally better and training well for her first race after a layoff. She's On the Rocks (10/1) is nose from winning both of her races. Opus Forty Two (8/1) has the meets leading jocky Tyler Gaffalione riding and she adds blinkers and has been freshened off her time away.

Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.