Keeneland Horse Racing Preview of Grade 1 Maker's Mark Mile 2023 Field, Odds and Picks for Friday 4/14/23

The Keeneland Spring Meet continues Friday with more top stakes races following last weekend's Blue Grass Stakes victory by Tapit Trice -- a Kentucky Derby favorite along with Florida Derby winner Forte. The $600,000 Grade 1 Maker's Mark Mile drew a very competitive field of eight to challenge one of the world's top turf milers in Modern Games.

Post time for Race 9 and the Maker’s Mark Mile is 5:16 p.m. ET. It anchors a program that also features the Limestone Stakes (Race 7, 4:12) for 3-year-old fillies going 5 1/2 furlongs on a turf course.

As always, check the program for scratches and changes, monitor the weather and keep an eye on the track 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 the winners and in-the-money finishers as you watch and wager on FanDuelTV and FanDuel Racing.

Maker's Mark Mile

Modern Games and Speaking Scout, Race 9

FanDuel Racing Odds: 3/5 and 15/1
Bet Now at TVG | Bet Now at FanDuel

Race 9 is the $600,000 Grade 1 Maker's Mark Mile for older horses on the turf. An outstanding field of eight includes the prohibitive favorite and powerhouse turf miler Modern Games (3/5). He's won two of three Grade 1 races since Sept. including his last start in the FanDuel Breeders' Cup Turf Mile. Now making his 4-year-old debut, world-leading owner Godolphin has enjoyed this runner's rise to $3.1 million in earnings, winning 7 of 13 starts with two other runner-up finishes in Grade 1 races.

Guaranteed Tip Sheet and numberFire has Modern Games to beat off a layoff in his 4-year-old debut. His 3/5 odds represent a probable win rate of 63%, but plenty of other accomplished horses are in the mix as well, including Emmanuel (4/1) for trainer Todd Pletcher. He also saddles Up to the Mark (10/1) with value to add to your vertical wagers with leading jockey Irad Ortiz, Jr. riding. Emmanuel is a colt of upward mobility with back-to-back Grade 3 wins to start his year.

Speaking Scout (15/1) is a Grade 1 winner and breaks from the rail with leading jockey Luis Saez riding. numberFire anticipates an in-the-money finish and bigger trifecta payoff at longer odds. Speaking Scout travels well, winning at three different tracks during the past year. He also finished a close third at longer odds in the Pegasus World Cup Turf in January.

In Love (30/1) has also won a Grade 1 race and Chez Pierre (12/1) is 5-for-6 in a career of promise and gets Flavien Prat to ride. Dr. Zempf (5/1) has won four of 10 starts, including his US debut last month for trainer Chad Brown. Top jockey Tyler Gaffalionne rides him and leads the Keeneland jockey colony with six wins, including four on the turf with a 40% win rate. Cabo Spirit (20/1) has potential shipping in from Santa Anita with his best-ever speed figure (103) last month when he finished third in a Grade 3 race.

Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.