Check out my Keeneland free pick for Friday (4-7-23) below.
KEE 7 (Lafayette, 7f)
Primary – #4 DETERMINEDLY, #3 Hejazi
Secondary – #5 Corona Bolt
Wagers: #4 to win, Exacta 4/3-5, Exacta 3-5/4
Comments: #4 Determinedly (5-1) might be best at this extended sprint distance. He returned to dirt and turned back at seven panels Nov. 5, and he ran into buzzsaw Arabian Knight and was clearly second best under Prat. He pressed and aired in his next MSW outing at this trip in November, and the 2-3 finishers were next-out winners. He stretched back out, set the pace, and was best of the rest in 3rd in the Gun Runner, and controlled the pace and held off Tapit’s Conquest in an optional claiming route Jan. 21. He set a fast pace, dropped back like a rock, and eased in 14th place in the Risen Star (G2) Feb. 18. He drilled a 5f bullet for this March 26. #3 Hejazi (8-5) is a quality sprinter for Baffert. He was clearly second best as the beaten favorite in his first two starts at 5.5f last summer. He was still a maiden when he stretched out and finished a clear 3rd in the American Pharaoh (G1) last fall, and he turned back and wired the field in his 6.5f maiden win from the inside post on a good track March 4. He stretched back out, set the pace, and weakened to 4th of 9 in the San Felipe (G2). #5 Corona Bolt (5-2) won all three dirt sprints on dry land. Brad Cox’s early-pressing colt drilled a bullet for this on April 1.
Analysis by Jarrod Horak
