Thursday’s feature is an interesting three-turn turf stake called The Grey Goose Bewitch (Gr.3) which offers a purse of $150,000.  The race drew a field of seven older fillies and mares with Canadian trainer Roger Attfield’s Lady Shakespeare listed as the
5 - 2 morning line favorite based on her second place finish in the three-turn mile and one-half Orchid (Gr.3) raced Gulfstream Park.

Two other entries are coming out of the Orchid including trainer Barclay Tagg’s Nehantic Kat and “Rusty” Arnold’s Magical Theater, who finished third and fifth, respectively. 

Trainer Bill Mott will be saddling the Irish-bred mare Changing Skies, recent winner of the three-turn mile and three-eighths The Very One (Gr.3) at Gulfstream Park.  Mott has raced the five-year-old daughter of Sadler’s Wells three times since she shipped from Europe resulting in two wins and a second place finish.  Kent Desormeaux will ride.

Another interesting entry is trainer Todd Pletcher’s Floating Heart who finished third to the great Zenyatta in the Santa Margarita Handicap (Gr.1) run at Santa Anita in her last outing.  Floating Heart won a three-turn mile and one-half turf allowance race last year at Keeneland and jockey Joe Talamo has shipped east to ride.

The “Whisperer’s Select Plays” for Thursday are:

4th Race - #7 Chardonniere (6-1) - Makes her first career start here going six furlongs and attracts the services of Garrett Gomez.  She draws a good outside post after scratching from the rail last Thursday in a seven furlong MSW.  The daughter of Elusive Quality has trained very well exclusively on synthetic tracks and can come out running at first asking.
 
6th Race - #7 Powhatan County (12-1) - Full brother to a debut winning two year old on synthetic last year.  Barn has been well meant with everything they've sent post ward at the current meet, including a two year old firster that scored on 4/8 with Castellano in the irons.
 
7th Race - #5 My Kingdom Come (8-1) - Smart Strike colt tries the synthetic for the first time and did not disgrace himself off the layoff and trying grass for the first time in last.  Saddled with an outside post, he was forced to be wide throughout and was only beaten a half length to subsequent stakes winner Paddy O'Prado.  Arnold barn nearly pulled of a huge shocker with It's Tea Time going turf to synthetic in the G1 Ashland on 4/3.

The Keeneland Spring meet draws to an end this Friday and with only three-days remaining it looks as if jockey Garrett Gomez with 17-victories will emerge as the meet’s leading jockey.  He appears to have a commanding lead over Keeneland’s 2009 leading jockey Julien Leparoux, who currently has 13-winning rides.  

In the trainer’s standings, Todd Pletcher and Christophe Clement are tied with six-winners apiece, with a host of trainers, Ken McPeek (5), William Mott (4), Wesley Ward (4), Tom Proctor (4), Kiaran McLaughlin (4), and John Terranova II (4) all in close pursuit.

With no stakes race carded for Wednesday, my focus will be on the sixth race which is a NW-1X turf condition allowance for three-year-old fillies, which will be run at a mile and one-eighth.  

Graham Motion will be putting the tack on graded stakes performer Zilva, who broke her maiden over the turf at Saratoga last Sept. 2nd.  The three-year-old daughter of Successful Appeal has been racing on synthetic west coast tracks against graded stakes competition; and, I expect she’ll receive plenty of support at the windows.

Trainer Bill Mott’s Dynazapper is making her third start of the season and has been installed as the morning line 3 to 1 favorite.  Jockey Kent Desormeaux, usually a Bill Mott go-to jockey, had been riding the three-year-old daughter of Ghostzapper but opted to ride Zilva, who will break from the one post while Dynazapper breaks from the 12-post.  

Meanwhile, leading jockey Garrett Gomez will be aboard another Santa Anita import, Forbidden Paradise (Ire), who has shown some ability against graded stakes fillies and is making her first start for the affable and talented trainer Kiaran McLaughlin. The three-year-old Irish-bred chestnut filly has been working steadily and strongly for McLaughlin at both Palm Meadows Training Center in Florida and at Keeneland Racetrack.  I’ll definitely be using her in my gimmick plays.

The “Whisperer’s Select Plays” for Wednesday are:

7th Race - #10 The Big Finish (3-1) -  Appeared to need his last off the four month vacation.  Looks to have turned up the the heat in his last two works and teams up with Kent Desormeaux who was aboard the barns lone winner at the current meet.  Look for sharp speed and a great trip from the outside post position.
 
9th Race - #1 Strictly (20-1) -  Raced deceptively well on turf two back with a very wide trip throughout.  Not encouraged by the drop to maiden claimers off the bench, but barn showing confidence to return to MSW company.  Bred to cherish the extra real estate and could surprise at a huge price.

Every now and then I find it necessary to do a little self-introspection with regards to my handicapping style.  A series of losing bets usually prompts me to take this action.  In an effort to determine whether my strong negative opinion regarding synthetic surfaces was over the top I sought out some respected horse handicappers, of which, obviously, I’m not a member.  

With the exception of one out of six regulars questioned, the consensus proclaimed a lack of confidence in handicapping races run over artificial surfaces and altered their wagering habits accordingly.  Not a scientific endeavor, mind you, but good enough to satisfy my curiosity as being in the mainstream regarding synthetic tracks.  

The original intent of installing synthetic tracks was for safety of the horses, which is bogus, in my opinion.  Look for the economics of the matter and you’ll have the real reason.  I’m all for safety for both the horses and jockeys, however that has not been the case.

The latest safety studies regarding artificial surface reveal that horses are still experiencing the same amount of stress related injuries albeit in different areas of the leg, namely encountering more soft tissue injuries.  I’ll now get off my soapbox.

I’ve been betting Keeneland carded turf races as a self-imposed wagering policy without getting hammered but the lack of entries at this prestigious meet is a clear signal that something is amiss in the Thoroughbred game.

The number of horses bred in America has been dropping according to Jockey Club statistics; however races are not filling to capacity at Keeneland’s spring meet.  Hence, the six and seven horse fields offer little or no value for the bettor.  

Perhaps I just need a day off; or, a double digit winner with the latter being more preferable.

The “Whisperer’s Select Plays” for Sunday are:

7th Race - #7 Wellofaprize (10-1) - Six year old mare returns to her favorite track after being eased in last in December.  Training well for first start in over four months over a track she has scored three victories and two seconds in her five starts.  Returns in allowance-company which makes the eased line look irrelevant.
 
8th Race - #2 Big Top (15-1) - Trainer Nick Zito is not a proponent of synthetic tracks and therefore has only had 22 starts at Keeneland since 2007, with two wins.  One of those wins was by Big Top last April in a maiden breaking effort.  Ambitiously spotted for his second start of year; as, he is eligible for NW-1X condition.  Comeback race was solid and gets the services of red-hot Garrett Gomez.