Horse Racing Picks - $250,000 Empire Classic Stakes

Padding Your Bankroll: Saturday October 24

Stakes Saturday takes us to Lexington first for a wide open $300,000 Raven Run Stakes (G2), which drew a full field of 14 along with two also eligibles.

There may not be a better betting race anywhere on Saturday. There are plenty of live longshots in the race, and I am not even certain who the favorite is going to be.

I landed on the improving Moontune Missy, who figures to be a generous price.

Then we are off to the Big Apple for New York Showcase Day. There are five stakes races for New York breds, and rain has knocked the two turf races originally scheduled for today, and they will be run on Sunday instead.

The feature is the $250,000 Empire Classic Stakes, which drew a full field of twelve, led by the sharp Future Prospect, who figures to be a short price.

An interesting longshot is the filly Weathered, who takes on the boys. She is 10/1 on the morning line, and I am going to use her underneath the likely favorite along with my top pick Haynesfield, who looks primed for a good effort this afternoon.

Keeneland Race 9 Raven Run S. G2 Post time 5:13 ET

#6 Moontune Missy   15/1
#11 Sky Haven   8/1
#8 Flashing   3/1
#2 Just Jenda   4/1

#6 Moontune Missy looks primed for a good effort here in her third start of her current form cycle and we should catch a generous price on this filly. She made a good late rally to win an overnight stake last out at Belmont Park in the slop in her second start off the bench. She broke her maiden over the Pro Ride surface last fall earning a solid number and that bodes well for her first trip over polytrack here. She had a good breeze over the surface on Oct. 19 and is in good hands with the Harty barn.

#11 Sky Haven is coming off a third place finish in the Gallant Bloom (G2) behind two very good fillies in Indian Blessing and Sara Louise. The filly has three trips over Tapeta in her career and she is a nose away from being perfect over the synthetic surface. She won the Presque Isle Masters last fall in her last trip over the fake stuff. The Asmussen filly comes into this race holding the top last out speed fig and she looks like she has been keeping tougher company in her last two starts than most of these. Her 8/1 ML looks more than fair.

Wagering Tips
WIN: #6 to win at 8/1 or better.
EX: 6,11 / 2,6,8,11
TRI: 6,11 / 2,6,8,11 / 1,2,5,6,8,11

Belmont Park Race 10 Empire Classic Post time 5:40 ET

#5 Haynesfield   4/1
#6 Future Prospect   8/5
#4 Weathered   10/1
#10 Ruffino   8/1

#5 Haynesfield was a game second last out in the Sir Key when returning off a when returning off a seven month layoff. The colt was one of the most promising two year olds last year winning the Count Fleet and Whirlaway before the wheels came off in the Gotham (G3), then he hit the shelf. The colt came back off the bench with a good effort and looks set up for a good effort here second off the layoff. The colt is bred top and bottom to handle a wet track.