Pick 4 Preview: Keeneland Bewitch Stakes - April 25, 2013

photo: Matt Carter

The feature race on Thursday, the day before closing day, at Keeneland is the Grade 3 Bewitch Stakes for fillies and mares at 12 furlongs on the turf course. The race drew a deep field of 12, but all eyes will be on Gathering, who absolutely crushed in her U.S. debut earlier this month after being left at the gate. She is 3-1 on the morning line, but don't expect anywhere near that price. She was graded stakes placed in England and can be a graded stakes winner in the U.S.

Gathering may be a single on many tickets, but if she wins the pick-4 can still pay very well. The sequence opens in race six with allowance fillies and mares on the turf. Flower Mart is the 5-2 morning line favorite, but just broke her maiden can could be vulnerable in her first start against winners. Prissy has been off since breaking her maiden in June 2012, but her trainer/jockey combination is the hottest thing going in Lexington since the 2011-12 University of Kentucky basketball team. Bargain Blitz, North by Northlite and Cry War Eagle also fit in the pick-4 opener.

Leadem in Ken, Wind of Bosphorus and Coaches Favorite are the picks in race seven, a maiden special weight race for three-year-olds. Sevenoaks, Developer and One Brave Warrior should be used on deeper plays with Holy Whirl Wind and Takajo two sneaky long shot plays.

The finale on the card is a nine-furlong claiming race for three-year-olds which have never won two races. Zane, Apollo Sky, Responsive Eye are single-digit odds contenders, Basone and Mr. Segretto are long shot plays, but they must all out run the Ken and Sarah Ramsey owned entry of Bashful Bandit and Horvat Clan. The two red and while color bearers look like they tower over this field and can end the day on a high note for favorite players. The one concern; however, is they had a similar horse in the last race on Wednesday that looked unbeatable, but that horse failed to hit the board at odds-on. Could that be the case two days straight? Stay tuned.

First post on Thursday is 1:05 ET with the Bewitch off at 4:42 and the pick-4 going to post at 3:40.