Betting With, and Against, Zany in the Ashland Stakes

Seven three-year-old fillies will go postward in Friday’s $750,000 Ashland S. (G1) during the opening day at Keeneland. The 1 1/16-mile affair is led by Todd Pletcher’s impressive #3 Zany (4-5), who has romped home to win each of her three lifetime races by a combined 17 3/4 lengths. 

Zany – With

• $10 exacta 3 with 1,2 ($20)
• $5 trifecta key 3 with 1,2 with 1,2,7 ($20)

Zany – Against

• $2 trifecta 1,2 with 1,2,3,7 with 1,2,3,7 ($24)
• $2 superfecta 3 with 2 with 1,7 with all ($16)

The American Pharoah filly debuted at Gulfstream Park in November and led at every call in a sharp, 6 1/2-furlong score, and she concluded her brief two-year-old campaign with a fantastic, 8 1/2-length victory in the Demoiselle (G2) in the Empire State. She kicked off 2026 with a measured tally in the Suncoast S. at Tampa Bay Downs and was flattered when the runner-up, Life of Joy, returned with a stylish win in the Fair Grounds Oaks (G2) in her next appearance. 

Zany has a versatile running style and will likely track the pace from the second flight early in the event, prior to making her move approaching the turn for home. She will be formidable with her best effort in her local bow beneath Irad. 

Stakes heroine #2 Percy’s Bar (7-2) landed in a difficult spot for her sophomore debut, but loves the surface and appears to be training especially well leading up to Friday with four bullet drills in succession as of late. Ben Colebrook pupil compiled three Grade-1 placings as a freshman and will be a major threat if her juvenile form carries over into 2026. 

#1 Nycon (20-1) is not the swiftest filly in the field for trainer Whit Beckman, but the talented daughter of Nyquist has been second best in a pair of stakes tilts in advance of her second run on the oval, and I feel that she will thrive while going two turns for the initial time. The Kentucky-bred lass got a morning drill over the surface in advance of Saturday and also drew well on the fence to save ground throughout the feature, as well. I feel that she is an excellent exotics piece in this particular spot under Jaime Torres. 

Bill Mott’s #7 Star Actress (6-1), a full-sister to champion Just F Y I, has performed well in each of her two career runs to date and gets the outside post for her initial stakes try. The Justify filly will have to get faster to upset the field, but she gives me the impression of the kind of runner who will continue to improve with seasoning, and a top-three finish is well within her reach with Junior Alvarado up.