Keeneland: Jenny Wiley Stakes value play for April 10

A small field of six turf distaffers will vie in the $300,000 Jenny Wiley S. (G1), the feature on the Saturday card at Keeneland. The 1 1/16-mile affair boasts high-quality runners from top to bottom, so why not take a chance with the longest shot on the board?

I like Simon Callaghan’s #5 Maxim Rate (10-1) for a few reasons and consider her price to be generous. The gray will make her five-year-old debut Saturday and comes in with a long string of morning drills for a capable layoff trainer.

The daughter of Exchange Rate really came to hand in 2020, led by a score in the Goldikova S. (G2) and a runner-up result in the Rodeo Drive S. (G1). She concluded her four-year-old season with a fifth-place finish in the deep Matriarch S. (G1). The former $235,000 yearling purchase is a proven miler with considerable upside.

Maxim Rate also has a bit of a tactical edge over a few of her foes in the Jenny Wiley. #1 Micheline (2-1) and #6 La Signare (10-1) are both cutting back from nine panels, #4 Etoile (3-1) was last seen taking the E.P. Taylor S. (G1) over the long stretch at Woodbine at 1 1/4 miles, and Sands Point S. (G2) winner #2 Tamahere (5-2), though abundantly talented, is a one-run closing type.

#3 Juliet Foxtrot (7-2) is the one to catch in a race that is mostly devoid of pace, and Maxim Rate will secure the second spot early, ahead of the four deeper closers. She will have to pass the pacesetter and hold off the quartet of stout late runners to pull off the upset, but the mare could be up to the task, fresh and in her second local assignment. Umberto Rispoli made the trip from California in to guide the miss once again, and she is my top value play in the cast.

Jenny Wiley wagers

$10 win and place #5 Maxim Rate ($20)

$5 exacta box 3-5 ($10)