The Jury: Expert Picks, Bets, and Fades for April 19, 2025

The TwinSpires Jury of Ashley Anderson and guest Nick Tammaro discuss their best bets and fades at Keeneland, Oaklawn Park, and Gulfstream Park.

It's a packed weekend of stakes action at both Keeneland in Lexington, Kentucky, and Oaklawn Park in Hot Springs, Arkansas. First up on Friday, Keeneland will host the 1 1/16-mile Doubledogdare S. (G3) for older fillies and mares. Todd Pletcher filly Candied will make her four-year-old season debut after last finishing a 6 1/4-length third to Thorpedo Anna in the Breeders' Cup Distaff (G1) in November. The Kentucky-bred will confront six noteworthy rivals, including multiple graded stakes victress Tarifa, 2023 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1) winner Just F Y I, and Chad Brown trainee Occult, runner-up in the one-mile Go for Wand (G3) last out in December at Aqueduct.

On Saturday, Keeneland will also host a pair of graded stakes, the 1 1/2-mile Elkhorn S. (G2) for older horses on the turf and the 1 3/16-mile Ben Ali (G3) on the main track. The Elkhorn is headlined by Shug McGaughey pupil Limited Liability and drew an overflow field of 13. The Ben Ali features seven older horses, counting 5-2 morning-line favorite Duke of Love among them.

Oaklawn Park is also home to three stakes on Saturday — the 1 1/8-mile Bathhouse Row S. for three-year-olds, plus the one-mile Valley of the Vapors S. for sophomore fillies, and the 1 1/8-mile Oaklawn H. (G2), where First Mission will attempt to get back in the winner's circle following his neck third to Alexander Helios in the Razorback H. (G3). 

Alexander Helios and Razorback runner-up Banishing will re-oppose First Mission, a Godolphin homebred trained by Brad Cox. Saffie Joseph trainee Skippylongstocking is also a top contender in the mix. The six-year-old is coming off a win in the Challenger (G3) at Tampa Bay Downs and won his lone previous start at Oaklawn in the Oaklawn H. (G2) last April.

Over in California, Bob Baffert pupil Richi will attempt to get back in the win column in the 1 1/16-mile Santa Maria (G2). The Practical Joke mare was overtaken by stablemate Cavalieri in the final sixteenth of the Beholder Mile (G1) last out and will go up against a different stablemate in Splendora, a four-year-old by Audible, in Saturday's feature race.

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