Best Horse Racing Bets for Saturday, September 11, 2021

We’re looking at Golden Gate Fields, Kentucky Downs, and Monmouth Park for my Saturday picks.

I found sleepers at Monmouth, a couple of underdog moneymakers at Golden Gate—I even found a couple of underdogs among the heavily-favored entries in the five graded stakes races at Kentucky Downs.

Don’t forget that you can make a bet on any of these races at one of our recommended online racebooks.

Good luck!

Let’s start on the turf course with race two, a five-furlong claiming run for fillies and mares three years old and upward. I’m betting my two dollars on the 9/5 morning-line favorite, Grinningeartoear, with Pedro M. Terrero in the irons.

This five-year-old mare finished in the money seven of her 12 career starts, winning four, which sends her directly to the head of the class in this six-horse field.

Manuel Badilla trains Grinningeartoear for owner-breeder Martin W. Bach.

We’re still on the turf for race eight, a 1-1/16 miles allowance optional claiming run for fillies and mares three years old and upward. My money’s on the 4/1 third-favored Blue Diva, ridden by veteran jockey Evin A. Roman.

She also finished third in the She’s A Tiger Stakes (Black Type) this past June at Pleasanton Fairgrounds Racetrack. She’ll do.

Isidro Tamayo—who’s made the top 100 of his profession for the past three years—trains Blue Diva for Frankly Speaking, LLC.

Let’s move to the all-weather track for race nine, a six-panel allowance run for three-year-olds and upward. I’m buying a win ticket on the second favored (at 9/2) R M C Hook’em, with Brayan Pena aboard.

This four-year-old gelding finished in the money eight of his 12 career starts, winning four.

Victor M. Trujillo trains R M C Hook’em for owners Frank Aufdermaur and Wayne Swisher. Trujillo put Pena in the irons for R M C Hook’em’s two most recent victories. Coincidentally, Trujillo is having the winningest year of his career.

We’ll start on the turf for race six: the Mint Ladies Sprint Stakes (Grade III), a $600,000 purse, 6-1/2 furlong run for fillies and mares three years old and upward. I’m betting on the 3/1 morning-line favorite, Venetian Harbor, ridden by Florent Geroux.

This four-year-old filly has been winning stakes races since her graduation run back in late 2019. For the record: Venetian Harbor finished in the money for nine of her ten career starts, winning four, including the Las Virgenes Stakes (Grade II) at Santa Anita in early 2020, the Lexus Raven Run Stakes (Grade II) at Keeneland last October, and the Monrovia Stakes (Grade II) at Santa Anita this past June.

Top-ranked Richard Baltas trains Venetian Harbor for owners Ciaglia Racing LLC, Highland Yard LLC, River Oak Farm, and Domenic Savides.

Race seven is the Kentucky Downs Ladies Turf Stakes (Grade III), a $750,000 purse, one-mile turf run for fillies and mares three years old and upward. I am betting all two of my dollars on the 2/1 morning-line favorite, Princess Grace, with Florent Geroux aboard.

This four-year-old filly won five of her six career starts, finishing second just once. Her five victories include her initial maiden attempt and an allowance race, followed by three graded stakes wins, including the Mrs. Revere Stakes (Grade II) at Churchill Downs last November, the Dr. James Penny Memorial Stakes (Grade III) at Parx this July, and the Yellow Ribbon Handicap (Grade II) in August at Del Mar.

Longtime track veteran Michael Stidham trains Princess Grace for owners John and Susan Moore.

Race eight is the Turf Sprint Stakes (Grade III), a $1,000,000 purse, six-furlong run for three-year-olds and upward. I’m backing the third-favored (at 6/1) Imprimis, ridden by Irad Ortiz, Jr.

Breeders’ Cup veteran Joseph F. Orseno trains Imprimis for Breeze Easy, LLC.

Race nine—the Calumet Turf Cup Stakes (Grade II)—is a $1,00,000 purse, 1-1/2 miles run for three-year-olds and upward. There’s plenty of talent in this 16-horse field, but I’m calling this one for the 6/1 third-favored Zulu Alpha, with Ricardo Santana, Jr. in the irons.

This eight-year-old gelding moneyed 23 of his 37 career starts, winning 12. In 2020, he won the Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational Stakes (Grade I) and the Mac Diarmida Stakes (Grade II) at Gulfstream Park, and the Elkhorn Stakes (Grade II) at Keeneland. He’ll do.

Breeders’ Cup veteran Michael J. Maker trains Zulu Alpha for owner Michael M. Hui.

Race ten is the Franklin-Simpson Stakes (Grade II), a $600,000 purse, 6-1/2 furlong run for three-year-olds. I’m agreeing with the morning-line and betting on a win for the 7/2 favorite, Point Me By, with Luis Saez aboard.

This colt moneyed two of his three career starts—both of them wins. In addition to his maiden victory, he won the Bruce D. Stakes (Grade I) at Arlington last month. In this 15-horse field, Point Me By is a clear leader.

Top-ranked Eddie Kenneally trains Point Me By for Homewrecker Racing LLC.

We start on the main track with race two, a six-furlong allowance optional claiming run for fillies and mares three years old and upward. My money’s on the 2/1 morning-line favorite, Greatest Love, ridden by top jockey Paco Lopez.

This three-year-old filly is clearly the leader in this short field of six, with five money finishes in seven career starts, three of those wins.

The regularly top-ranked Wayne Potts trains Greatest Love for owner Roger B. Sterling. Potts tapped Lopez to saddle Greatest Love for her two most recent races, finishing with a second and a first.

Race five is the Rumson Stakes, a $100,000 purse, five-furlong main track run for three-year-olds and upward. I’m buying a win ticket on the third-favored (at 3/1) Quick Tempo, with Sophie Doyle in the irons.

This three-year-old colt has a slight statistical edge in this short field of six: Five money finishes in seven career starts, with three wins.

Christopher Davis trains Quick Tempo for Michael and David Faber’s Dare To Dream Stable LLC.

For race seven—a one-mile-and-70-yards allowance optional claiming run on the main track for New Jersey-bred fillies and mares three years old and upward—I’m betting on the 5/1 sleeper, Postino’s Champion, piloted by Jeremy Laprida.

Claudio A. Gonzalez trains Postino’s Champion for MCA Racing Stable LLC.