Looking for Ellis Park picks today? You have come to the right place. The Henderson, Kentucky oval stages a nine-race Saturday card on the eve of its biggest afternoon of the summer — Sunday’s $400,000 Ellis Park Derby Day — and there are live plays all over the program, from a pair of $100,000 juvenile maiden special weights to a salty allowance feature that includes a former Kentucky Derby runner. First post is 11:50am CT.
The Bottom Line
- Objectivity (1:44pm CT, Race 5) — 3-1 morning line, the Brendan Walsh juvenile looks the class of a $100,000 maiden special weight.
- La Puma (2:12pm CT, Race 6) — 2-1, sharp turf-sprinting filly in a short allowance field.
- First Resort (2:42pm CT, Race 7) — 5-2, the one to beat in the day’s feature allowance.
- Comprehensive (3:42pm CT, Race 9) — 3-1, Brian Lynch turf maiden with Florent Geroux staying aboard.
Meeting Context
Conditions could hardly be better in western Kentucky: the forecast is mostly sunny with a high near 83F and no rain, so expect a fast main track and firm turf course all afternoon.
There are no stakes on today’s card, but don’t let that fool you — Sunday’s Ellis Park Derby Day brings six added-money events worth $1.5 million, and plenty of today’s two-year-olds are auditioning for the Ellis Park Juvenile and Debutante down the road. Odds quoted below are the morning line and correct at time of writing; with so many lightly raced and debut runners on this card, published form figures were unavailable for several fields.
It’s a big Saturday across the country, too — see our Saratoga picks today and our Colonial Downs preview for the East Coast action.
Race 1, 11:50am CT — $10,000 Claiming, 1 Mile (Dirt)
| No | Horse | Jockey | Trainer | Form | Odds |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9 | Machine Gun Man | Florent Geroux | Alice Cohn | — | 3-1 |
| 2 | Saltwater Cowboy | Axel Concepcion | Joe Sharp | — | 7-2 |
| 6 | Raising Kane | Keith Asmussen | Steve Asmussen | — | 4-1 |
| 7 | Comes a Time | Amir Mendoza | Genaro Garcia | — | 5-1 |
| 8 | Jinxzi | Victor Carrasco | Ian Wilkes | — | 6-1 |
| 3 | Fast Solution | William Antongeorgi III | Hutch Holsapple | — | 8-1 |
Plus three others.
The Favorites: Machine Gun Man gets the meet’s leading big-race pilot in Geroux, while Saltwater Cowboy represents the in-form Joe Sharp barn.
The Value: Raising Kane at 4-1 for the Asmussen father-and-son combination makes plenty of appeal at this level.
The Verdict: Saltwater Cowboy to give Sharp a fast start to the day.
Race 2, 12:19pm CT — $10,000 Maiden Claiming, 6 Furlongs (Dirt)
| No | Horse | Jockey | Trainer | Form | Odds |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8 | Joe’s Candy | Keith Asmussen | Steve Asmussen | — | 3-1 |
| 3 | Bandstand | Summer Pauly | Genaro Garcia | — | 4-1 |
| 5 | Windtalker | Gabriel Saez | Justin Wojczynski | — | 5-1 |
| 6 | Cause Ima Boss | Alex Achard | Guber Gorostieta | — | 6-1 |
| 7 | Lasting Quality | William Antongeorgi III | Hutch Holsapple | — | 6-1 |
| 2 | Honor Bound | Walter Rodriguez | Anna Navarrete | — | 8-1 |
Plus four others.
The Favorites: Joe’s Candy drops into the cheapest maiden company for Asmussen, and that move usually means business.
The Value: Windtalker at 5-1 could improve for the switch to Gabriel Saez.
The Verdict: Joe’s Candy, reluctantly, at a short price for the level.
Race 3, 12:48pm CT — $32,000 Claiming, 6 Furlongs (Dirt)
| No | Horse | Jockey | Trainer | Form | Odds |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tagliatelle | Cristian Torres | Robertino Diodoro | — | 7-2 |
| 8 | Eli’s Promise | Jaime Torres | James DiVito | — | 4-1 |
| 6 | Shan | James Graham | Keith Desormeaux | — | 9-2 |
| 2 | Big City | Rafael Bejarano | Jason Cook | — | 5-1 |
| 7 | Nabokov | Francisco Arrieta | David Jacobson | — | 6-1 |
| 9 | Invulnerable | Mitchell Murrill | Chris Hartman | — | 10-1 |
Plus three others.
The Favorites: Tagliatelle for the high-percentage Robertino Diodoro barn sets the standard, with Eli’s Promise the obvious danger.
The Value: Shan at 9-2 for Keith Desormeaux is interesting if the pace gets hot up front.
The Verdict: Tagliatelle from the rail with a clean break.
Race 4, 1:16pm CT — $50,000 Maiden Optional Claiming, 1 Mile (Turf), 2yo
| No | Horse | Jockey | Trainer | Form | Odds |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | Hit the High Note | Luan Machado | Christopher Davis | — | 7-2 |
| 12 | Sun Gate | Ben Curtis | Brendan Walsh | — | 5-1 |
| 1 | Fortunistic | Summer Pauly | Eric Foster | — | 6-1 |
| 2 | Inclusivity | Jaime Torres | Riley Mott | — | 8-1 |
| 9 | Concrete Overlay | Yedsit Hazlewood | Kelsey Danner | — | 8-1 |
| 8 | Asher Dasher | James Graham | Keith Desormeaux | — | 10-1 |
| 3 | Tulio | Francisco Arrieta | Fausto Gutierrez | — | 12-1 |
| 4 | Good Hand | Rafael Bejarano | Randy Morse | — | 12-1 |
Plus five others in a field of 13.
The Favorites: Hit the High Note heads the market in a wide-open juvenile turf mile.
The Value: Sun Gate at 5-1 — the Brendan Walsh stable is dangerous with two-year-olds at this meet and Ben Curtis takes the mount.
The Verdict: Sun Gate to outstay them late.
Race 5, 1:44pm CT — Maiden Special Weight ($100,000), 7 Furlongs (Dirt), 2yo
| No | Horse | Jockey | Trainer | Form | Odds |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | Objectivity | Ben Curtis | Brendan Walsh | — | 3-1 |
| 2 | Caribbean Life | Jaime Torres | William Walden | — | 9-2 |
| 4 | Goldvein | Florent Geroux | Steve Asmussen | — | 6-1 |
| 8 | Radnor Lake | Luan Machado | Brad Cox | — | 6-1 |
| 9 | Emperor Jimmu | Keith Asmussen | Steve Asmussen | — | 8-1 |
| 10 | Cartography | Yedsit Hazlewood | Eoin Harty | — | 8-1 |
| 3 | Fiestabowlforemike | Francisco Arrieta | Whit Beckman | — | 10-1 |
| 6 | Party in the Grove | Dylan Machado | Ben Colebrook | — | 10-1 |
Plus two others.
The Favorites: This is the kind of $100,000 juvenile maiden that produces Derby-trail names. Objectivity is the pick of the market, with Asmussen double-handed via Goldvein and Emperor Jimmu.
The Value: Radnor Lake at 6-1 for Brad Cox — his firsters always demand respect.
The Verdict: Objectivity, our best bet on the card.
Race 6, 2:12pm CT — Allowance ($108,000), 5 1/2 Furlongs (Turf), 3yo Fillies
| No | Horse | Jockey | Trainer | Form | Odds |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7 | La Puma | Jaime Torres | Rey Hernandez | — | 2-1 |
| 1 | Just a Minute | Mario Gutierrez | Victoria Oliver | — | 5-2 |
| 6 | French Friction | Cristian Torres | Mark Casse | — | 7-2 |
| 2 | Kingsolver | Ben Curtis | Rodolphe Brisset | — | 4-1 |
| 4 | Storm Cloud Rising | Summer Pauly | Andres Cambray | — | 10-1 |
| 3 | Alta Avenue | Rafael Bejarano | David Jacobson | — | 12-1 |
| 5 | Pulstar | Alex Achard | Mary Anne Howard | — | 30-1 |
The Favorites: A compact but classy dash. La Puma and Just a Minute dominate the morning line, with the Casse-trained French Friction next in.
The Value: Kingsolver at 4-1 for Rodolphe Brisset can outrun her price with a good jump.
The Verdict: La Puma looks the speed of the speed on firm turf.
Race 7, 2:42pm CT — $62,500 Allowance Optional Claiming, 1 1/8 Miles (Dirt) — The Feature
| No | Horse | Jockey | Trainer | Form | Odds |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | First Resort | Jaime Torres | Eoin Harty | — | 5-2 |
| 4 | Extensive | Ben Curtis | Michael McCarthy | — | 3-1 |
| 6 | Awesome Ruta | Axel Concepcion | Joe Sharp | — | 9-2 |
| 2 | Master Controller | Christopher Emigh | Brittany Vanden Berg | — | 6-1 |
| 8 | Urban Planner | Rafael Bejarano | David Jacobson | — | 8-1 |
| 9 | King Russell | Yedsit Hazlewood | Ron Moquett | — | 10-1 |
| 7 | Special Session | Francisco Arrieta | Mark Casse | — | 12-1 |
Plus two others.
The Favorites: The day’s richest open race is a proper handicapping puzzle. First Resort and Extensive head the line, and both are proven at a mile and an eighth.
The Value: King Russell at 10-1 is the romantic’s play — Ron Moquett’s veteran famously drew into the 2023 Kentucky Derby field, and his long, grinding stride is made for this trip.
The Verdict: First Resort to prove tough from just off the pace, with King Russell the exacta saver underneath.
Race 8, 3:12pm CT — $50,000 Starter Allowance, 1 Mile (Turf), Fillies & Mares
| No | Horse | Jockey | Trainer | Form | Odds |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9 | Annelle | Danny Sheehy | Victoria Oliver | — | 7-2 |
| 1 | No Other Like You | Ben Curtis | David Fawkes | — | 9-2 |
| 7 | Raconteuse | Francisco Arrieta | Ian Wilkes | — | 5-1 |
| 4 | Neenah | Abel Cedillo | Donnie Von Hemel | — | 8-1 |
| 6 | Plot | Cristian Torres | Thomas Drury Jr. | — | 8-1 |
| 2 | Evelyn Louise | Mario Gutierrez | Victoria Oliver | — | 10-1 |
| 3 | Derry Girl | Martin Garcia | Dale Romans | — | 12-1 |
| 10 | Our Shenanigan | Axel Concepcion | Joe Sharp | — | 12-1 |
Plus four others in a field of 12.
The Favorites: Victoria Oliver saddles two, and stable pick Annelle is the one at the top of the market.
The Value: Raconteuse at 5-1 for the Wilkes barn handles any turf and gets a nice stalking setup.
The Verdict: Annelle narrowly, in an open betting race.
Race 9, 3:42pm CT — Maiden Special Weight ($100,000), 1 1/16 Miles (Turf)
| No | Horse | Jockey | Trainer | Form | Odds |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12 | Comprehensive | Florent Geroux | Brian Lynch | — | 3-1 |
| 6 | Grand Premiere | Ben Curtis | Brendan Walsh | — | 9-2 |
| 9 | Provider | Rafael Bejarano | Peter Eurton | — | 6-1 |
| 1 | Clark’s Corner | Brian Hernandez Jr. | Ian Wilkes | — | 8-1 |
| 10 | Cazador | Danny Sheehy | Brendan Walsh | — | 8-1 |
| 7 | Vaporetti | Luan Machado | Brad Cox | — | 10-1 |
| 4 | Last Moment | Keith Asmussen | Steve Asmussen | — | 12-1 |
| 8 | Bullfight | Axel Concepcion | Cherie DeVaux | — | 12-1 |
Plus four others in a field of 12.
The Favorites: A quality turf-route maiden to close. Comprehensive brings the strongest profile for Brian Lynch, and it’s notable that Geroux stays in town for the finale. Walsh again saddles two.
The Value: Clark’s Corner at 8-1 with Brian Hernandez Jr. making a rare Ellis appearance for Ian Wilkes.
The Verdict: Comprehensive to send everyone home happy.
Accumulator
Our four-leg parlay from today’s Ellis Park picks: Objectivity (1:44pm CT, 3-1), La Puma (2:12pm CT, 2-1), First Resort (2:42pm CT, 5-2) and Comprehensive (3:42pm CT, 3-1). At morning-line prices that multiplies out to roughly 165-1 — a small stake goes a long way.
If four legs is one too many, the three-leg version without La Puma still returns around 55-1. For more Saturday value away from Kentucky, check out our Canterbury Park picks too.
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