Keeneland Picks: Elkhorn Stakes Day, 4/18/26

Key Takeaways:

• The spotlight on the 2026 Elkhorn Stakes reflects the seasonal shift toward older-horse competition at Keeneland Race Course, where depth of experience and stamina often become more decisive than raw early-season speed.
• With wet weather in the forecast, versatility across surfaces and proven ability to handle off tracks could shape outcomes throughout the card, particularly in mid-level allowance and stakes races where form lines are closely matched.
• In starter allowance company, runners with established success at the exact distance and demonstrated effectiveness on wet footing can hold a quiet but meaningful edge, especially when pace scenarios allow tactical speed to secure favorable positioning.
• In large maiden claiming fields, lightly raced horses returning from layoffs often present upside when prior starts were compromised by poor trips, making clean breaks and early positioning critical to unlocking improvement.
• In graded stakes like the Ben Ali Stakes, tactical stamina and adaptability to different pace setups frequently separate emerging contenders from established veterans, particularly when recent form shows the ability to finish strongly after pressing honest fractions.

The Kentucky Derby trail may be over, but the Keeneland spring meet is still in full swing, with focus shifting to older horses for much of the rest of it. The feature on Saturday, April 18, is the Grade 2 Elkhorn, a 1 ½-mile test on the turf course, open to older horses. However, that’s just one of 11 races on the card.

Saturday’s card at Keeneland features one other graded-stakes race as well: the Ben Ali (G3), a 1 3/16-mile test for older dirt horses. And, the rest of the card features more of Keeneland’s trademark top-quality racing: events for maidens and more experienced horses, on turf and dirt, going sprint and route distances.

Keeneland’s Saturday card gets underway at 1:00 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time. FanDuel TV will be there all day long to show the races and keep you informed of all the latest news about horse racing across the country: at Keeneland, Oaklawn Park, and everywhere else. You can get past performances and place your bets from anywhere at FanDuel. Make sure to check the scratches and changes on race day – with wet weather likely, there may be changes that affect the pace and class balance, and staying informed gives you the ability to fine-tune your bets!

Keeneland Picks – 2026 Elkhorn Stakes Day Best Bets

Here are three expert selections in stakes races at Keeneland on Elkhorn Stakes day:

Race 4: $30,000 starter allowance for non-winners of three races lifetime, 1 1/16 miles on the dirt - Armed N Dangerous, Mary’s Boy Bolt

FanDuel odds: 10-1 and 3-1

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With likely favorite Morunning better proven at one turn than two, this race looks ripe for a nice price early in the day. Start with a long look at Armed N Dangerous (10-1). Especially with some wet weather in the forecast, he is set to thrive – four of his ten starts have come on off tracks, and he has two wins and two second-place finishes to show for it. In fact, both of his wins have come at 1 1/16 miles in the mud. He has the tactical speed to carve out a nice trip from a good middle gate, and even though he may get ignored on the title because most of his form has come on the mid-Atlantic circuit, his races are fast enough to make him a contender if he can bring that form to Keeneland.

Mary’s Boy Bolt (3-1) has been facing turf horses since moving to the barn of Chris Hartman, either on the grass or in wash-offs to the dirt. It may be a challenge to face horses originally intended for dirt for the first time since last summer in allowance company, but this is the right level, and the conditions should be right. After all, he cleared his non-winners of two lifetime conditions at Fair Grounds in December over a sloppy track, showing enough ability to back off of a pace battle and rally back into it. That tactical ability should serve him well over this course as well, as should the drop into starter company after attempts against straight allowance foes in his last two starts.

Race 5: $50,000 maiden claiming, 1 1/16 miles on the dirt - Tremendously, Street Party

FanDuel odds: 8-1 and 5-1

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This race drew a full field of 12, and the tote board should be a competitive one. Tremendously (8-1), who makes his first start since November of 2024, has the most upside of anyone in the field. Both of his races came in competitive 2-year-old maiden special weights, and though he was never a threat in either of them, he had trouble at the start both times. In these conditions, if he comes away better, he may finally get a real chance to show what ability he has for the first time in his career. Trainer Brian Lynch has been working him regularly, and Lynch shines with horses coming off the bench as well as horses on Lasix for the first time. There are enough horses with some pace that at least honest fractions can unfold – and who knows, he could still find himself in a better spot early if he doesn’t get roughed up. He should be the right price to bet he’ll get a fair shake and take advantage of it.

Street Party (5-1) is relatively lightly raced with only three starts, meaning he has some room to improve. He moved forward last out in a maiden-optional claimer at Fair Grounds last out, dropping from maiden special weight, and now drops into a straight claimer for the first time. In that last race, he did the dirty work on the pace and ran on to finish second, beaten only a neck. This gets a little tougher in that it’ll be his first try against older horses – but his race last out was fast enough to make him a contender, and his pedigree (Street Sense out of a Bernardini mare) suggests he’ll have no trouble handling the footing in the likely event of an off track.

Race 9: Ben Ali (G3), 1 3/16 miles on the dirt - British Isles, Stars and Stripes

FanDuel odds: 6-1 and 4-1

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British Isles (6-1) broke through on March 7 in the Santa Anita Handicap (G1). Though it was hardly a vintage renewal of the historic race, he won it with authority. He got an honest pace in front of him and was able to take over with strength – though he can be even closer to the pace if he needs, as he showed three back in the 1 ⅛-mile Native Diver, his first start on dirt after a long stretch of turf form. That tactical pace should help him, as should his proven stamina (on both turf and dirt), as well as the presence of jockey John Velazquez, who not only has big-race experience but also has gotten a sharp start to the Keeneland meet. Trainer Richard Baltas, who tends to outrun his odds in graded-stakes races, has a live up-and-comer in the Ben Ali.

Trainer Bill Mott has a pair of live runners in this race. Batten Down is the likely favorite and even the likely pacesetter, but needed a stretch out and a drop to restricted stakes company to figure it out against older stakes horses last out at Oaklawn. Instead, take a bit longer price on a horse who’s a bit less exposed in races like this: Stars and Stripes (4-1), the second-stringer from the Mott barn. He steps into graded-stakes company for the first time, but won a second-level allowance in fast fashion last out at Oaklawn, doing so in a stalk-and-pounce shape that could work out very well. That came over good dirt, as well – between that and his sloppy-track maiden win last June, the weather forecast sets up well. The connections appeal as well: Luis Saez, who rode him to the last-out win, retains the mount. Saez has been sharp lately when riding for Mott, who has gotten a great start to the Keeneland meet, and they have another live one here.

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