Expert Picks

Ellis Starr

Ellis Starr, a.k.a. “Ubercapper,” is the National Racing Analyst for Equibase, publishing analysis and selections for races at Keeneland on a daily basis, major races weekly, and other websites include Keeneland Select. Ellis also participates in handicapping contests and is among a small group to qualify in the Keeneland Tournament of Champions Handicapping Contest annually. In 2025, Ellis finished in the top five percent among 800 entries in the National Horseplayers Championship in Las Vegas.

You can follow Ellis’ insights on X (formerly Twitter) and on Bluesky @ubercapper.00

Sunday, April 19, 2026

Sunday, April 19, 2026
Race 8 at Keeneland
Post Time 4:44 p.m. Eastern Time
Palisades Stakes

Contender(s) in preference order with minimum odds for considering win bets:
#6 Sandal’s Song – at odds 3 to 1 or higher
#11 Intricate Spirit – at odds 3 to 1 or higher
#10 Throckmorton – at odds 3 to 1 or higher
#5 Archimedes – at odds 5 to 1 or higher

Three of the top contenders all won a turf sprint stakes, just like the Palisades Stakes, and all three can repeat their top efforts. I will start with Sandal’s Song, who earned his win in his career debut last May, beating seven other horses. He hopped at the break and was eighth and last after the start, but he moved up to fourth and won easily. He then went to Great Britain to race in one of the best races for two-year-olds in Europe, the Group 2 Norfolk Stakes. In that 15-horse field, he finished third. He has been freshened since June, and since he won a stakes in his first start, he can repeat that debut. He also gets jockey Irad Ortiz, Jr., who is fighting to be the top at Keeneland. Best of all, Sandal’s Song has shown as a closer, and with up to six horses in the field who have won their races by leading from the start, he should pass them in the final stages to win.

Intricate Spirit won the Futurity Stakes at six furlongs last October, finishing first and second in his two previous starts. He then ran in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Sprint Stakes, finishing ninth at five furlongs. He returned from nearly five months on March 21, finishing third, with the comment “needed more.” Now that he is in his second race off his layoff, he could run back better and he can also win.

Throckmorton won the Awad Stakes, also at six furlongs, in November. He then returned from a nearly five-month layoff and ran in the same stakes as Intricate Spirit, finishing second, beaten by a head. He, too, should improve in his second race off the layoff. Both Throckmorton and Intricate Spirit have led or finished second in the first quarter races and have stalked nicely in their recent races, so they could be closer to the thick of it.

Archimedes has raced in four turf sprints, winning once, finishing twice, and finishing third once. All of those races were for a different owner, and he was purchased after his last race, where he missed by a neck. Mike Maker now trains him, and Flavian Prat rides him. Maker and Prat have won 30 of 90 races over the last year, so we can expect Archimedes to have a shot. Since he has never raced in a stakes race, his odds may be high.

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Sunday, April 19, 2026