Ken Ramsey - Keeneland Photo

Ken Ramsey – Keeneland Photo

Saturday, January 11 could be a very productive day for owners Ken and Sarah Ramsey.

Best known for campaigning Kitten’s Joy, Stephanie’s Kitten, Bobby’s Kitten, and others, the Ramseys will send out five starters across two tracks on Saturday. Their contingent includes a pair of formidable contenders at Turfway Park in Kentucky.

Arguably the best wager of the evening at Turfway is the Pick 3 that starts in in the fifth race. The sequence looks manageable for budget-conscience players, especially if one or both of the Ramsey runners reach the winner’s circle.

Want to have a rooting interest in the action? Here’s how we recommend playing the Pick 3.

Race 5: Maiden special weight (8:12 p.m. ET)

#2 Estill and #7 Miss Mosaic look like the best of the experienced fillies in this 1-mile race. Estill, formerly trained by Bill Mott on the tough New York circuit, finished second by a head at this class and distance in her Dec. 20 Turfway debut. Miss Mosaic missed by just a half-length in a similar 1 1/16-mile event Dec. 5.

But these two figure to face a challenge from the Ramseys’ first-time starter #10 Kitten On Call, a well-bred daughter of Kitten’s Joy racing for the super-hot trainer/jockey team of Mike Maker and Gerardo Corrales. We’ll use all three fillies to kick off our Pick 3.

Race 6: $8,000 claiming (8:42 p.m. ET)

#2 Sacred Storm showed dramatic improvement last time out for new trainer Larry Smith, when she crushed a 5 1/2-furlong, $5,000 claiming race at Turfway by 7 3/4 lengths. The 88 Brisnet Speed rating she received towers over this field, and while she is stepping up slightly in class and distance for this 6-furlong test, she appears to relish the Polytrack course at Turfway. Smith hits at a 27% rate with last-out winners, so there’s no reason why Sacred Storm can’t go back-to-back.

On paper her only serious challenger is #9 Fort Marsh, who will switch to Polytrack after a series of consistent efforts on grass in Illinois. Fort Marsh is winless in five starts over the Polytrack at Arlington Park, but she brings competitive Brisnet Speed ratings to the mix for high-percentage trainer Hutch Holsapple and might fare better at Turfway. Adding to her appeal, Turfway’s leading rider Albin Jimenez will be in the saddle.

Race 7: Allowance (9:12 p.m. ET)

This 1 1/16-mile event is restricted to horses who have never won two races. The majority of the entrants have proven to be infrequent winners, which makes them generally uninspiring win candidates.

The lone exception is the 4-four-old #11 Ramsey Solution, who has just two starts under his belt. Owned by the Ramseys, the son of Real Solution finished seventh with a slow start in his debut at Keeneland, then improved substantially to win a 1 1/8-mile maiden race at Churchill Downs by 6 1/2 lengths. He benefited from a slow pace over a rain-soaked course, but he finished strongly down the lane to earn a 90 Brisnet Speed rating that tops this field.

Ramsey Solution is conditioned by high-percentage trainer Wesley Ward, who is striking at a 33% rate at Turfway this winter. Jockey Julio Garcia has also been hot, with two wins from four starts, and Ramsey Solution showed an affinity for the Turfway Polytrack when he breezed five furlongs in a bullet :59 2/5 on Jan. 6. Let’s single Ramsey Solution in the final leg of our Pick 3.

$5 Pick 3: 2,7,10 with 2,9 with 11 ($30)

Good luck!