Expert Pick of the Week: 2023 Elkhorn Stakes

Apr 20, 2023 John Mucciolo

A
solid field of turf turf stayers will travel 1 1/2 miles on the
Keeneland green
in Saturday’s $350,000 Elkhorn (G2). The grassy marathon attracted the
top-two finishers in the race in 2022, Channel Maker and Another Mystery, and I
will be looking for a repeat performance coming from the former.

Trained
by Bill Mott, Channel Maker is a $3.7 million earner who has knocked heads with
some of the better turf horses in training during his fine career. The
nine-year-old gelding has performed well on the Keeneland lawn on numerous
occasions and will exude his class on this stage once again on Saturday. He is
the Expert Pick of the Week. 

Channel
Maker tired late to finish seventh on the oval in the 2022
Breeders’ Cup Turf(G1) in his most recent appearance in Lexington, and he never fired at
Gulfstream Park to commence his 2023 campaign, but the son of English Channel
is primed for a huge move forward while making his second run of the season.

The
Ontario-bred chestnut appears to be controlling speed in the event and received
a fine draw on the rail, so I expect the old class horse to take command early
and never look back in this tilt. John Velazquez will be in the silks aboard
the top selection.

Conditioner
Mike Maker has a pair of major players in the heat, including Grade 2 winner
Red Knight. Also a nine-year-old, the chestnut was game in taking the William
L. McKnight S. (G3) in his 2023 bow and seems poised for another good showing
in his second assignment of the year. The Empire State-bred son of Pure Prize
has shown new life since joining this outfit in 2022 and has endured some
success on this course in the past, too. 

Red
Knight is not the most consistent horse in training, but he fits well in this
offering, and he also has room to move forward while making
his second run off the bench. The stalker will get the jump on the
deeper closing types at the top of the lane with Gerardo Corrales in the
stirrups. 

An
exacta with
#1 Channel Maker on top
of
#5 Red Knight in the 2023 Elkhorn
Stakes is the Best Bet of the Week.