Rowan Ward
Three-year-old filly sprinters take center stage at Keeneland on Saturday, October 23 for the Grade 2 Raven Run Stakes! The race is a seven furlong dirt race, and it drew a competitive field of thirteen fillies vying for a share of a $250,000 purse.
Though it is on the late side for a Breeders’ Cup prep, the race did recently produce a Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint (G1) winner. In 2018, Shamrock Rose won the Raven Run in her graded stakes debut, then wheeled back two weeks later for the Breeders’ Cup upset. Those magical two weeks clinched Champion Female Sprinter honors as well.
Where to Bet on the Raven Run
Picking the right horse bet in the Raven Run is an important decision, but it is equally important to choose the right online sportsbook for betting the race. There are hundreds of options for wagering online, so that can feel like a difficult choice. Fortunately, our expert guide to finding the best online sportsbooks makes that decision easy.
All of our recommended sportsbooks are trustworthy, with reliable deposit and cash-out options. They feature smooth user experiences, and many of them even offer mobile apps for a betting experience optimized for your smartphone. They also offer real Vegas odds, bringing the thrill to the comfort of your home.
Each sportsbook also offers great wagering incentives for Raven Run players. Those include deposit bonuses and horse racing rebates. The bonuses vary by sportsbook, so it makes sense for you to get to know the offerings and choose the best bonus for the way you like to play. Find the site with the best bonuses for your betting style, and get ready to cash in!
Raven Run Horses and Odds
These are the official entrants for the 2021 Raven Run, along with their post positions, trainers, and jockeys:
- Shalimar Gardens (Horacio DePaz/Rafael Bejarano)
- Joy’s Rocket (Steve Asmussen/Julien Leparoux)
- Souper Sensational (Mark Casse/Ricardo Santana, Jr.
- Minute Waltz (Philip Bauer/Martin Garcia)
- Strong Silent (Dale Romans/Corey Lanerie)
- Feeling Mischief (Michael Campbell/Mitchell Murrill)
- Cilla (Brett Brinkman/Tyler Gaffalione)
- Caramel Swirl (Bill Mott/Junior Alvarado)
- Zainalarab (Chad Brown/John Velazquez)
- Someone Said So (Coty Rosin/Adam Beschizza)
- Miss Speedy (Mark Casse/Brian Hernandez, Jr.)
- Just Read It (Ray Handal/Gerardo Correas)
- Obligatory (Bill Mott/Florent Geroux)
As the race draws closer, compare online sportsbooks to find the best odds on these horses. Their fixed odds allow you to lock in the best price on the horse you think will win, instead of watiing for the odds to fluctuate on track the day of the race. Maximize your profit by watching the odds and placing your bet when you find a good overlay!
 |  |  |
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| Souper Sensational | TBA | TBA | TBA |
| Obligatory | TBA | TBA | TBA |
| Caramel Swirl | TBA | TBA | TBA |
| Cilla | TBA | TBA | TBA |
| Zainalarab | TBA | TBA | TBA |
Free Raven Run Picks
Now that you have set up your betting account, it is time to start handicapping the 2021 Raven Run Stakes.
Raven Run Contenders
After disappointing going two turns at Charles Town last out, #8 Caramel Swirl is getting back to her best game, a one-turn seven furlongs. She is one of only two horses in the race who already has a victory at Keeneland, and hers came over this distance. She has good posts and has shown the tactical speed she needs to get a trip, and has a good shot.
Mark Casse won this race three years ago with Shamrock Rose, and comes live once again with #3 Souper Sensational. She tried the Oaks trail, but has been better in the sprint races she has been in this summer. Her tactical speed will be an asset, and even though she has never raced at Keeneland, she has been able to run well at many tracks.
#13 Obligatory fits well at this class level and has shown a liking for this seven-furlong distance. However, make sure to watch the track and make sure closers can close. Early speed has been a better running style over this course and distance, and though there are enough speed horses to think she should be a threat if the track is playing fair, make sure it is.
Likely Underlays
#9 Zainalarab comes out for trainer Chad Brown, who gets bet heavily everywhere he goes and has gotten an excellent start this meet. She is live if she brings her best, though she will have to do so as she faces stakes company for the first time. She makes some sense in exotic wagers, but is unlikely to be appealing in the win pool.
#7 Cilla won the Prioress (G2) last out as the longest price on the board. That was a great day to be on her, but this time around she will probably be shorter after that victory. But, that was a six-furlong race. She has yet to win going any longer than that, and she was soundly defeated in the one attempt she made over this course and distance.
Raven Run Longshot
#2 Joy’s Rocket is the only horse other than Caramel Swirl who already has a victory at Keeneland, having won the Songbird Stakes over the course last year. Form at that distance can bode well for handling seven furlongs. She should be very strong second off the layoff, and can be strong on the return to an extended sprint trip on dirt.
Raven Run Best Bets
Here are your best bets for the 2021 Raven Run!
- $10 Win: #8 Caramel Swirl
- $5 Win-Place-Show: #2 Joy’s Rocket
- $5 Exacta Box: #8 Caramel Swirl, #3 Souper Sensational, #2 Joy’s Rocket
- $1 Trifecta Box: #8 Caramel Swirl, #3 Souper Sensational, #2 Joy’s Rocket, #13 Obligatory
- $0.50 Superfecta Box: #8 Caramel Swirl, #3 Souper Sensational, #2 Joy’s Rocket, #13 Obligatory, #9 Zainalarab
