E.P. Taylor Stakes Picks 2017

E.P. Taylor Stakes Preview

With five of the nine entries at single-digit odds in the morning line, the 2017 EP Taylor should be a very good betting race, with several ways to go in terms of handicapping.

One of several shipping in from overseas, the oddsmaker at Woodbine has installed UK-bred Nezwaah as the slight ML favorite at 5-2. A winner of five of 10 lifetime, she made her one and only North American start in this race last year, finishing seventh. She has a Group 1 win to her name two starts back, and last out was a competitive fourth in the Group 1 Yorkshire Oaks, a race won by UK superstar filly Enable.

Another UK-bred who has spent the season racing in North America and comes into the race in very good form is Quidura (3-1) for trainer Graham Motion. She's been in the money in four consecutive graded-stakes tries, and is a last-out winner over the Woodbine turf when she took the (G2) Canadian Stakes off a perfect stalking trip.   

Late Running Rainha Likes the Course 

Also quite familiar with the racing surface is Rainha Da Bateria (10-1) who was fifth in this race last year, but who took the (G2) Dance Smartly at Woodbine two starts back, her second effort coming off a six-month layoff. Prior to that she beat several in this field while running fourth in the (G1) Beverly D Stakes at Arlington, finishing behind a trio of multiple graded-stakes winners. She also won the Canadian Stakes last year.

Breaking from down on the inside, Kitten's Roar (12-1) is one who wants all the distance she can get, and should be coming late if she can get and maintain a middle-pack trip early. She won last out in a lower-level stake at more than 1 1/2 miles, and has been competive with several of the top US based runners entered here throughout the 2017 season. 

Also worth consideration is the only three-year-old in the field in the form of Rain Goddess (9-2) for the champion trainer-jockey tandem of Aiden O'Brien and Ryan Moore. The fact O'Brien would ship the filly over to take on elders after she ran eighth in her first such attempt in the Beverly D. suggests she made lots of forward progress over the last two months, during which she captured a Group 3 event in Ireland.

The E.P Taylor Stakes goes Sunday, October 15 from Woodbine Race Track in Toronto. It's race #9 of 11 on the day, and immediately preceeds the $800,000 (G1) Pattison Canadian International. Post time is 5:28 PM Eastern. 

You can use your PC or mobile to bet the big stakes or the full day's card at Woodbine through an account at an online racebook. 

E.P. Taylor Stakes Entries

1. Kitten's Roar (12-1) 
2. Fourstar Crook (8-1)
3. Quidura (3-1)
4. Rainha Da Bateria (10-1) 
5. Sassy Little Lila (12-1) 
6. Nezwaah (5-2)
7. Rain Goddess (9-1)
8. Blonde Me (6-1) 
9. Puca (20-1)  

E.P. Taylor Stakes Picks

• #3 - Quidura
• #4 - Rainha Da Bateria
• #6 - Nezwaah
• #1 - Kitten's Roar 

Category : Betting Picks

Tag : Horse Racing , Woodbine