Keeneland Select Pick of the Day | July 3, 2021

Race 11 at Gulfstream Park | Saturday July 3 | Post Time 5:35 PM Eastern

Princess Rooney Invitational Stakes – Grade 2 | Purse $350,000 | Seven Furlongs | Fillies and Mares, Three Years Old and Upward

Estilo Talentoso (1) has never finished worse than third in 14 career starts. Although she has more second place finishes (8) than wins (3) she could earn her fourth career win in this year’s Princess Rooney based on the fact her most recent effort was the best of her career and she has more improving to do. Four weeks ago, this well-travelled filly (who has run at six different tracks in her career) shipped to Belmont and won the Grade 3 Bed o’ Roses Stakes gamely by a neck over a very talented filly in Lake Avenue. Javier Castellano was aboard for the win and travels from New York to ride her back as she steps into Grade 2 company for the first time but the 111 Equibase figure earned in victory emphatically states she fits at the level and she already proved competitive against tougher when second, beaten just three-quarters of a length, in the Grade 1 Madison Stakes in April at the distance of the Princess Rooney.

Ce Ce (5) won the Grade 1 Beholder Mile and Grade 1 Apple Blossom Stakes as a four year old in the spring of 2020, earning 105 figures each time. Both those efforts came in two-turn races and she had run even better/faster prior to those when earning a 112 figure sprinting in only the second start of her career. Following the Apple Blossom, Ce Ce lost five in a row through last November but then following five months off she ran fantastically well to win by three in April at the distance of the Princess Rooney. Stretched out to two-turns again in May she ran poorly and that is why the cut back to seven furlongs should once again hit her right between the eyes and give her a shot to earn her sixth career win in her 12^th career start.

Hallawallah (7) is the horse we really should want to finish second for a profitable exacta, or third for a profitable  trifecta, and perhaps post the upset win. She will definitely be overlooked by most bettors as she has never won a graded stakes and only participated in one from 11 starts. That was the Indiana Oaks back in the summer of 2019 and irrelevant. She returned off a three and one-half month layoff one month ago to win a non-graded handicap at Gulfstream at this seven furlong trip and in that race she dominated from start to finish to coast home by nearly seven lengths. The 103 figure was a career best and though not on par by any means with the 111 figure Estilo Talentoso earned winning the Bed o’ Roses that same week, it is AS GOOD or better than the figure earned by ANY of the other six horses this year. Berrios was up for the first time for the win and rides back and there are no true need-the-lead types here so if the same strategy is chosen it is possible this mare can outrun her odds and add to her trainer’s (Juan Avila) record with big prices in stakes such as when Wholebodemeister won the Davona Dale Stakes over the track earlier this year at 52 to 1 or when King Guillermo posted the 49 to 1 upset in the 2020 Tampa Bay Derby.

Win bets: Estilo Talentoso (1) to win at odds of 9 to 5 or more.

For a token amount like $5 or $10, Hallawallah (7) to win at 6 to 1 or more

Exacta as a place bet: ALL over Hallawallah (7)

As a $1 minimum bet the cost of the wager is $8 and could pay off much better than a place bet on a longshot like Hallawallah.

Exactas:

Box Estilo Talentoso (1) and Ce Ce (5)

Estilo Talentoso (1) and Ce Ce (5) over Estilo Talentoso (1), Ce Ce (5), Thisismytime (3), Pacific Gale (4), Laura’s Light (6) and Hallawallah (7).

Trifectas:

Estilo Talentoso (1) and Ce Ce (5) over Hallawallah (7) over Estilo Talentoso (1), Ce Ce (5), Thisismytime (3), Pacific Gale (4) and Laura’s Light (6).

Estilo Talentoso (1) and Ce Ce (5) over Estilo Talentoso (1), Ce Ce (5), Thisismytime (3), Pacific Gale (4) and Laura’s Light (6) over Hallawallah (7)