Bourbon Stakes 2024 Analysis

By Jarrod Horak

The Grade 2, $350,000 Bourbon Stakes will be run at Keeneland on Sunday, October 6, 2024, and this is Win & You’re In race for the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf. The twelve entrants will travel 1 1/16 miles on the turf course and Warlander is the tepid 7-2 morning line favorite. The Grade 2 Bourbon goes as the tenth race on Sunday with a scheduled post time of 5:48 p.m. EDT.

Bourbon Stakes Analysis (Top 4 Selections)

#4 Giocoso (9-2) ran well in both flat mile turf starts. After finishing up the track in his dirt sprint bow, he switched to turf and rallied to miss by a half-length on July 7. He chased from second and aired in his maiden win on turf as the favorite in August, and returned to dirt and finished third at 24-1 odds in the Grade 3 Iroquois on Sept. 7 (beaten 7 lengths). He is back in a preferred turf route and figures to stalk the pace under his regular rider James Graham. 

#6 Cavallo Bay (6-1) won a pair of extended sprints in Great Britain earlier this year. He shipped to this country and finished third behind subsequent Grade 2 Pilgrim winner Zulu Kingdom. John Velazquez takes the call and he figures to stalk the pace for strong shipping trainer Charles Appleby. He had a local half-mile turf work on Oct. 1. 

#2 Warlander (7-2) attended the pace and finished a close third in his turf route bow at Saratoga on July 27 at 25-1 odds. He was the favorite in a turf route at Kentucky Downs second time out and he chased the pace and won by a length. Jose Ortiz got acquainted with the $450k Kitten’s Joy colt last time and he ran faster second time out. 

#3 Siesta Key (8-1) rallied to win his off the turf debut by a length on Aug. 1. The runner-up was a next-out winner and this one scored by a nose on turf second time out. Brad Cox can do no wrong recently and this Into Mischief colt will try to get involved from off the pace under his new rider Tyler Gaffalione. 

Bourbon Stakes Video