Maker’s Mark Mile 2025 Analysis

By Jarrod Horak

The Grade 1, $650,000 Maker’s Mark Mile Stakes is the 9th race at Keeneland on Friday, April 11. Nine runners were entered in this flat mile turf event and Carl Spackler is the 9-5 morning line favorite.

Maker’s Mark Mile Analysis

Integration won the Grade 3 Virginia Derby and Grade 2 Hill Prince in 2023. He started 2024 with a 5th place finish in the Pegasus World Cup Turf (G1), and followed that up with a show finish in this race. He was fourth in the Turf Classic (G1), first in the Million Preview, second in the Arlington Million (G1), and first in the Grade 2 Red Smith. Last time, he did all of the pace dirty work and missed by a neck in the Grade 1 Pegasus Turf on Jan. 25. He cuts back in distance and should save ground behind the speed under Frankie Dettori.

Carl Spackler is a 6-time stakes winner for Chad Brown. He is 4-for-5 at Saratoga and is probably gearing up for multiple starts at that venue. He won a pair go Grade 1 races last year including the Turf Mile at Keeneland last fall, and he was 6th of 10 when last seen in the BC Mile (G1) last time. Flavien Prat takes the call and the early-pressing win type should be in the hunt throughout.

Northern Invader drew post 12 and scratched out of a local allowance turf route on April 8. He won the Gio Ponti Stakes in 2023 and was second in the Commonwealth Turf and Woodchopper. He raced four times last year including an allowance win and a show finish behind Carl Spackler in the Grade 3 Kelso. He was sidelined for more than six months and resurfaced in the Grade 3 Tampa Bay Stakes on Feb. 1, and he set a fast pace and held the place. This is his second start as a gelding and he reunites with his winning rider Jose Ortiz.

Trikari makes his first start as a 4-year-old for Graham Motion. He won four sophomore stakes races last year (Rushaway, G2 American Turf, G1 Belmont Derby, G2 Secretariat), and was fourth in the City of Hope Mile (G2) and 6th in the Bryan Station (G3) in his last pair. He is 0-for-2 at Keeneland and failed to crack the top three in those races. He reunites with his winning rider John Velazquez and this is his first start since October 2024. 

Funtastic Again was up the track when last seen at Kentucky Downs last September. He was second in the Grade 1 Shoemaker Mile at Santa Anita last year.

Maker’s Mark Mile Wagers

#1 to win

Exacta box 1-6

Trifecta 1-6/1-3-6-8/1-3-6-8

Superfecta key 1/2-3-6-8

Maker’s Mark Mile Video