US racing tips: Shane Ketteridge with his two best Saturday bets

Santin
9.40 Fair Grounds
1pt win

Favor
10.12 Fair Grounds
1pt win

Fair Grounds has some top-quality stakes action on Saturday, featuring the return of the unbeaten Echo Zulu in the Fair Grounds Oaks, and my attention is drawn towards the Grade 2 Muniz Memorial Classic Stakes, which is race ten on the card.

This is an intriguing race for older horses over 1m1f on turf, with standard set by the Chad Brown pair of Sacred Life and Devamani, although at seven and eight years of age they are vulnerable to a high-quality youngster coming through. For that we have Godolphin's four-year-old Santin, who is lightly raced and improving.

Brendan Walsh's son of Distorted Humor has won two of his four starts, including a comfortable allowance success over a mile at Keeneland in October, and put up a big effort to finish a neck second to Beyond Brilliant in the Grade 1 Hollywood Derby at Del Mar in November.

He returned to run a good fourth in the Grade 3 Fair Grounds Stakes here last month and the general feeling is that his trainer hasn't touched the surface with him yet.

Tyler Gaffalione takes the ride and should be able to steer clear of any trouble from an outside draw. The partnership can swoop late to defeat the older horses in an interesting contest.

Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies winner Echo Zulu is set to go off at short odds for the Fair Grounds Oaks but she may need the run and I wouldn't want to be backing her at a skinny price for her seasonal debut.

The filly who could catch her out at the right time is Todd Pletcher's Favor, who is improving and has won her last two races.

She won those by a combined distance of eight lengths and seems to have been overlooked as she steps into stakes company for the first time. She has race fitness on her side as her latest victory was only last month and she remains unexposed.

Gaffalione could be in for a good day as this is another of his mounts and the pair can stalk Echo Zulu, who is likely to try to make all the running, before edging in front late on.

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