According to observers, it is uncommon for a horse viewed as the most probable winner in a five-horse field to present good value. However, on Saturday at Fair Grounds, Admiral Dennis is set to make his stakes debut against four competitors, and many believe he has an excellent chance. Notably, none of the 2-year-olds entered the Gun Runner Stakes have achieved stakes placements, with only two having participated in stakes racing previously. Some experts feel that Admiral Dennis stands out as the most impressive contender, estimating he could win the race about fifty percent of the time, which makes his 9-5 morning line odds appear favourable.
In his debut, Admiral Dennis faced challenges in mid-pack as the 5-2 favourite among ten but failed to mount a serious challenge in the final stretch. In his subsequent outing, where he stretched to a one-turn mile, he set the pace before decisively winning at 3-5 and earning an impressive Ragozin Figure of 11, the highest among the field. Analysts expect Luis Saez to implement similar tactics from the outside post in this race. While Render Judgment has good Brisnet late-pace ratings, his early-pace indicators suggest he may lag behind. Magnitude, trained by Steve Asmussen and ridden by Jose Ortiz, is likely to attract attention, but analysts believe he may fall short of matching Admiral Dennis's previous performance. Concerns linger about Built, listed at 7-2, due to his long layoff for a two-turn debut. Many expect Admiral Dennis to be the preferred choice in multi-race bets, with hopes that the second-place entry can challenge Magnitude.