Photo by Penelope P. Miller/America's Best Racing

America’s Best Racing and BetAmerica team up to provide horseplayers with their best bets of the weekend in a regular feature blog that will run on Fridays.

Each week, one of our crack handicappers - Jose Contreras, Dan Tordjman, Victoria Garofalo, Mike Johnson or Vince Mathews – will provide at least one “Best Bet” of the weekend, ideal for a win bet. The post also will include some combination of additional bets for the weekend.

For some posts, our handicappers will try to identify a longshot play of the weekend, a nice opportunity to swing for the fences on a win bet or to take a shot with a show bet.

Our handicappers also will look for strong exacta plays for the weekend or occasionally try to spot a nice opportunity for other wagers.

Place your bets at BetAmerica, which prides itself on outstanding customer service combined with the safety and security of wagering with a reputable advance-deposit wagering platform. Place your bets and you can walk away with some extra cash in your pocket.

Saturday, Oct. 3

EXACTA BOX

Keeneland Race Course, Race 6, $250,000, Thoroughbred Club of America Stakes 4 p.m. ET

#3 Judy the Beauty: A staple on the stakes sprint scene for the past two years, she carried high weight in her most recent race en route to a third-place finish at Saratoga Race Course. She’ll rebound here against slightly weaker company.

#5 Leigh Court: She took the 2014 edition of this race and has shown flashes of that form lately for trainer Mike Stidham, who is a sneaky good conditioner at Keeneland. 

BEST BET/WIN BET

Belmont Park, Race 8, $500,000 Champagne Stakes, 4:18 p.m. ET

# 3 Ready Dancer: He broke his maiden in a six-furlong (three-quarters of a mile) race at Saratoga on Aug. 29 in his most recent start, on the heels of two solid efforts at that level. A nice set of workouts at Belmont Park indicates he is taking well to the surface at Belmont for Todd Pletcher who has dominated the Champagne Stakes, winning three in a row. 

EXACTA BOX

Keeneland Race Course, Race 9, $1-million Shadwell Turf Mile Stakes, 5:45 p.m. ET

#5 Dutch Connection: This European invader has shown a penchant for big performances on some of England's and France’s biggest stages. He’s won or placed in three-straight group stakes races. Trainer Charles Hills — who conditioned Grade 1 winner Just the Judge — brought him here thinking he had a strong chance to win, with the ultimate goal of qualifying for the Breeders’ Cup Mile.

#10 The Pizza Man: Turf route specialist The Pizza Man shortens up a bit to the one-mile distance following his win in the Arlington Million. Trainer Roger Brueggemann is utilizing this a tuneup for the Breeders’ Cup

Sunday, Oct. 4

EXACTA BOX

BEST BET/ WIN BET

Keeneland Race Course, Race 9, $500,000 Juddmonte Spinister Stakes, 5:45 p.m. ET

#1 Lovely Maria: This filly finally gets another chance to run at 1 1/8 miles, which I think is her niche distance. She hasn’t found her way to the winner’s circle since her win in the Kentucky Oaks, but I think she returns to her victorious ways after a few frustrating showings in the Del Mar Oaks and most recently the Alabama Stakes on Aug. 22 at Saratoga. A steady tab of solid workouts since then suggest she is back on the upswing and primed for great performance.