One of Keeneland’s most popular races during its Spring meet is set for Friday, when a competitive field assembles for the 37^th Maker’s Mark Mile Stakes. The Grade 1 turf race is an early season barometer for middle-distance grass horses as they get their campaigns into full gear prior to the summer months and then a potential start in the Breeders’ Cup World Championships. This year’s race will be televised on FanDuel TV.

1. Integration: Consistent type made his 5-year-old debut Jan. 25 and finished a neck shy of winning the Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational Stakes Presented by Qatar Racing. He ran third in this race a year ago and always puts in a good effort. Should save ground with an inside trip and rates a strong win chance, although he’s done his best at longer distances.

JOCKEY: Frankie Dettori; TRAINER: Shug McGaughey

2. Funtastic Again: Longshot will be a pace player under first-time rider Irad Ortiz Jr. He did not handle Kentucky Downs’ unique turf course in his last start back in September and will be coming in off of a seven-month layoff. Three of his four career wins have come on the all-weather track at Turfway Park. Would be a surprise.

JOCKEY: Irad Ortiz Jr.; TRAINER: Wesley Ward

3. Trikari: Appeared to have enough potential to rise to the top of the 3-year-old turf division after racking up impressive wins in spring and summer of last year, but momentum stalled in the fall. Finished sixth in his most recent start, a Grade 3 turf mile back in October on this course and had traffic trouble in that race. A bit of a mystery contender.

JOCKEY: John Velazquez; TRAINER: Graham Motion

4. Grand Aspen: Six-year-old has had several breaks in his racing career but put forth one of his best efforts last time out, a late-running fourth on turf at Santa Anita Park a little more than a month ago. Has been tested at the graded stakes level on dirt (without much success) but this will be his first graded stakes on grass.

JOCKEY: Joel Rosario; TRAINER: Jonathan Thomas

5. Santorini: One of several entrants who figures to be forwardly placed, he’s won twice on turf in nine starts but not since 2023. His three most recent starts have been on Turfway Park’s all-weather surface, with one gate-to-wire win and two defeats when he tired late. Hard to see him hanging around in the stretch.

JOCKEY: Alex Achard; TRAINER: Rodolphe Brisset

Carl Spackler (Coady Media)

6. Carl Spackler: He’s a true mile specialist, with a record of six wins in eight starts at the distance. What’s more, he is versatile and can win on the front end or from a stalking position and arguably ran his very best on this course last fall when taking the Coolmore Turf Mile Stakes. Regular rider Tyler Gaffalione is injured but reigning Eclipse Award winner Flavien Prat picks up the mount.

JOCKEY: Flavien Prat; TRAINER: Chad Brown

7. Silent Heart: Has reached peak form over the past seven months, winning twice and finishing third three times on turf. Most recently, he was third by a neck in a Grade 3 race at Gulfstream Park and was bumped in deep stretch. He could win at a decent price but figures more logically in exactas and trifectas under good Keeneland rider Saez.

JOCKEY: Luis Saez; TRAINER: Brian Lynch

8. Northern Invader: Made a nice impression in first 2025 start, setting the pace in a 1 1/16-mile Grade 3 race at Tampa Bay Downs and battling in the stretch before yielding by three-quarters of a length. Has shown early speed in most of his races and might use too much of it here with several other forwardly placed types entered.

JOCKEY: Jose Ortiz; TRAINER: Cherie DeVaux

9. Seminole Chief: Made great strides in his three starts this year, all at Gulfstream Park on turf, posting two hard-fought wins and a third, including his first stakes victory in the one-mile Appleton Stakes in his most recent start. Might get overlooked in the betting pools as he’s taking a big jump up in class. Definitely worth using in exactas and trifectas.

JOCKEY: Dylan Davis; TRAINER: Jack Sisterson

THE PICK: Integration

LIVE LONGSHOT: Seminole Chief

SUPERFECTA: 1-6-9-7