The Keeneland Files

Keeneland Offers B.C. Wagering Options

2014-10-27T01:31:00Z

Sure Keeneland will wait until next year to host the Breeders' Cup World Championships, but this year the Lexington track will offer plenty of simulcast and drive-thru wagering options for the two-day event Friday, Oct. 31, and Saturday, Nov. 1, from Santa Anita Park.

Fans who wish to spend either day at Keeneland will be welcomed with free general admission and parking. Gates open at 11 a.m. Friday with first post from Santa Anita at 2:25 p.m. (EDT) and first Breeders' Cup race scheduled for 5:25 p.m. The day's final Breeders' Cup race, the Distaff (gr. I) is scheduled for 7:35 p.m.

Gates also open at 11 a.m. Saturday with the first Santa Anita post set for 1:15 p.m., the first Breeders' Cup race at 3:05 p.m., and the Breeders' Cup Classic (gr. I) at 8:35 p.m.

The Breeders' Cup simulcast from Santa Anita will be shown on TV monitors throughout the facility as well as on the infield tote board. Additionally, Keeneland will show NBC Sports Network coverage on monitors throughout the track beginning at 4 p.m. Friday and 3:30 p.m. Saturday. NBC coverage of the Breeders' Cup Classic begins at 8 p.m. Saturday.

Fans who wish to put in their wagers and catch the event at home or elsewhere will be able to use Keeneland's drive-thru wagering windows from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Friday and 8 a.m. to 8:35 p.m. Saturday. Advance wagering on Saturday's Breeders' Cup races will be available Friday.

On both days, Keeneland also will offer wagering at The Thoroughbred Center on Paris Pike and at the Kentucky Horse Park's Alltech Arena.

Keeneland-Based Horses are Breeders' Cup Bound

2014-10-22T18:15:00Z

Of 201 horses pre-entered to the Oct. 31-Nov. 1 Breeders' Cup World Championships at Santa Anita Park, 38 raced or trained at Keeneland in September or October.

House horse Wise Dan, the racing world’s two-time Horse of the Year, used the Shadwell Turf Mile (gr. IT) to set up his Breeders’ Cup Mile (gr. IT) campaign the past three seasons in a row. Although he is now sidelined, four of this year’s Shadwell contenders will attempt to take that route to the Mile.

Grand Arch - Rick Samuels

Grand Arch was second by a length to Wise Dan in the Oct. 4 Shadwell. He breezed four furlongs in :52 1/5 on Oct. 18 at Keeneland for trainer Brian Lynch.

Sayaad, third in the Shadwell for trainer Kiaran McLaughlin, and Kaigun, fourth for trainer Mark Casse, will go to the Mile along with Seek Again, who finished sixth in that event for Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott. The Turf Sprint (gr. IT) is Kaigun’s second preference.

Also targeting the Mile is Tom Albertrani trainee Better Lucky, a 5-year-old mare who was second in the Oct. 4 First Lady Stakes (gr. IT). Her second preference is the Filly & Mare Sprint (gr. I)

While no Breeders’ Cup Classic (gr. I) contenders trained at Keeneland leading up to the big event, three runners will exit Keeneland runs to target the $2 million Distaff (gr. I).

Don't Tell Sophia won the 2014 Juddmonte Spinster Stakes - Anne M. Eberhardt

Oct. 5 Juddmonte Spinster (gr. I) winner Don’t Tell Sophia leads that group, with runner-up Ria Antonia and fourth-place Close Hatches Distaff-bound as well. Don’t Tell Sophia breezed four furlongs in :48 4/5 on Oct. 18 for trainer Phil Sims, while Ria Antonia went five furlongs in :59 4/5 on Oct. 17 for trainer Tom Amoss.

The female ranks are well-represented with runners who will head to California via Keeneland. First Lady (gr. IT) winner Dayatthespa heads to the Filly & Mare Turf while last year’s Filly & Mare Sprint runner-up Judy the Beauty has been training up to another run. Judy the Beauty went five furlongs in :57 4/5 for trainer Wesley Ward on Oct. 20. Dayatthespa’s second preference is the Mile.

Also targeting the DraftKings Filly & Mare Sprint are Thoroughbred Club of America (gr. II) winner Leigh Court, runner-up Southern Honey, and third-place finisher Stonetastic, along with Lexus Raven Run (gr. II) third-place finisher Thank You Marylou.

The Juvenile Fillies (gr. I) will have two contenders. Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas sends out Take Charge Brandi, who must recover from an eighth-place finish in the Oct. 3 Darley Alcibiades (gr. I), while Top Decile, runner-up by half a length in that spot to the now-sidelined Peace and War, will also contest the race.

A large group will head to the Juvenile Fillies Turf (gr. IT), with Wesley Ward sending Del Mar Debutante (gr. IT) winner Sunset Glow to this spot. She worked five furlongs in 1:02 1/5 on the Keeneland turf Oct 20.

Rainha Da Bateria won the 2014 JP Morgan Chase Jessamine Stakes - Keeneland Photo

JP Morgan Chase Jessamine (gr. IIIT) winner Rainha Da Bateria and runner-up Quality Rocks will also go in the Juvenile Fillies Turf. Lukas has the impressive maiden winner Lady Zuzu, who took an Oct. 9 maiden special weight going a mile on the turf by 6 ¼ lengths, and trainer Dale Romans has Oct. 9 maiden winner Flying Tipat as well. Lady Zuzu’s second preference is the Juvenile Fillies.

The XpressBet Sprint (gr. I) will see Stoll Keenon Ogden Phoenix (gr. III) winner Work All Week try for his first grade I, while grade II winner Bourbon Courage comes off an Oct. 3 optional claimer and worked five furlongs in :59 3/5 on Oct. 20 to secure his place. Bellarmine, fifth in an optional claimer on Oct. 18, was also pre-entered. Bourbon Courage’s second preference is the Dirt Mile (gr. I), which Golden Ticket will pursue. The latter, a Ken McPeek trainee, went five furlongs in 1:00 4/5 on Oct. 18 to continue his preparations.

No Nay Never won the 2014 Woodford Stakes - Keeneland Photo

The Turf Sprint has Oct. 4 Woodford (gr. III) winner No Nay Never for Ward, along with Undrafted. No Nay Never worked five furlongs on the Keeneland lawn in 1:03 1/5 Oct. 20, while Undrafted went five on the dirt in :59 1/5 Oct. 19. Buffalo Trace Franklin County winner Free as a Bird and runner-up Ageless were also pre-entered, as was Woodford sixth-place finisher Marchman.

McPeek has Dixiana Bourbon (gr. IIIT) winner Lawn Ranger in the Juvenile Turf (gr. IT), and second-place finisher Danny Boy was also pre-entered by Romans. Danny Boy’s connections listed the Sentient Jet Juvenile (gr. I) as their second preference. Also going in the Juvenile Turf are Hootenanny, who went five furlongs on the turf in 1:01 2/5 on Oct. 20 for Ward, and Luck of the Kitten for the same trainer, who won the Oct. 5 Zuma Beach Stakes at Santa Anita. Majestico, fourth in the Bourbon for Lukas, is pre-entered as well.

Trainer Richard Finds Early Footing at Keeneland

2014-10-18T17:58:00Z

Count trainer Chris Richard as one of the more enthusiastic horsemen regarding the recent removal of Polytrack and installation of dirt before this year's fall meet at Keeneland.

Richard registered four wins from his first five starts at Keeneland this fall, winning three races for owner Maggi Moss with Galloping Domino, Como Se Llama, and Electric Temptress; and one with Jackrabbit Thoroughbreds’ Quality Council.

Richard has enjoyed success in recent years at Prairie Meadows, where he has registered four training titles and finished as second-leading trainer this year. Without many horses with proven form on synthetic surfaces or turf horses that might excel on Polytrack, Richard had few Thoroughbreds he thought were a good fit for Keeneland in recent years.

After making just a few spot starts at the Lexington track in recent years, Richard was excited when he read about plans to switch the main track back to dirt. He was certain he’d have some horses who would be good fits at the meet.

“When they went back to the dirt surface, I was pretty excited,” Richard said. “We gave some horses some layoffs, freshened them up. We thought we were in some pretty good spots if we could get a little lucky and we’ve been fortunate in that the horses have run well.”

Chris Richard is all smiles with the return to dirt at Keeneland - Coady Photography

Richard had previously worked with horses at Keeneland as an assistant to Tom Amoss from 2000 to 2005, when he went out on his own. Richard loved winning races at Keeneland with Amoss and looked forward to saddling his own winners this year.

“We kind of planned for this meet. I really hadn’t participated much at Keeneland when it had Polytrack,” Richard said. “When they switched over, I really got excited again because when I worked with Tom, we had a lot of success here. It was always a lot of fun to come and win races here.”

With Kentucky moving September dates from Turfway Park, which features Polytrack; to the dirt racing at Churchill Downs, Richard has had even more options in Kentucky.

Richard, 43, a Ragley, La., native, grew up helping out his grandfather who ran horses at Evangeline Downs and Delta Downs. With that interest in horses from a young age, Richard studied at Texas A & M, where he received a B.S. in Animal Equine Science and an M.S. in Equine Nutrition and Exercise Physiology.

He would train some horses for owner Jim McIngvale before taking the assistant position with Amoss. When Richard was ready to move out on his own, Amoss helped him along.

“Tom was very instrumental to me in going out on my own, he was very supportive,” Richard said.

Richard said he initially had five horses when he started at Arlington Park. Moss would soon express interest in racing in the Chicago area, but Amoss was not interested in starting a stable there. He recommended Moss consider Richard, and the two quickly found success. Richard said they work well together.

“We communicate very well; we’re always on the same page,” Richard said. “In our partnership and our system, we just seem to be on the right page together.”

Last year Richard ranked 36th in wins and 81st in earnings among North American-based trainers. The Midwest-based trainer has won multiple stakes and registered his first graded stakes win with Outta Tune in the 2012 Count Fleet Handicap (gr. III) at Oaklawn Park.

Richard enjoys working with horses and likes competition. The Kentucky Derby (gr. I) and Triple Crown races are a goal.

“I enjoy winning races at any level. It’s just a lot of fun and I have a lot of passion for it,” Richard said. “Like every trainer, we want to get to the point where we have some good 2-year-olds and 3-year-olds and we’re running in the Derby preps and hopefully we get one that’s good enough to get to the Derby some day. I think that’s the ambition of most trainers and it’s definitely mine.”

No Conveyor Belt Early at Keeneland

2014-10-16T00:00:00Z

While I’ve seen a few days where the dirt track has suggested a moderate level of bias either way, the new dirt surface at Keeneland generally has been fair and certainly has not produced the dramatic speed-favoring bias the former dirt track would sometimes display.

Granted, the new track has only offered nine race days but my general assessment would be that it is similar to other North American dirt tracks where it’s difficult to rally from too far back. In my eyeball look through the past performance charts, I’ve only noticed one horse who rallied from last early to win a race on the dirt track at the current fall meet. (I didn’t use the computer on this study; hopefully I didn’t miss anyone.)

That single horse to rally from last was Tellalittlesecret who rallied from ninth to win a 1 1/16-mile claiming race on Oct. 5. Two-turn races that day seemed to favor mid-pack closers, so the move was not too far out of line with the trend that day. (Honorable mention in this category goes to Peace and War, who rallied from 11th, 13 ¾ lengths back a half-mile into the race, to win the 1 1/16-mile Darley Alcibiades Stakes [gr. I]. Again though, that was on a day that horses were making moves in the two-turn races.).

Peace and War rallied from 11th to win the Darley Alcibiades Stakes - Anne M. Eberhardt Photo

While it’s difficult to close from far back at many U.S. tracks, the reason the former dirt track at Keeneland could be frustrating is that even horses tracking the leader would sometimes spin their wheels as they tried to make a move to the front.

Perhaps the most memorable of horses to thrive under the former dirt conditions was Sinister Minister, who led every step and drew off to a 12 3/4-length win in the 2006 Toyota Blue Grass Stakes (gr. I) in the final meet before Polytrack was installed. Sinister Minister's only win before that triumph was in a maiden-claiming race and he would never win again in eight starts after the Blue Grass. (In fairness, horses were rallying on the dirt that April day, including winners who raced sixth and 11th early. The Blue Grass was the only two-turn dirt race that day, so perhaps that factored. I did think the speed-favoring effect on the former Keeneland dirt track often played more prominently in the two-turn races ... moving on though.).

Sinister Minister won the 2006 Toyota Blue Grass Stakes by 12 3/4 lengths - Anne M. Eberhardt Photo

At the new dirt track, horses have been able to track early and then make a move at the leader.

This running type, which BrisNet PPs list as EP, would be the preferred running style in one-turn races so far at Keeneland, with horses rated as PE being next. In other words, horses shadowing the front runner to about two lengths back are faring well in the one-turn races. I would say this is fairly standard at most North American dirt tracks.

In two-turn races, horses from a bit further back early, presser to mid-pack closer, have fared well--say four or five lengths back in racing positions in the middle of the field.

It most assuredly has been worth separating the one-turn races and the two-turn races at Keeneland in looking for any bias trends. On opening day for instance, I rated the favored early running style as E/EP (runners on or near the pace) for one-turn races but SP (back of pack) for two-turn races.

That said, there have been three horses to lead at first call and win two-turn races at the meet and four horses to rally from mid-pack or further back early to win sprint races. All in all, it’s been a fair track to this point.

Crown Queen Keeps Getting Better

2014-10-13T15:35:00Z

By Tom LaMarra

Crown Queen, who has done nothing wrong in four starts this year, came out of the Oct. 11 Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup (gr. IT) at Keeneland in good order but remained on the fence for the Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf (gr. I) Nov. 1 at Santa Anita Park.

The 3-year-old Smart Strike filly owned by Besilu Stables has been impressive this year for trainer Bill Mott. She broke her maiden at one mile on the turf at Belmont Park, won an entry-level allowance race at 1 3/16 miles on the grass at Saratoga Race Course, and then squeezed out a win in the Lake Placid Stakes (gr. IIT) at 1 1/8 miles on the turf at Saratoga.

Crown Queen wins the 2014 Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup - Anne M. Eberhardt - Order This Photo

Crown Queen, out of Delta Princess and thus a half sister to champion Royal Delta, finished third in her two starts at 2 last year.

"Everything is fine," assistant trainer Rodolphe Brisset told Keeneland officials Oct. 12. "She ate everything and she looks good this morning. We're in good shape."

Owner Ben Leon and Mott will make the decision on whether Crown Queen will face older rivals in the Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf, which is run at 1 1/4 miles. Brisset said plans call for the filly to remain in training next year, when the Breeders' Cup will be held at Keeneland.

"We know she loves the course," he said.

* * * * *

Permanently Disabled Jockeys Fund for Johnny Morris (unable to attend) with Michael Straight and members of the jockey colony at Keeneland on October 12, 2014. Photo by Anne M. Eberhardt

The Permanently Disabled Jockeys Fund was presented with a check for $4,120 by Keeneland president and chief executive officer Bill Thomason after the fourth race Oct. 12.

The PDJF, which assists about 60 jockeys who have suffered catastrophic injuries, has paid out more than $5 million to help permanently disabled riders. The organization has picked up support through various fundraisers but continues to seek a permanent funding source.

On hand at Keeneland for the event was former jockey Michael Straight, who was paralyzed in a racing accident at Arlington Park in 2009. Straight has a passion for learning more about spinal injuries and assists the PDJF whenever he can.

Straight, at the Miami Project to Cure Paralysis, became the first rider to use Ekso Bionics' exoskeleton, which allows him and others to stand and walk.

The PDJF picked up more support from the Oct. 13 "Chipping in for Johnny" golf tournament, which also benefits Cardinal Hill Rehabilitation and the John Morris Foundation. Morris, son of Thoroughbred Owners of California executive director Joe Morris, was paralyzed in an accident in 2012.

* * * * *

Through the first eight days of the fall meet (through Oct. 12), field size at Keeneland has averaged 8.62 horses per race, down from 9.82 for the first eight programs during the 2013 fall meet, according to The Jockey Club Information Systems.

The current meet is the first on the new dirt surface. Last fall the main surface was Polytrack.

Two-year-old races have fared better when it comes to field size. There have been 26 juvenile races this fall (33.8% of all races) with an average of 9.23 horses per race. Last fall there were 25 juvenile races (32.9% of all races) with an average of 9.72 horses per race.

Purses this fall have averaged $879,019 per day for the first eight days versus $794,420 for the first eight days in 2013, according to TLCIS.

There are eight racing days remaining for the meet, which ends Saturday, Oct. 25. Thus far, total pari-mutuel handle is down roughly $5 million from last fall.

Gorder Gets Meet Off to Good Start

2014-10-08T16:49:00Z

Kellyn Gorder - Anne M. Eberhardt

By Claire Novak

Trainer Kellyn Gorder got the Autumn meet off to a good start on Friday, Oct. 3, when he took the first race of the season with WinStar's Race Day and brought back grade II winner Bourbon Courage to take the sixth for Bourbon Lane Stable.

"It was nice to get a couple wins for some of my biggest clients, and to get Bourbon Courage back to the winner's circle," Gorder said. "It had been a long time for him, so that was very rewarding."

Bourbon Courage, a 5-year-old by Lion Heart, was last seen winning the Super Derby (gr. II) on Sept. 9 of 2012. He returned to victory in a 6 1/2-furlong allowance and won by a widening 3 1/4 lengths. Although it had been more than two years since his last score, the hard-knocking runner has placed in graded stakes such as the Donn Handicap (gr. I), Clark Handicap (gr. I), New Orleans Handicap (gr. I), and Indiana Derby (gr. I). He will now target the Nov. 29 Cigar Mile (gr. I) at Aqueduct Racecourse.

Bourbon Courage - Hodges Photography / Lynn Roberts

"He's getting close to the million dollar mark (in graded earnings)," Gorder said. "He's a little spoiled. He definitely knows he's the king of the barn."

Gorder, a native of Worthington, Minn., bases his string in Kentucky. But his impact stretched across the pond and back last weekend, when trainer Olly Stevens sent Peace and War to win the Darley Alcibiades (gr. I) at Keeneland. Stevens, who took out his training license in his native England last season and operates Robins Farm Racing there with the backing of Sheikh Fahad al Thani, spent five years with Gorder before going out on his own. Following her Alcibiades win, Peace and War is bound for the Nov. 1 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies (gr. I) at Santa Anita Park.

"To have Olly back in the barn and to see him win the big race really made for a great start to the meet and an exciting weekend," Gorder said.

Team Gorder has Reality, Announcement, and Playful Love entered for Oct. 8, with Bourbon Sense and Tiger Bourbon in on Oct. 9 and Kilted entered for Oct. 10.

The connections of Peace and War after the Darley Alcibiades (gr. I) - Anne M. Eberhardt Photo

***

Apprentice Jack Gilligan will make his Keeneland debut Oct. 9, named on Bull Dance for trainer Pavel Matejka in the third, Griffins Magic for Emilie Fojan in the fourth, and Goodtime Wilson for Glenn Brookfield in the fifth.

The son of a trainer based at Newmarket, 18-year-old Gilligan started riding horses at the age of 5.

"I always wanted to be a jockey," said Gilligan, who apprenticed with Sir Mark Prescott, riding four winners from 26 mounts. "I had a chance to come over to the North American Racing Academy for a week and fell in love with it. I knew I wanted to come back when I finished my schooling."

Gilligan made the move here in August and has notched three victories from his 20 mounts.

"I think the racing here is more challenging because you have to be exact with the pace of the race," Gilligan said. "In England it is not so much about speed in the race as it is the positioning. Here it is a lot more different and I am enjoying the challenge. It has been a good experience.

"I am getting used to getting out of the gate quick."

***

On the worktab Oct. 8 was Fox Hill Farms' Cassatt, winner of the Monmouth Oaks (gr. III), who went a half-mile in :47.80 over a good track after the renovation break. Trained by Larry Jones, the 3-year-old Tapit filly is nominated to the $250,000 Lexus Raven Run (gr. II) to be contested Oct. 18.

Cassatt - Bill Denver/EQUI-PHOTO

Wes Welker's Undrafted, winner of Belmont Park's Jaipur Invitational (gr. IIIT), worked five furlongs on the main track in 1:00.40. Trained by Wesley Ward, Undrafted is being pointed to the $1 million Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint (gr. IT) Nov. 1 at Santa Anita Park.

***

Don't forget College Scholarship Day is Friday, Oct. 10, when admission is free with a college ID. Full-time students can register in the North Terrace to win one of ten $1,000 scholarships and prizes from local vendors after each of the day's races. The first 2,000 students to register will receive a Keeneland College Scholarship Day T-shirt courtesy of Kennedy's Wildcat Den or a Vineyard Vines hat.

A Rare Racehorse

2014-10-05T21:33:00Z

[brightcove videoid="3821747626001"]

By Tom LaMarra

Does it really matter in which race Wise Dan enters in the Breeders' Cup World Championships?

Not really. This is a horse that recovered from mid-season colic surgery to win two races, including the $1 million Shadwell Turf Mile (gr. IT) at Keeneland Oct. 4 in impressive style.

Wise Dan running in the Shadwell Turf Mile at Keeneland.
Anne M. Eberhardt Photo - Order Photo

"He looks like a million dollars this morning," trainer Charlie LoPresti said Oct. 5. "Make that $7.5 million."

The 7-year-old Wiseman's Ferry gelding, after his popular win in the Shadwell Mile, now has earnings of more than $7.5 million in 31 starts. Wise Dan has won 23 races, and at this point shows no signs of slowing down despite having been sidetracked this year.

The Shadwell Mile didn't go according to plan. Or did it? Quality horses make the most of adversity.

"Missing the break like he did actually worked to his advantage," LoPresti said. "He was in a position he is not normally in and they were going slow. He didn't really get to run until the half-mile pole or on the turn. He probably ran about three-eighths of a mile. He's not a bit tired this morning."

That assessment could spell trouble for horses pointing to the Breeders' Cup Mile (gr. I) at Santa Anita Park. Wise Dan won the race the last two years. The Shadwell Mile was a Breeders' Cup Mile "Win and You're In" race.

[brightcove videoid="3821309676001"]

Two-time Horse of the Year Wise Dan, who broke his maiden at Turfway Park on Polytrack in March 2010, made his Breeders' Cup debut that year at Churchill Downs in the grade I Sprint on dirt. He finished an even sixth behind victorious Big Drama.

(I can recall talking to some people at Turfway the day he broke his maiden. We thought he would just make a great Polytrack horse. What fools we were.)

In 2011 Wise Dan finished fourth in the Shadwell Turf Mile, won the Fayette Stakes (gr. II) at Keeneland, passed on the Breeders' Cup and won the grade I Clark Handicap on dirt at Churchill.

He can handle the dirt at the grade I level. But Wise Dan is 15-for-16 on turf; he won his grass debut in the Firecracker Handicap (gr. IIT) at Churchill Downs at 14-1 in 2011. He hasn't been higher than 5-1 in 19 starts since the Shadwell that fall.

Plan on seeing Wise Dan in the Breeders' Cup Mile Nov. 1 at Santa Anita Park. And enjoy it, because he is a rare racehorse, with nothing left to prove.

Wise Dan at Keeneland for the Shadwell Turf Mile.
Anne M. Eberhardt Photo - Order Photo

New Meet, New Racing Surface

2014-10-01T16:28:00Z

By Tom LaMarra

There could be as many eyes on the racing surface as the horses when Keeneland begins its fall meet Oct.3 and the first races are run on its new dirt track.

The new dirt surface at Keeneland - Anne M. Eberhardt Photo

The main surface at Keeneland has been synthetic since the 2006 fall meet. The Polytrack was removed soon after this year's spring meet but the all-important base and drainage system were left in place and enhanced.

With an 80% chance of thunderstorms, primarily in the morning and early afternoon opening day, the surface will get a test. But Keeneland director of racing Rogers Beasley said it already has performed well under such conditions.

Keeneland director of racing Rogers Beasley - Anne M. Eberhardt Photo

"We had almost 10 inches of rain in August, and four to five inches in September," he said. "One day we had four inches, and another day three inches. The drainage system worked very well. The second step is getting horses accustomed to dirt here, but we've gotten a good response from trainers. (Track superintendent) Javier (Barajas) talks to them regularly."

Track superintendent Javier Barajas - Anne M. Eberhardt Photo

Beasley said the return to dirt has had an impact as far as the horse population is concerned.

"Todd Pletcher and Nick Zito requested full barns, and Kiaran McLaughlin has half a barn," Beasley said of the New York-based trainers who didn't race many horses on Polytrack. "Graham Motion was a big proponent of Polytrack but he's back with 24 horses. The response has been good, and we're actually up a little with stall applications--a couple hundred is a lot in today's world."

The first program attracted 98 entries, including four on the also-eligible list.

Keeneland officials have said they decided to return to a dirt track to attract the best horses in the country. There is, of course, a trade-off, as the short list of probable starters for the Oct. 5 Juddmonte Spinster Stakes (gr. I) shows.

Graded stakes on Polytrack at Keeneland regularly attracted large fields. As of Sept. 30 there were four pointing to the Spinster, but one of them is Juddmonte Farms' Close Hatches, four-for-four this year with three grade I wins and one in grade II company.

Close Hatches is among those expected for the Spinster - Anne M. Eberhardt Photo

"We did go back to dirt to get the best horses," Beasley said. "So we go the best mare in the country, but nobody wants to run against her."

Beasley said the switch to dirt had nothing to do with an alleged resistance by the public to wager on synthetic-surface racing or the fact Keeneland will host the 2015 Breeders' Cup World Championships.

"With the exception of the last spring meet our handle went up with the synthetic surface," he said. "The handle on the synthetic went up despite people claiming they wouldn't bet on it. That had nothing to do (with the change to dirt).

"We worked about 15 months on this before (the decision was made to switch to dirt. When the decision was made (by Breeders' Cup), we had a lot of things already planned."

The Keeneland meet will run through Oct. 25.

Polytrack Raised the Bar Rather High

2014-04-28T14:44:00Z

By Tom LaMarra

For the record, the final Polytrack race run at Keeneland was won by Longitude Farm's Contessa B., trained by Al Stall Jr., ridden by Rosie Napravnik, and bred by Patricia Morange.

The 3-year-old Kentucky-bred filly by Good Reward many end up being a historical footnote, but the synthetic Polytrack employed by Keeneland since the 2006 fall meet should carry more significance. Catastrophic breakdowns were reduced, field size increased, the surface played fair, and pari-mutuel handle reached record levels.

In short, it held up to repeated criticism very well. It may have won the battles, but it lost the war.

Surely there is more to Keeneland's return to dirt for the fall of 2014 than has been stated, including the fact its investment in Martin Collins, the Polytrack company, failed to produce enough North American installations. The bottom line, however, is it's happening, and everyone in racing should hope the new "state-of-the-art" dirt surface delivers. It has much to live up to post-Polytrack.

According to the Equine Injury Database compiled by The Jockey Club, for the 10 meets at Keeneland from 2009-13, the rate of catastrophic racing injuries was 1.048 per 1,000 starts, or roughly half the typical average nationwide. In 2013 the average was a five-year best of 0.33 per 1,000 starts.

Only Presque Isle Downs & Casino, which has a much-acclaimed Tapeta synthetic surface, has a lower five-year average with 0.828 catastrophic injuries for racing per 1,000 starts, according to EID statistics. Presque Isle Downs races 100 days a year versus about 32 for Keeneland.

(Of the 28 racetracks that have publicly released their statistics through the EID, seven have synthetic surfaces. The only North American track with a synthetic surface that doesn't is Arlington Park, but its parent company, Churchill Downs Inc., has that policy for all of its racetrack holdings.)

As for field size, the last three Keeneland spring meets on the old dirt surface from 2004-06 averaged 8.35, 8.03, and 8.09 starters per race, respectively, according to The Jockey Club Information Systems. For the first spring meet with Polytack in 2007, averaged field size jumped to 9.54 horses per race, which is the highest figures for eight spring meets with the synthetic surface.

From 2007-14, the lowest average field size for a spring meet was 8.03 in 2010, though it gradually rose to 9.35 in 2013. The average for all eight years was 8.95 horses per race, one of the highest, if not the highest, for a major United States spring race meet.

Total wagering on this year's 15-day spring meet, which ended April 25, was down more than $20 million–12.99%–from 2013, when the meet was 16 days. (Easter Sunday, a dark day, fell during this year's spring meet.)

Average daily handle, however, was down 7.19% to $9,202,229 from a record $9,915,037 in the spring of 2013. Average daily on-track wagering, meanwhile, increased 7% to $1,262,110 from $1,180,662.

According to TJCIS statistics, purses averaged $613,584 per day at Keeneland this spring, up from $578,264 last spring. With fewer races the number of 2-year-old starts dropped 57.35% from 68 last spring to 29 this year.

Light on 2-Year-Olds? Blame the Weather

2014-04-23T18:09:00Z

By Tom LaMarra

Last year Keeneland filled seven 2-year-old races during its spring meet. Through April 23 there were two, with two more to come before the meet ends April 25.

The 2-year-old races during the 2013 spring meet averaged 9.71 horses per race. The two races run through April 23 averaged 7 horses per race, according to The Jockey Club Information Systems.

Hootenanny, a Quality Road 2yo gelding trained by Wesley Ward, won at Keeneland on April 17 - Anne M. Eberhardt Photo

So what's the deal? Blame it on the weather.

"The winter was brutal here for these guys with 2-year-olds," Keeneland vice president of racing Rogers Beasley said. "I look at it as a one-year aberration. I love the 2-year-olds; they're a rite of spring at Keeneland. But we anticipated (fewer entries because of the weather). We carded them hoping to fill them."

Trainer John Hancock, who is based at the Riverside Downs training center in western Kentucky not far from Ellis Park, agreed the weather–ice,snow, and below-freezing temperatures–was an issue in preparing 2-year-olds for some conditioners, but he still is surprised only four races filled at Keeneland.

"Everyone says it's the Polytrack, but we've had (full fields) of 2-year-olds here for years," Hancock said.

Hancock, Mark Casse, and Wesley Ward have been the most visible in those races, which has been the case for years.

Hancock said clients Blue Checker Thoroughbreds (Dave Purcell), Rick and Charles Brown, and 86-year-old William Dorminy have supported his operation with 2-year-olds.

"We bought more yearlings to get ready for this meet (and the Ellis Park meet in the summer)," Hancock said. "We've been lucky getting 2-year-olds ready to run and selling them."

Hancock said a few years ago Ward at Keeneland asked him about the slow workouts at Riverside Downs and whether they really were that slow. Riverside Downs, a former harness and Quarter Horse facility, has a half-mile track maintained by the horsemen that stable there.

"It's a very deep surface but it's a great place to get a horse ready to run," Hancock said. "You can run an elephant out of there."

Hancock closes the spring meet with 2-year-old filly Smokin Red, owned by the Browns, entered April 24, and two colts–Indygo By You and Storm Off, both owned by Blue Checker–entered for closing day.

* * * * *

With the transition from Polytrack back to dirt to begin at Keeneland this spring, all horses in Barns 1-49 must be off the grounds by May 15. Training on the new dirt surface is expected to begin Sept. 1, about one month before the fall meet.

Beasley said some horses will remain at the Rice Road training center behind Keeneland and have access to the five-eighths-mile synthetic training track. Those who remain will have their stall rent cut in half.

"We're being very fair about that," Beasley said.

Other trainers have applied for stalls at Churchill Downs and the Keeneland-owned The Thoroughbred Center training facility in Lexington.

Beasley said the plan is to use September to tweak and test the new surface.

* * * * *

Any talk that Keeneland has had trouble attracting top horses and trainers because of its Polytrack surface doesn't add up after a glance at the current meet standings. Through April 19 the top 10 trainers, in order of wins, are Casse, Ken McPeek, Ward, Graham Motion, Christophe Clement, Tom Amoss, Shug McGaughey, Chad Brown, Mike Maker, and Bill Mott.

As for field size, it averaged 8.86 horses per race through April 19; for the entire 2013 spring meet the average was 9.35, according to TJCIS statistics. Purses thus far have averaged $597,475, up from $578,264 for the 2013 spring meet.

For the first spring meet with Polytrack–2007–average daily total pari-mutuel handle was a record $10.55 million, according to Keeneland stats. It dropped to a low of $7.42 million in 2010, but was back up to $9.11 million in 2012 and grew to $9.91 million in 2013.

Kentucky Derby Stars Come Out at Keeneland

2014-04-19T15:58:00Z

Racing Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas promised “more stories than Mother Goose,” and the four-time Kentucky Derby (gr. I) winner—and a panel of five other Derby winners--delivered on that promise at the It’s my Derby evening Friday, April 18 at Keeneland.

The fund-raising event for the Kentucky Derby Museum has quickly established itself as one of the top Derby season events in the Bluegrass State.

Lukas was joined by connections of last year’s Derby winner Orb in co-owner Stuart Janney III, Racing Hall of Fame trainer Shug McGaughey, and jockey Joel Rosario, as well as Racing Hall of Fame jockey Chris McCarron and trainer Barclay Tagg.

Rosario said he got emotional in the post parade, “especially when they played My Old Kentucky Home,” and later added that he didn’t let himself think he had the race won until the final yards of the stretch.

McGaughey said when he took Orb to Gulfstream Park for his 3-year-old season, he wasn’t sure how the Malibu Moon colt would handle a track he considers speed-favoring but McGaughey figured Orb would, at the least, excel at two-turn races back in New York. Those goals were upgraded when Orb won the Besilu Fountain of Youth Stakes (gr. II) and Besilu Florida Derby (gr. I).

“Shug has told the story that when people find out that you’re in this business, they want to know if you’ve won the Derby. Well, we’ve got that problem solved finally,” Janne said before adding with a laugh, “Now we’re looking for somebody to ask us.”

Tagg saddled Sackatoga Stable’s 2003 Derby winner Funny Cide, who also made an appearance at the festive night at the Keeneland sales pavilion. Before the Derby-winning connections gathered in a decorated sales ring, Funny Cide paraded in the walking ring along with 2009 winner Mine That Bird.

Tagg recalls some concern after telling the partners from Sackatoga that they would be pointing to the Derby only to see Funny Cide finish fifth in his 3-year-old debut in the Holy Bull Stakes (gr. III) at Gulfstream Park. Tagg said he felt horrible about the Holy Bull outcome but his spirits were lifted when Ron Anderson, Rosario’s agent today but then the agent for Jerry Bailey, called to pursue the mount on Funny Cide.

Anderson told Tagg that Funny Cide earned his best figure in the race.

“That pumped me up to try again,” Tagg said.

Lukas touched on all four of his Derby winners including Charismatic, Thunder Gulch, Grindstone, and filly Winning Colors. He noted that jockey and exercise rider Donna Brothers worked all three of his 1995 starters: filly Serena’s Song, Timber Country, and Thunder Gulch. Lukas recalled asking Brothers which 3-year-old had the best shot to win the Derby.

“I thought she would say Timber Country but she said, ‘no this little one right here.’ I said, ‘you’re kidding?’ She said, ‘no. This one right here, Thunder Gulch.’ She was dead on.”

McCarron, who guided Alysheba and Go for Gin to Derby victories, said everything has to come together to win the Derby.

“It’s a question of being at the right place at the right time actually. The horse has to be perfect on the day, and that’s the trainer’s responsibility,” McCarron said with a laugh as he looked at Lukas and McGaughey. “Everything has to fall into place. I was fortunate to have everything fall into place for me.

“The Kentucky Derby is the biggest prize we have in the sport, as far as a race goes. The Hall of Fame induction ceremony, that’s the number one thing. But the Kentucky Derby, as far as an event, a race, is without question the biggest prize in the world, not just this country. People from all over the world strive, and plan, and yearn to win the Kentucky Derby.”

The Derby winners were not limited to the sales ring as Mine That Bird’s trainer Chip Wooley and co-owner Leonard Blach, already at Keeneland to promote the “50-1” movie based on their Derby win, attended the reception and event.

Also on hand was jockey Stewart Elliott, who guided Smarty Jones to victory in 2004 and made it to Friday’s event moments after guiding Sisterly Love to victory in the $100,000 Hilliard Lyons Doubledogdare Stakes (gr. III). Sackatoga Stable managing partner Jack Knowlton also attended and he and Tagg visited Funny Cide in the walking ring.

Mine That Bird Still Flies in Kentucky

2014-04-18T19:36:00Z

“If I can get a cowboy to cry, I’m in good shape.”

Jim Wilson, director of ’50-1,’ on audience reaction in the Southwest to the new movie on Mine That Bird’s upset Kentucky Derby win

Like most every other racing fan, I have a story about Mine That Bird’s Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I) victory at odds of 50-1.

Before the 2009 Derby, I was standing with my friend and then fellow turf writer Pete Denk watching the post parade, when I turned to him and said I thought that of all the horses Mine That Bird looked the best on the track. Then I added something along the lines of, “Shame he doesn’t have a snowball’s chance …”

After not walking 50 feet to put even $2 on Mine That Bird, I remember scrambling through my program to see what horse was rallying to victory along the rail. Of course it was Mine That Bird.

Everyone loves a longshot story and fans swapped their best memories of Mine That Bird’s improbable Derby score on Friday, April 18 at Keenland where cast members of a new movie about the horse, “50-1,” and some of the horse’s connections, gathered at the Lexington track. They signed autographs for more than an hour while Mine That Bird, looking like he still could compete if allowed on the track, paraded in the paddock.

Cast and connections signed autographs - Keeneland Photo

and Mine That Bird paraded the paddock - Keeneland Photo

looking ready for action - Keeneland Photo

Director Jim Wilson, an Oscar winner and Thoroughbred owner, thinks people will identify with the underdog story and the overall good humor of the movie.

“It’s got a lot of heart, right from the beginning,” Wilson said. “It’s an inspiring tale and it does tell that story that the ‘everyman can.’

“We’ve seen it with the audience; we’ve been lucky enough to go into some of the theaters. We’ve seen them applaud and cry. If I can get a cowboy to cry, I’m in good shape.”

Without a huge budget for promotion, the cast launched a seven-state tour five weeks ago in New Mexico and made its way to Kentucky theaters this weekend. The hope is word of mouth will help propel the movie that stars Skeet Ulrich, who also made the trip to Keeneland.

Ulrich portrays trainer Chip Woolley, who also made the trip to Keeneland Friday.

“I was pretty reserved on it until I saw the movie and I was actually happy with it,” Woolley said. “Now it’s starting to be enjoyable.”

Wilson said the tour has been exciting, meeting fans while visiting Churchill Downs and the Derby Museum on April 17 and Keeneland on April 18.

“I won’t say some horse racing movies are pretentious but we’ve all seen what I call “golden halo” movies. We don’t take ourselves seriously and we have a lot of fun,” Wilson said.

Raising a glass for Mine That Bird and "50-1" - Anne M. Eberhardt Photo

Trommer Scores One for the Home Team - By Frank Angst

2014-04-17T16:16:00Z

The top finishers in Keeneland's well-regarded spring handicapping contest, the Grade One Gamble, hail from all over the country.

Runner-up Alberto Fernandez is from Miami Beach, Houston's Nick Tammaro finished third. In fourth was Rob Rosette of Chandler, Calif; Alan Anthony of Woodbine, Md. secured fifth in the April 13 live bankroll contest at Keeneland.

But in terms of taking down the top prize, the home team prevailed as Lexington's Evan Trommer finished first with a final total of $9,170 after starting with $2,000. Besides the $7,170 in winnings, Trommer also secured the top tournament prize of $16,000.

Trommer credited Keeneland director of simulcast operations Jim Goodman with putting together a well-run contest that attracts top players from all over the country. While Trommer, 49, scored a victory in the fall 2012 live-bankroll Keeneland handicapping contest, he remains humble about his handicapping skills.

"You always love winning a contest at your home track," Trommer said. "I was surprised, I really was. There are a lot of great handicappers in that room, a lot better than me. I just got lucky; it was my day."

Handicapping contests have proven popular with players and Keeneland regularly offers such events with a variety of formats and a variety of price levels, whether it be $10 or $25 for a Wednesday on-track contest or Friday simulcast contest, a couple hundred dollars on a win-place format, or a few thousand for a live-money event.

The enjoyment players experience in such contests was portrayed well in the recently concluded reality television show, Horseplayers, on the Esquire Network. On that show, the regular characters were trying to qualify for the Daily Racing Form/National Thoroughbred Racing Association National Handicapping Championships in Las Vegas, an event Trommer punched his ticket to for a second time with his April 13 contest win at Keeneland.

The NHC contest features a format in which players are required to bet the same amount to win and place on a horse. In those formats, because of limited opportunities, Trommer said players typically have to connect on some longshots. Live-money contests like Keeneland's Grade One Gamble allow players to incorporate exotic wagers into their play.

"I'm an exacta player, so I like that," Trommer said. "In these, you don't need a longshot, just the right horses and betting strategy."

In the Grade One Gamble, Trommer hit win bets and exactas in the first two races to seize the lead. He then connected on similar wagers in the seventh and eighth races. A wrinkle in the contest rules require players to wager half their bankroll on either the final (race nine that day) or second-last race.

After long study about which race to wager half his bankroll, Trommer decided to make his stand in race eight and connected on a $900 across-the-board wager on Ready to Act, who won the Beaumont Stakes Presented by Keeneland Select (gr. II) as the 9-5 favorite. Trommer also hit the exacta in that race multiple times with Sweet Whiskey (which returned $22.60 for $2).

Trommer made his stand in the Beaumont Stakes, won by Ready to Act - Keeneland Photo

Trommer notes that if he had decided to bet half his bankroll in the final race, he likely would not have won the tournament. Choosing the correct race helped him prevail.

While such strategy decisions are important, in terms of handicapping Trommer does not try to find some deep, hidden reason of why a horse may prevail in a race. He likes to look at the horses in the paddock or on the track, a skill he has confidence in, but overall tries to stick with more of a basic handicapping approach backed with well-crafted wagers.

"Part of my strategy is not to over-think it. You go into that room and the guys in there, I know they're much better handicappers than me. They know more about horses, more about horse racing," Trommer said. "My greatest component at Keeneland was probably luck, so I don't go in there and over-think it. I'll pick up my Form, sometimes that day."

Trommer has enjoyed horses most of his life. He grew up in the San Francisco area near the former Bay Meadows racetrack. In college he began attending the races regularly. He has owned horses since the 1990s, some on his own (as Wind River Stables); some in partnership.

While he has owned or partnered in top horses like multiple graded stakes winner Black Seventeen and grade III winner Court's in Session, he gets a kick out of horses at all levels. He said a claiming horse named Grandma's House gave him and his wife Kathy, who competes in other equine events and also enjoys horse racing, many fond memories.

"I remember one time we claimed him back and then he won a $12,500 claimer for us. We watched him come out of the test barn and start heading down to the shedrow and you would have thought this horse had won the Kentucky Derby (gr. I). He was just walking all full of himself; just thought he was the neatest thing in the world," Trommer said. "After he walked, the next thing you know he was on his back and rolling. Just great personality."

Trommer said Black Seventeen, who was saddled by trainer Brian Koriner to victory in the 2008 Vosburgh Stakes (gr. I) at Belmont Park, also had a lot of personality.

Black Seventeen won the 2008 Vosburgh Stakes - Skip Dickstein Photo

"When they would lead him over, he would always hold up the procession because he would have to stop, look around, just take everything in," Trommer said. "He was all about just taking in the sights; he was a great horse."

One of the reasons the Trommers moved to Lexington was to be around horses and they have launched the successful Village Host Pizza. That business, and their equine pursuits, keeps the couple busy but they love to get to Keeneland, especially in the mornings.

"We don't always have much time but when we can get to the track in the morning, we love watching the horses work, being near the horses," Trommer said.

Trommer said he's increased his tournament play and could really set his sights on it once he retires in 15 years or so. As for now, he hopes to deliver a strong performance in his second NHC appearance early next year.

"Last time I went down there I was just happy to be there. It was a tournament I'd always heard about and wanted to get to. I did okay. I ended up 105 out of 460 the first time," Trommer said. "This time I'm going down with a little more serious attitude. When you finish in the top 25% the first time there, you start to think, 'Hey I have a legitimate shot at this thing.' I'm pretty excited about it."

Ladies of the Turf Reunited at Keeneland

2014-04-13T22:54:00Z

During an April 13 event called "Ladies of the Turf," there was a historic gathering of nearly 30 retired and active female jockeys at Keeneland, including those who were first allowed to ride in 1969 and some of the most accomplished members of their profession.

The female jocks signed a commemorative poster created by noted cartoonist Peb which fans could purchase for $10. All proceeds benefited the Permanently Disabled Jockeys Fund and Horses and Hope. The latter charity is First Lady Jane Beshear's initiative to raise awareness of breast cancer among women working in Kentucky's horse industry.

One of the most well-known jockeys in attendance was Julie Krone, who was elected to the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame in 2000. Krone won a total of 3,704 races during a career that was highlighted by her victory in the 1993 Belmont Stakes (gr. I) aboard Colonial Affair.

Julie Krone - Benoit Photo

"The fact a racetrack like Keeneland can facilitate and organize something as amazing as this is really special," said Krone of the Ladies of the Turf event. "I was so overwhelmed by all of us (female jockeys) being in the same room together. I could get choked up just talking about it."

Krone, who won several graded stakes races throughout her race career at Keeneland, remarked how the racetrack held many special memories.

"Every moment spent at Keeneland was special because of the uniqueness of the length of the meet and the timing it has with the rest of the year....it's a pretty important time when horses are developing and pointing toward the (Kentucky) Derby and the bigger races and designated stakes," she said.

"One time at Keeneland I was 60-1 on a horse and I came in second by just the tiniest bit. Only a handful of times have I had people cheer that much for (a horse I rode). Keeneland has the highest and best of everything--races that you can only ride in by invitation. It's so pure, beautiful, and amazing. Then you also have the crowd on top of it...(the fans) are some of the most beautiful, fun things about racing."

Vicky Baze, the first woman jockey to be inducted into the Washington Racing Hall of Fame, was also on hand at the event. She retired last May after nearly three decades in the saddle on the Pacific Northwest circuit. In addition to her Hall of Fame induction, she is one of only five female jockeys with more than 2,000 victories.

"I have a fused neck and have had ongoing issues with it, otherwise I would have continued to ride," said Baze, 49, who is based in Arizona and Seattle, where her husband, Gary Baze rides at Emerald Downs. "When people ask me if I'm retired, I still say 'No.' My motto is, 'Never sell your tack,' " she added with a laugh.

Vicky Baze married Gary in 1999 in a small ceremony at Lake Wilderness. In spite of her illustrious riding career, Vicky noted that her favorite all-time memory is her wedding day.

"We got married on April 1 and I worked 10 horses that morning, because its spring training time (at Emerald Downs)," she said. "Usually it's rainy at that time in Seattle, but the sun came out for us and it was so romantic. It was just me, Gary, the racetrack chaplain, and my close friend (trainer) Valerie Lund."

Vicky initially retired in 2001, after which Gary convinced her to work as his agent for two seasons.

"We had a very successful season, but it's hard for me to live, eat, and breathe the condition book," said Vicky. "That's what you find yourself doing--there's no down time. When you're not at the track, you're at home on the computer doing your homework for the upcoming entries."

Now, following her second retirement, Vicky is keeping herself busy with her horse shoe gift business, Bon Chance Horse Shoes.

"I do good luck gifts for all kinds of occasions," said Vicky. "I wanted to take it past the dirty horse shoe you find on the ground and make it into a Hallmark-type gift. There are a lot of different choices for different occasions."

Among the other women honored during the Ladies of the Turf event was Diane Crump, the first woman to ride against men and the first to ride in the Kentucky Derby (gr. I); Barbara Jo Rubin, the first to win a recognized race; Patti Barton, the first to win 1,000 races; Kaye Bell, the first to win a race at Keeneland; Patricia "PJ" Cooksey, the first to ride in the Preakness Stakes (gr. I); and Rosie Napravnik, the first to be leading rider at Keeneland.

Ladies of the Turf Poster:

All Blue Grass (almost) All the Time

2014-04-09T22:38:00Z

LEXINGTON, Ky. (April 19, 2014) -- The focus has shifted at Keeneland, as it usually does during the second week of April, to the Toyota Blue Grass Stakes (gr. I) and the Kentucky Derby hopefuls who will emerge from that event.

Run on April 12, a busy stakes day both at Keeneland and Oaklawn Park--where the Arkansas Derby (gr. I) will be held and where champion Will Take Charge runs in the Oaklawn Handicap (gr. II)--the 1 1/8-mile Blue Grass attracted an overflow field for the fourth time in its 90-year history with 14 slated to go postward (full preview here).

Connections were out full-force today for the post position draw, where owners Ken and Sarah Ramsey entertained the media -- or, mostly, Mr. Ramsey entertained the media while Mrs. Ramsey kept him under a good-natured eye. Son Jeff Ramsey is the grand marshal of the organization, and shepherded his parents out of the Keeneland sales pavilion after their 3-1 Blue Grass favorite Bobby's Kitten drew post 5. The family was en route to the paddock to watch State Flag take Race 3 for a $32,000 tag, but they lost him on the claim to new connections Kitty and Joseph Cheeks. Popular with the press corps at the draw was Mr. Ramsey's saying about his three potential Derby contenders -- "We've got a dirt horse, a synthetic horse, and a turf horse, so hopefully whatever conditions develop at Churchill Downs on Derby day, one of them will like it and win."

Ken Ramsey entertains the media at the Blue Grass draw - Keeneland Photo

***

Those whose fascinations may lie more with the European set will be interested to note that Morpheus, a 4-year-old half-brother to British superstar Frankel, makes his North American debut here in Thursday's eighth race, a 61/2-furlong allowance optional claiming race on the main track. The son of Oasis Dream (GB) is a homebred racing for Khaled Abdullah's Juddmonte Farms and is trained by Racing Hall of Famer Bill Mott. Jose Lezcano has the mount.

Morpheus began his career in England and won three races in eight starts. He was sent to Mott at the end of last year and most recently has trained at Palm Meadows in Florida. Frankel, considered one of the finest horses to race in Britain in recent years, at 6 is in his first season at stud at Abdullah's Banstead Manor Farm in Newmarket, England.

Frankel, whose brother Morpheus debuts at Keeneland April 10 - Mathea Kelley Photo

***

Back to the Blue Grass. About 12 hours before the University of Kentucky played for the NCAA championship in men's basketball, a Thoroughbred at Keeneland with UK connections turned in his final work for Saturday's upcoming test. All American Horses' Casiguapo, a Sightseeing colt who was bred by UK, worked three furlongs in a bullet :34.80 with Hector Salazar up for Calder-based trainer Mario Morales on April 7.

Watching the move were four representatives from UK's Equine Research Unit, which is based at Maine Chance Farm on Newtown Pike: Dr. Laurie Lawrence, a professor of equine nutrition; Bryan Cassill, the animal resource manager; and students Jamie Riordan and Courtney Schneider.

The program, which relies on donated mares and donated stallion seasons, will have about 24 foals this year, Lawrence said. Casiguapo played an important role in the curriculum.

"He was raised as part of our teaching and research program, so students who work at the farm are involved in breeding, foaling, getting them ready to go to the sale," Lawrence said. "But the main thing we use them for is our teaching and our research. That's why we have them."

Casiguapo - Keeneland Photo

Casiguapo is the second foal out of the unraced Buddha mare Emerald Buddha, who participates in research into the nutritional requirements for gestation. Lawrence said the colt was involved in a project to understand how the microflora of the GI tract develop in normal foals, and was used in demonstrations for class.

With earnings of $287,655 from one win, seconds in the Hopeful (gr. I) and Delta Downs Jackpot (gr. III) and a third in the Frank Gomez Memorial at Calder, Casiguapo has given the UK equine program something besides basketball to follow. Hopefully he'll turn in a better finish than "Big Blue" did on Monday.

"We have a lot of students who work at the farm and students in the program that really don't have any connection with Thoroughbreds before they come here," Lawrence said. "To have a horse come out of the program that they can actually identify with, I think it really gives them a big interest in the Thoroughbred industry."

***

Among the Blue Grass contenders working at Keeneland on the Lexington oval's Monday dark day were Asserting Bear and Coltimus Prime.

With jockey Emma-Jayne Wilson aboard, Bear Stables' Asserting Bear went a half-mile in :48 in company after the Monday morning renovation break.

"I was very happy with that," Wilson said of the work that culminated in a three-length advantage over Pageantry, a 3-year-old maiden filly. "I think he enjoys the change of scenery up here."

Wilson will have the mount in Saturday's Blue Grass and it will be the first time for her to ride Asserting Bear in a race.

"I worked him a few times in Florida at Palm Beach Downs for Mr. (Reade) Baker," Wilson said. "That was on dirt. He loved it out there (on the Polytrack) and traveled well over it."

Also pleased with the work was Martine Pare, assistant to Baker.

"I liked it very much," Pare said. "He galloped a mile before he worked, which is something Mr. Baker normally does."

Asserting Bear has been at Keeneland since shipping here March 24 after a fourth-place finish in the Horseshoe Casino Cincinnati Spiral Stakes (gr. III) at Turfway Park.

Baker is scheduled to arrive at Keeneland Saturday to saddle Asserting Bear in the Blue Grass.

Meanwhile, Coltimus Prime worked five furlongs in 1:01 1/5 for trainer Justin Nixon, who has never started a horse at Keeneland but will get his chance with Cabernet Racing Stables' 3-year-old runner. Melanie Pinto, a jockey at Fort Erie, was in the saddle.

"I was happy with it and he seemed comfortable on it," Nixon said. "I caught him galloping out in 1:14 and 2 and 'Mel' was happy with it. He had a good work at Palm Beach Downs last week (:58.40 on March 30) and didn't have to do much today."

Coltimus Prime working at Keeneland - Keeneland Photo

"I thought he went super," Pinto said as she gave the move a thumbs up. "I have been getting on him this winter in Florida."

Nixon said Pinto has worked with him for the past four or five years in the winter before Fort Erie opens.

Coltimus Prime finished ninth in his 2014 debut in the Tampa Bay Derby (gr. II) after making his three starts in 2013 over the Polytrack at Woodbine.

"We decided to stay away from the dirt after Tampa," Nixon said. "He never really looked comfortable on it during the race."

The Toyota Blue Grass offers 170 points toward the Kentucky Derby (100-40-20-10), but Nixon said the Derby is not a consideration now.

"The Queen's Plate (July 6 at Woodbine) is the ultimate goal," said Nixon. "I'd like to win this. Staying on the synthetics down the road has been the plan."

Alan Garcia, who won the 2010 Toyota Blue Grass on Stately Victor, will have the mount Saturday. More on the runner, who is on twitter @ColtimusPrime and has his own website and Facebook page, may be found here.

***

Patricia Schuler's So Lonesome arrived at Keeneland from his winter base at Palm Meadows in South Florida shortly before 7 o'clock Wednesday morning for a shot in the Blue Grass.

Winner of a New York-bred stakes on turf at Aqueduct last fall, So Lonesome finished ninth in the Palm Beach (gr. IIIT) at Gulfstream Park in his lone start of 2014.

"He did not run the race we expected in the race March 1," trainer Tom Bush said. "He was flat and just jumped up and down on the hard turf."

The winner of the Palm Beach, Gala Award, will be waiting here for So Lonesome in the Blue Grass.

"We had targeted this race all winter," Bush said about the richest race of Keeneland's Spring Meet. "I know we are taking a little chance here, but I would be surprised if he did not handle the Polytrack. The Schulers are open to taking a chance and he had a great work (five furlongs in :59.50 on April 2) before leaving Palm Meadows.

"I haven't given up on him."

Bush will seek his second grade I victory at Keeneland. Get Stormy won the 2011 Maker's Mark Mile for the trainer, two years after he won the Bryan Station (gr.III).

Get Stormy won the 2011 Maker's Mark Mile - Anne M. Eberhardt Photo

Ashland Winners Have Stories to Tell

2014-04-06T21:43:00Z

by Esther Marr

The stories behind Ashland Stakes (gr. I) winners Rosalind and Room Service, the first horses in Keeneland history to dead heat in a grade I race, are worthy of sharing as both fillies go forward toward possible starts in the May 2 Kentucky Oaks (gr. I).

Rosalind, who trainer Ken McPeek said emerged from the race in good shape, is one of just 10 horses owned by Ray Struder's Landaluce Educe Stables.

Rosalind - Photo by Mathea Kelley - Order This Photo

Struder named his stable after the great Landaluce, champion 2-year-old filly of 1982 who died of a bacterial infection the morning she was due to contend in that year's Hollywood Starlet Stakes (gr. I). Studer, who was captivated by Landaluce's racing efforts when he was just a fan, explained his stable name is Latin for "Landaluce remembered."

The Ashland marked the first grade I victory for the owner, who has a grand plan of buying and racing only fillies, then retiring his best runners to become broodmares. He has already started building a small band at Mulholland Farm near Lexington. Click here to read more about Studer.

"It's a great day," said Struder, who is wheelchair-bound due to a high school football injury and started his Thoroughbred racing stable with capital from an engineering firm he owned in Tennessee. "I give thanks to God for all things. Rosalind is a great horse and I give all the credit to Kenny McPeek. He helped pick her out.

"Kenny has worked with her and she's come along," added Studer of Rosalind, who was third by just a half length in last year's Breeders' Cup Juvenile (gr. I) and also placed in the Darley Alcibiades (gr. I) and Pocahontas Stakes (gr. II). "Today was her day. She's had rough days, she's had close days. That's horse racing. One inch either way could have changed everything."

Studer, who also owns 2012 Virginia Oaks (gr. III) winner Volcat, reiterated his strong partnership with McPeek, who selects his horses at auction as yearlings.

"I've always wanted to be in horse racing and (McPeek) helped me do it," Studer said. "I can't say enough good things about him."

McPeek said Rosalind would remain at Keeneland for a couple weeks before going to Louisville. The filly is also under consideration for the June 6 Investec Epsom Oaks (Eng-I).

"We've early nominated her for the English Oaks, which is a little bit different, but I've got the ground to do it with over at my farm and I think we have a chance; it's an interesting double," said McPeek, who has a European-style turf gallop at his Magdalena Farm near Lexington.

Unlike Studer, Gary and Mary West are industry veterans and have been represented with numerous graded stakes winners over the years besides Room Service, including 2013 Breeders' Cup Juvenile (gr. I) winner New Year's Day.

Room Service's Ashland victory is especially sweet for the couple however, considering they also bred the filly and own her stakes-winning dam, Dream Lady, who has produced additional stakes winners Major Gain and Oscar Party.

"We bought her because we liked her as a race filly and we just got lucky on the breeding side of it now," said West of Dream Lady, who he purchased for $170,000 through Ben Glass, agent, at the 2003 Keeneland September yearling sale.

Room Service will also remain at Keeneland for a period of time before traveling to Churchill to prepare for the Oaks. West said he will only enter her in the race if she trains well over the dirt track, a surface she has never before tried.

Room Service - Photo by Mathea Kelley - Order This Photo

The filly came into the Ashland off a two-length score in the March 2 Herecomesthebride (gr. IIIT) at Gulfstream Park.

"That's when she started really putting everything together," said West of the Herecomesthebride. "She had an 89 Beyer, which is the highest of any 3-year-old filly on grass this entire year. So we knew she had some ability, and this was the race that came up at the right time, so we thought we'd give her a shot. This was a very prestigious race, and Keeneland is one of my favorite tracks. So we gave it a shot and it turned out well. To raise one and win a grade I (at Keeneland)...it doesn't get any better than that."

The Ashland is the fifth stakes in recent Keeneland history to result in a dead heat for the win.

Following is a list of other stakes that resulted in a dead heat at the Lexington track:

Year, Race name, Horses

2001, Valley View (gr. IIIT), Chausson Poire and Cozzy Corner

1997, Beaumont (gr. II), Make Haste and Screamer

1992 Ben Ali (gr. III), Loach and Profit Key

1983 Fayette (gr. III), Cad and Frost King

The Blood-Horse has put together a wonderful highlight video from Keeneland's opening weekend.
[brightcove videoid="3436715956001"]

Spring Meet is Chance for New Beginnings

2014-04-03T15:10:00Z

Medal Count - Anne M. Eberhardt Photo

LEXINGTON, Ky. (April 3, 2014) -- Dale Romans liked Spendthrift Farm's Medal Count from the start.

"I think he's a special horse and I think he's going to go on and get better and better," the trainer said April 1, looking ahead to the $100,000 Transylvania Stakes (gr. IIIT) and the April 4 opening of the spring meeting at Keeneland. "I've been high on him since the first time he breezed for me at Churchill Downs."

Medal Count, a $360,000 purchase from the 2012 Keeneland September yearling sale when consigned by Three Chimneys for breeder Stonestreet Thoroughbred Holdings, is bay son of Dynaformer out of the winning grade III-placed Unbridled's Song mare Brisquette. He broke his maiden at first asking last September by 6 1/4 lengths going a mile on the dirt, struggled a little with a fifth in the Bourbon Stakes (gr. III) on Keeneland's soggy Polytrack last October, found himself in the deep end in November with an 11th in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile (gr. I), and returned to winning ways with a fast closing run in a Jan. 12 allowance going seven furlongs on the Gulfstream Park loam. A surface switch to the Feb. 22 Besilu Stables Fountain of Youth (gr. II) did not go so well; after running fifth, Medal Count finds himself back on the lawn.

"His whole mother's side is turf, but we took a shot, which is what you do with any 3-year-old you think highly of," Romans said. "He's the total package -- athlete, pedigree, looks -- he's been that way from day one; he's smart and talented, it's just taking him a little while to put everything together."

Romans also has Frank Jones' homebred Hesinfront, a War Front runner who is a winner on grass but comes off a 12th in the Fountain of Youth, in the 1 1/16-mile turf test for 3-year-olds. Medal Count drew the rail under Robby Albarado, while Hesinfront will be ridden by Corey Lanerie from post 4. For a full preview of the Transylvania, which is headed by Storming Inti and Global Power, click here.

"We're not going to be gangbusters, but we're trying to develop some new names," Romans remarked of his plans for the upcoming meet. "I'm just glad to be back in Kentucky in the spring."

***

The Transylvania will mark the Keeneland debut for trainer Chad Cook when he sends out Kody With a K. Cook, who has five horses at the Lexington oval -- all for owners Michelle and Mark Brown -- laughed when asked if he is nervous about the coming activity.

"Oh, no. Not at all," he said, quickly adding: "I'm lying."

The Transylvania will be the ninth race for Kody With a K, who made the first four starts of his career on turf and most recently raced on dirt at Delta Downs. In February at Delta, after undergoing surgery for an entrapped epiglottis, he broke his maiden by 121/4 lengths going 61/2 furlongs and won a 71/2-furlong allowance race by 4 lengths. Returning Kody With a K to turf seemed a reasonable next step.

"He's grass-bred, by Stormy Atlantic," Cook said. "What the heck? Here we are. We're going to give him a shot to see if we're good enough."

The Browns are retired farmers from Robinson, Ill., who Cook said decided to buy a few racehorses after they sold their operation. Cook, 39, is from nearby Martinsville, Ill., most famously the home of the late Dale Baird. Baird's brother Dean and Dean's son Ron are working with Cook at Keeneland.

Cook, 39, grew up with horses and began working with Thoroughbreds at the county fairgrounds in Martinsville. He became an exercise rider and soon turned to training, sending out his first starter in 2002. Among the horses he trains for the Browns are Roman Unbridled, winner of the Big Drama Stakes at Delta in January. Roman Unbridled was fourth in the Delta Downs Jackpot (gr. III) last November and most recently was fourth in the Lecomte (gr. III) at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots.

Kody With a K will be ridden in the Transylvania by Chris Rosier, who has been aboard the colt for the past four consecutive races. They will break from post five in the 12-horse race.

"Here's our ideal situation; we've talked about this a lot," Cook said about how he hopes the Transylvania will unfold. "We're hoping we just get out there, make a nice easy lead and he can just relax. He's got the talent, got the speed. He can go the distance."

***

Stewart Elliott - Anne M. Eberhardt Photo

Another new name at Keeneland is Stewart Elliott, of Smarty Jones fame. The 2004 Kentucky Derby (gr. I)-winning jockey, who based his tack in the Pennsylvania area and Mid-Atlantic regions for the majority of his career, made a brave new shift to the bluegrass with agent Nelson Arroyo, and was out walking the barns April 1 to hustle up business as the new guy in town (full story here).

Elliott, 49, seems to have done well drumming up support for opening weekend. On Friday, Opening Day, he rides Maybe Lily in Race 2 for Roger Anderson, gets aboard Geaux Wando for Tevis McCauley in Race 3, and partners with two for Mark Casse -- Sisterly Love (R7) and Moon Traveler (R10). Saturday he is double-booked for Casse with Skyway or Sky Racer in the first, has Shun in Race 2 for J. Michael Rogers, gets on War Ready in Race 3 for Mike Trombetta, rides the next two for Casse with Creative Spirit (R6) and Jagger M (R7), partners Jet Cat for Edward Frederick, and will be aboard Resistivity for Casse in the Central Bank Ashland Stakes (gr. I).

***

Enchanting Lisa - Coady Photography

House horse Wise Dan is gearing up for an April 11 return to the races in defense of his Maker's 46 Mile (gr. IT) title, but the two-time Horse of the Year and six-time Eclipse Award winner isn't the only offspring of 2013 Broodmare of the Year Lisa Danielle that trainer Charlie LoPresti has pointing toward the spring meet. Morton Fink's homebred Enchanting Lisa, who last ran a good second by a head in a one-mile turf allowance during the fall meet, is a 4-year-old War Chant filly seeking her second victory for LoPresti on the lawn. She has never been out of the money, with a 1-1-2 record from four starts.

Enchanting Lisa has been working steadily toward her Keeneland return, including an April 1 six-furlong breeze in 1:14 4/5 on the same day her older half brother Wise Dan went an easy five furlongs in 1:00 3/5. Another "Dan," Casino Dan, is also slated to run for the first time since last June.

"They're both doing good, they're all at about same stage all the rest of my horses are at," LoPresti said. "Casino Dan, there's a race for him on the 18th, and Enchanting Lisa will run on the grass on the 19th, hopefully, if they both get in and stay on track according to schedule."

Casino Dan, a 6-year-old Mutakddim gelding, ran second to Reload last spring in a six-furlong Polytrack allowance; Reload went on to become a grade III winner last time out in Florida when taking the Canadian Turf Stakes (gr. IIIT), and is expected to face Wise Dan in the Maker's 46 Mile. Switched to turf later in the season, Casino Dan missed by a neck to multiple grade III winner Potomac River in an allowance last June at Churchill Downs.

"If you look at who he ran second to, he held his own and ran some good races," LoPresti said. "He got some bone bruising and I had to stop on him, but he was running against good horses last year.

"Enchanting Lisa, I'm excited to get back to the races. She was pretty green last year; we had a couple of green efforts from her. Her first race was more impressive at Presque Isle, but you have to figure that was a lesser field. We're going to get Jose Lezcano to ride her back; he really likes her. She looks like her older brother (multiple grade II winner Successful Dan)."

Of course, Wise Dan is still the star of the show. Read about his April 1 breeze here.

[brightcove videoid="3418403131001"]

"The Keeneland Files" will appear at BloodHorse.com twice a week through April 25.

Rosie Napravnik On the Run

2013-10-27T19:24:00Z

By Esther Marr

Jockey Rosie Napravnik didn't have much time to celebrate her historic triumph as the first female to capture the leading rider title at Keeneland at the conclusion of the meet Oct. 27. After "sleeping in" until about 9 a.m. the next day, the 25-year-old hit the road to Louisville to prepare for the 10 mounts she was slated to ride at Churchill Downs.

"I've had the busiest year of my life," said Napravnik, who has made the 80-mile trek from Lexington to Louisville almost on a daily basis over the last several weeks.

Napravnik's husband, Joe Sharp, is an assistant to Mike Maker, who is based at Keeneland. During the fall meet, Napravnik drove many early mornings to Louisville to breeze horses at Churchill, and then returned to Lexington to ride races at Keeneland in the afternoons.

"I haven't had many breaks or an off season this year, but when you're having a good meet, it makes it a lot easier," said Napravnik, who clinched the Keeneland title with 17 victories. One of her best days came Friday, Oct. 25, when she had four winners on the same card. Napravnik ranks fifth among leading riders in North America this year with 226 wins and $11,639,613 in mount earnings.

Napravnik on Hillard Lyons Doubldogdare (gr.III) winner Ice Cream Silence during Keeneland's spring meet; photo courtesy of Keeneland

"I wasn't sure if (winning the Keeneland title) would ever happen," said Napravnik, a three-time title holder at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots. "Keeneland is so competitive every year, so it's very exciting to win the title."

Napravnik also rode during Keeneland's spring meet, and then moved to Saratoga Race Course for the summer before transitioning to Churchill for its inaugural September meet. Since Keeneland's fall meet is now concluded, Napravnik will ride at Churchill for the rest of the season, with the exception of traveling to California for the Breeders' Cup World Championships next weekend.

Napravnik is scheduled to ride Untapable for trainer Steve Asmussen in the Nov. 1 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies (gr. I). The daughter of Tapit is undefeated in two starts, including a victory in the Sept. 7 Pocahantas (gr. II) at Churchill.

"(The Pocahontas) was really a lot to ask in her second time out, so I think she's really talented," said Napravnik. "I'm excited to see how she progresses and how she does against some of the best horses in the country."

Of all the tracks at which Napravnik rides, there's no place quite like Keeneland. The jockey said she's grateful the Lexington oval is now part of her yearly circuit.

"Keeneland is such a well-regarded meet," she said. "It's a very traditional racetrack with a lot of big races. Everyone comes to the races at Keeneland...there are good horses and it's nice to see the full grandstands there. Even this weekend when it was 40 degrees and raining, there were still a lot of fans out there, so I give them a lot of credit."

***

Trainer Rusty Arnold managed to keep his longtime Keeneland win streak alive on the final day of the fall meet Oct. 26, when he saddled Exothermic to a come-from-behind victory in the eighth race.

According to Keeneland officials, the Paris, Ky., resident has had at least one winner at Keeneland since the spring of 1986 except for one meet in the late 1980s where he did not start a horse. That would be 55 Keeneland meets where Arnold has saddled at least one horse that has registered a victory.

Rusty Arnold; photo by Anne M. Eberhardt

Exothermic, a 4-year-old Kentucky-bred son of Empire Maker, won for the third time in seven starts for Arnold. The Green Lantern Stables homebred, who is out of the Caesour mare Irridescence, boosted his earnings to $102,330 with his most recent score.

The dark bay or brown colt completed the one-mile allowance contest in 1:37.58 as the 3-1 favorite under jockey Corey Lanerie.

Read more about Rusty Arnold in Frank Angst's previous Keeneland files entry.

Click here to read a recap of Keeneland's fall meet, complete with wagering statistics and information on other meet leaders.

Ramseys Break Win Record at Keeneland; Rahystrada Returns Oct. 24

2013-10-23T15:46:00Z

No matter how many records he shatters, owner Ken Ramsey is always working his way up to the next level.

On Oct. 20, Ramsey and his wife Sarah recorded their 13th victory of the Keeneland fall meet when their homebred Captain Cook scored a frontrunning four-length victory in the 10th and final race.

With the performance, the Ramseys broke the record for most wins by an owner during the fall meet that they reached in 2012 and shared with Mr. and Mrs. Robert F. Roberts (1968).

"We're not happy with it...we're trying to raise the bar even higher," said Ramsey with a laugh when asked about his record-breaking status on the morning of Oct. 23. "As we speak right now, I'm going over through the condition book to see which of my horses fit in the Saturday (Oct. 26) races. We may have a banner day out there for the (meet) finale."

Keeneland/Coady Photography

Among the Ramseys' Keeneland fall meet wins thus far are three stakes: the Dixiana Breeders' Futurity (gr. I) with We Miss Artie; Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup (gr. I) with Kitten's Dumplings; and JPMorgan Chase Jessamine (gr. III) with Kitten Kaboodle.

With four days remaining in the season, the Ramseys have multiple chances to extend their margin as leading owner. They have five horses entered Oct. 23, five on Oct. 24, and four on Oct. 25. Ramsey estimated they would have at least six horses entered on the final day of the meet, Oct. 26.

"I've always liked to win at Keeneland...it's very competitive," said Ramsey, who owns Ramsey Farm near Nicholasville, Ky. "It's nice to win on your home court...Keeneland is in my backyard and the whole family can go out there and watch the horses run without driving a half day or getting on a plane. It's a very special place...I started going to the races there when I was a student at the University of Kentucky."

Ramsey is especially proud of the fact that many of his wins have come with horses sired by his homebred stallion, champion grass horse Kitten's Joy. "To win at Keeneland with a Kitten's Joy puts his name out there...people take notice, especially if you win a grade I race," he said. "We're trying to get Kitten's Joy elevated up so he'll be thought of in America like Galileo is thought of over in Europe."

Ramsey and Kitten's Dumplings; photo by Anne M. Eberhardt

In addition to the conclusion of the Keeneland meet, Ramsey is also focused on the Breeders' Cup World Championships at Santa Anita Park Nov. 1-2, where he plans to run seven horses and one in an undercard stakes. Even though those runners aren't 100% certain yet, one thing will always be a constant in the Ramsey stable--Ken Ramsey's hands-on approach in helping choose the races in which his horses will run.

"If you're going to train for Ken Ramsey, you have to listen to his input," said Ramsey. "We have trainers that respect our opinion and we respect theirs, so it's not a controversial thing. We sit down and go through the races and decide which way is the best course of action."

***

Trainer Scooter Hughes couldn't hide his disappointment when the Oct. 17 Sycamore Stakes (gr. III) was taken off the turf due to the wet surface and he was forced to scratch his popular 9-year-old runner Rahystrada from the race.

The son of Rahy, who has won six stakes at four different tracks throughout his 45-start career, was attempting to secure his first Keeneland victory in his eight seasons of racing in the 1 1/2-mile turf test for 3-year-olds and older.

"We were very disappointed (we had to scratch him), because (owner) Robert (Courtney Jr.) really wanted to try and win a stakes here at Keeneland," said Hughes.

Courtney Jr. raises and sells horses out of his Stonebridge Farm in Lexington and had been striving for a big victory in his hometown.

Rahystrada winning the Colonial Cup Turf Stakes; photo by Coady Photography

Lucky for the owner-trainer duo, they were able to find another spot for Rahystrada at Keeneland, although it's not in a stakes. The chestnut gelding is entered in the sixth race Oct. 24, a 1 1/8-mile allowance contest on the turf slated for 3:45 p.m. He will leave from post 6 under jockey Leandro Goncalves.

"It was in the book and worked out to where since we scratched, this was a good spot for him," said Hughes. "We'll still get to run here at Keeneland at least. He's feeling good, and that's one reason why we're running him. If he does okay in it, we might go back in the (Nov. 23) River City (gr. IIIT) which he won a couple years ago at Churchill."

Rahystrada winning Churchill's River City; photo courtesy of Churchill Downs/Reed Palmer

When asked again about the possibility of retiring Rahystrada at the end of the season, Hughes said he would leave it up to the horse.

"Robert wants to retire him, but I don't see any reason to, because he's a sound, happy horse," said Hughes. "If he shows us in these next couple of races that he doesn't want to do it anymore, then we will retire him. But there have been several horses that run well at 10, so I'm not set on it; it's just a matter of him telling us what he wants to do."

To read more about Rahystrada, see Frank Angst's previous entry in The Keeneland Files.

Arnold Still Looking for Keeneland Fall Meet Winner

2013-10-20T19:17:00Z

by Frank Angst

Where were you in 1986? This writer graduated from high school in the spring and entered college later that summer.

Trainer Rusty Arnold was earning his second Keeneland training title, securing a then-record 13 victories. Although he might not have guessed it, the trainer from Paris, Ky. also was beginning a long streak of success at the Lexington track.

According to Keeneland officials, Arnold has saddled at least one winner at Keeneland since the spring of 1986 except for one meet in the late 1980s where he did not start a horse. That would be 54 Keeneland meets where he has saddled at least one horse that Arnold has registered a victory.

But that number has not yet been extended to 55 at this meeting where after his two Sunday, Oct. 20 starters finished off the board, Arnold has saddled 22 starters without a win. He has two seconds and four thirds at the meet.

He will try to secure that first win in the meet’s four remaining race days, Oct. 23-26. Arnold does not have a horse entered on Wednesday, Oct. 23. He has one horse entered on the Thursday, Oct. 24 card: Alex Campbell Jr.’s Professor Midnight in a 1 1/16-mile maiden-claiming race scheduled as race nine on the card.

Of course Arnold has taken this streak to the wire before. In 2011 he registered a victory on the meet’s final day when Catching Reys scored an upset victory.

During the stretch Arnold has nailed down five grade I victories, breaking through with G. Watts Humphrey’s Clear Mandate in the 1997 Three Chimneys Spinster Stakes. He would follow with Ashbrook Farm’s Wicked Style in the 2007 Lane’s End Breeders’ Futurity, Green Lantern Stables’ Karelian in the 2010 Maker’s Mark Mile Stakes, Campbell’s Karlovy Vary in the 2012 Central Bank Ashland Stakes, and Humphrey’s Centre Court in the Jenny Wiley Stakes at this year’s spring meet.

Clear Mandate running in the 1997 Spinster at Keeneland.
Photo: Anne M. Eberhardt

In the spring Arnold also captured the Hilliard Lyons Doubledogdare Stakes (gr. III) with Ice Cream Silence, his 13th stakes win at Keeneland. His first Keeneland stakes score came in the 1986 fall meet when Leprechauns Wish scored in the Keeneland Breeders’ Cup Stakes.

Arnold’s roots in racing go back two generations to his grandfather, James Russell, who was broodmare foreman at Elmendorf Farm. His father, George R. Arnold Sr., owned 70-acre Fair Acres Farm near Lexington, where he bred horses to race or sell.

Arnold’s Keeneland stakes wins
Year	Stakes	grade	purse	horse
2013 rd Lyons Doubledogdare	Hillia	III	$100,000	Ice Cream Silence
2013	Jenny Wiley	I	$300,000	Centre Court
2012	Central Bank Ashland	I	$500,000	Karlovy Vary
2010	Maker’ Mark Mile	I	$300,000	Karelian
2008	Grey Goose Bewitch	III	$150,000	Communique
2007	Lane’s End Breeders’ Futurity	I	$500,000	Wicked Style
2004	Bourbon County	L	$100,000	Rey de Café
2002	Madison	L	$100,000	Victory Ride
1999	Dowager	L	$100,000	Moments of Magic
1999	Spinning World	L	$65,000	Storm Alert
1998	Doubledogdare	L	$65,000	Top Secret
1997	Three Chimneys Spinster		$500,000	Clear Mandate
1986	Keeneland Breeders’ Cup	L	$50,000	Leprechauns Wish

At Age 9, Rahystrada Aims for First Keeneland Stakes Win

2013-10-16T19:31:00Z

Don’t be surprised if the Keeneland paddock crowd around the tree listing “number six” is a bit thick before the Sycamore Stakes (gr. III) Thursday, Oct. 17.

That tree will be the temporary home of 9-year-old Rahystrada, who will try to secure a Keeneland stakes win for the first time in his eight seasons of racing in the 1 1/2-mile turf test for 3-year-olds and older.

Rahystrada
Photo: Four Footed Fotos

Trainer Scooter Hughes said Rahystrada has developed quite a fan following during his 45 career starts that have seen him register 14 wins, including six stakes wins at four different tracks: Arlington Park, Kentucky Downs, Churchill Downs, and Colonial Downs.

“I really hear from them after he wins,” Hughes said with a laugh. “Then everyone’s on board. But I do hear from a lot of people about him; he has a lot of fans. And I do hear from some of them after he loses too, wishing us luck next time.”

Hughes said a stakes win at Keeneland would be special for Rahystrada’s connections. Owner Robert Courtney Jr. raises and sells horses out of his Stonebridge Farm in Lexington. Hughes is based at The Thoroughbred Center in Lexington and would love to nail down the first Keeneland stakes win of his career.

Earlier this year the congratulations poured in after Rahystrada became the first three-time winner of the Arlington Handicap (gr. III) at Arlington Park. The victory marked the fifth straight year that the veteran Rahy gelding has won at least one stakes race.

Rahystrada wins the 2013 Arlington Handicap.
Photo: Four Footed Fotos

Hughes said Rahystrada’s natural talent doesn’t turn anyone’s head but he is very sound, has avoided injuries, and has taken care of himself. In return, the connections have given Rahystrada time off in recent years, typically racing him from May-October.

“He loves that time at the farm,” Hughes said. “You should see him out there rolling around in the mud, being a horse.”

When Hughes advised Courtney purchase Rahystrada at age 4 from his breeder Jaime Carrion, he never would have guessed the success that would follow.

“There is no way you could have forecast that,” Hughes said. “He’s pretty special and still performing at a high level.”

The connections had planned to start Rahystrada in the Kentucky Cup Turf (gr. III), a race he won in 2009, but Hughes said an unknown allergy flared up, showing itself as a skin problem. Time was needed to address the issue and the Sycamore will be Rahystrada’s first start since finishing off the board in the Arlington Million Stakes (gr. I) Aug. 17.

Rahystrada won an allowance race on the Keeneland turf in April 2010 and he will try to improve on his fourth-place finish in last year’s Sycamore.

Typically easy to manage, Rahystrada has shifted into his geared up mode that he usually displays in the days leading up to a race. Rahystrada doesn’t mind occasionally making his presence known with a nibble but Hughes said he’ll assume his best behavior anytime he hears the crackling of mint wrappers signaling the possibility of a treat.

Courtney thinks this may be the final racing year for Rahystrada, who would then be turned out at his farm. But Hughes hopes he doesn’t rush that decision.

“But I’ve told him not to make too quick a decision. If he’s still running well, it would be fun to come back for another season and see what we can do at 10. We’ll let him tell us though.”

Rahystrada racing in 2009.
Photo: Reed Palmer/Churchill Downs

An Eclipse Award Type of Year

2013-10-13T20:39:00Z

By the numbers, Ken and Sarah Ramsey had a pretty good 2012 as Thoroughbred owners with 117 wins, 98 seconds, and 79 thirds from 555 starts.

Ken Ramsey walks Kitten's Dumplings into the winners circle.
Photo: Georgia Keogh

For the 12 months, their stable accounted for earnings of $4.83 million with average earnings of $8,717 per start. Their horses were in the top three 53% of the time.

Through not even a full 10 months this year, however, the Ramsey stable has blown away its 2012 statistics with 183 wins, 112 seconds, and 95 thirds from 680 starts. And 57% of their runners have finished in the top three.

More importantly, in terms of potential Eclipse Award votes, their horses have earned $10.6 million--about $4.7 million higher than Midwest Thoroughbreds in second. Ramsey horses have earned an average of $15,608 per start thanks to increase success in stakes.

The Ramseys have won 16 graded stakes for $4.6 million in earnings. In all, the stable has won 38 stakes from 157 starts so far this year.

Their latest grade I win came with Kitten's Dumplings in the $400,000 Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup on the turf at Keeneland Oct. 12. The 3-year-old filly by Ramsey stallion Kitten's Joy "came out of the race fine" according to trainer Mike Maker and is a candidate for the Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf (gr. IT) Nov. 2 at Santa Anita Park.

*****

Two days of exception October weather in Central Kentucky helped Keeneland set attendance records according to figures released by the racetrack.

The Saturday, Oct. 12 crowd of 32,771, aided by a nighttime college football game at the University of Kentucky, was the largest ever for the fall meet and seventh-highest ever. The Friday, Oct. 11 attendance of 22,807 was the highest ever for a Friday during the autumn meet.

The top six all-time attendance marks (40,617 down to 33,621) were recorded during the spring meet for either the Toyota Blue Grass Stakes (gr. I) or Coolmore Lexington Stakes (gr. II).

*****

Robert Courtney Jr.'s 9-year-old Rahystrada, one of the more popular Kentucky-based horses of recent years, is among nine horses entered for the Sycamore Stakes (gr. IIIT) at 1 1/2 miles Oct. 17 at Keeneland.

Rahystrada, by Rahy, finished an even fourth in last year's Sycamore in his final start of 2012. The old-timer won the Arlington Handicap (gr. IIIT) earlier this year before finishing far back in his last start in the Arlington Million (gr. IT).

Rahystrada has two victories on the Keeneland turf course in his career.

Wet, But Certainly Not All Wet

2013-10-09T17:43:00Z

With about half of the first three days of live racing held under less-than-ideal conditions–downpours or steady rain and a shift of some turf races to the Polytrack–field size at Keeneland held up surprisingly well.

Through the first three days of the meet (Oct. 4-6), an average of 10.07 horses competed in each race, according to The Jockey Club Information Systems. It's exactly the same number as the first three days of the 2012 fall meet, when weather was better. There were 29 races last year and this year.

With graded stakes front-loaded as part of "Fall Stars Weekend," purses for the first three days averaged $1,329,703, up from $1,287,410 in 2012, according to TJCIS statistics.

Keeneland president Bill Thomason said at one point on Saturday, he looked at the infield flags to see their direction, and figured what appeared to be an oncoming story would miss Keeneland. Thomason said soon after he looked again, and the flags were pointing directly at the grandstand.

"It was an absolute deluge," he said.

Attendance for the first Saturday card was announced at more than 27,000. The weather was, however, beautiful until mid-afternoon.

Better Lucky wins the 2013 First Lady.
Photo: Keeneland/Coady Photography

*****

Jockey Channing Hill, a Nebraska native who has ridden regularly in New York and Illinois, backed up his decision to ride at Keeneland this fall with a victory aboard Poker Player in the Oct. 6 Bourbon Stakes, a grade III run on the Polytrack instead of the turf because of the weather.

Poker Player, a 2-year-old Harlan's Holiday colt owned by Gary and Mary West, is trained by Wayne Catalano, who asked Hill to venture to Kentucky Downs in September to ride some of his horses. Hill is engaged to Catalano's daughter, Shelbi.

Poker Player running in the Bourbon Stakes.
Photo: Mathea Kelley

"Wayne asked me to go down to Kentucky Downs, and he was just on fire down there," Hill told the Keeneland notes team. "People told me that I sure must like riding at Kentucky Downs, and I told them that it was the horses that I liked being on. You get a lot of notice with four-win days."

Hill won with six of his nine mounts to finish second in the Kentucky Downs standings to Rosie Napravnik, who had eight wins from 30 mounts. Catalano won the Kentucky Downs training title with 10 wins from 15 starters.

Hill said he plans to travel to California for the Breeders' Cup World Championships and then return to New York to ride the rest of the fall and winter.

*****

The Oct. 12 Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup (gr. IT) for 3-year-old fillies at 1 1/8 miles on the grass came up nicely with grade I winners Alterite and Say among the entrants, but the field has other multiple stakes winners that should make things interesting.

Say, trained by Aidan O'Brien, last raced Oct. 5 and finished sixth of eight on a yielding course in the grade I First Lady Stakes for fillies and mares at Keeneland. In 2011, however, O'Brien raced Together in both races; the filly won the Challenge Cup after finishing second in the First Lady.

Alterite won the Garden City Stakes (gr. IT) in her U.S. debut Sept. 14. Third in that race was Concise, who has displayed excellent kick in her three U.S. starts and could be primed for an upset for trainer Graham Motion.

The forecast calls for sunshine and no rain Saturday, so expect a firm course.

*****

Keeneland has introduced an app for mobile devices, including iPhones, iPads, and Androids, that displays entries, real-time results, wagering tips, a betting calculator, and an events calendar are easily accessible. There also is an interactive map that allows patrons to notify others of their location at the track. It can be downloaded via iTunes or Google.

Fall Stars Surprises

2013-10-06T17:23:00Z

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By Claire Novak, photos by Anne Eberhardt Keogh

LEXINGTON, KY (Oct. 6, 2013) -- Fall Stars weekend brought a bevy of surprises as favorites were felled in the major races and a record rainfall pelted Keeneland on the afternoon of Oct. 5. While reigning Horse of the Year Wise Dan finished second to Silver Max in an off-the-turf edition the $750,000 Shadwell Turf Mile (gr. II) and 2012 Eclipse Award-winning female sprinter Groupie Doll ran third behind Judy the Beauty and Gypsy Robin in the $200,000 Thoroughbred Club of America Stakes (gr. II), both trainers of the respective champions -- as well as the trainers of their upsetters -- said it’s now full steam ahead to the Nov. 1-2 Breeders’ Cup World Championships at Santa Anita Park.

Silver Max wins the Shadwell under jockey Robby Albarado.

Trainer Charlie LoPresti said Morton Fink's homebred Wise Dan came out of his runner-up effort in good order and wil point toward a defense of his record-setting title in the $2 million Breeders’ Cup Mile (gr. IT) at Santa Anita on Nov. 2.

“Those were not ideal conditions yesterday,” LoPresti said. “I was a little disappointed that he lost, but he never stopped trying and was gaining on the winner.”

The Shadwell came off the turf and was run at 1 1/16 miles on the main track after Keeneland was hit by 1 ½ inches of rain in less than two hours. Wise Dan, breaking from the outside post in the 10-horse field, was bumped going into the first turn, floated wide and raced far off the rail the entire race before finishing 1¼ lengths behind Silver Max.

“I looked at the Trakus (stats) after the race and it showed he ran 40 feet farther than the winner,” LoPresti said. “That computes to losing about four lengths.”

Elaine and Morton Fink weather the storm in the Keeneland paddock.

Wise Dan will do the bulk of his training for the Breeders’ Cup at Keeneland.

“We will make sure he is OK for the Breeders’ Cup and go out on the 29th (of October),” LoPresti said.

The schedule is similar to last year, when Wise Dan shipped to California the middle of Breeders’ Cup week.

Although the Shadwell lost Breeders’ Cup Challenge “Win and You’re In” status when it was taken off the turf, trainer Dale Romans said Silver Max will still go to the Breeders’ Cup Mile.

“He earned his way in,” Romans said of the 4-year-old Badge of Silver colt who races for Mark Bacon and Dana Wells. “We’re just going to have to pay for it.”

Enjoying the spotlight on Saturday were Bacon’s towheaded youngsters, Max and Olivia. The former, 11, now has a prime Breeders’ Cup contender racing who bears his name.

Max Bacon, who named Silver Max, enjoys the Shadwell win.

Buff Bradley also reported Groupie Doll will be pointed toward another run in the Filly & Mare Sprint (gr. I) despite her third place finish in the six-furlong TCA. Groupie Doll came into the race off a victory in the Presque Isle Downs Masters Stakes (gr. II) and was third in the Gardenia (gr. III) at Ellis Park after getting her season started late this year.

“She’s tired, but she had to run the whole way yesterday,” Bradley said of Groupie Doll, who finished 1¾ lengths behind Judy the Beauty. “That was not her typical race yesterday. Usually she is just getting started the first quarter of a mile, but yesterday she was in against a couple of Polytrack professionals.

“I was more concerned about yesterday’s race than the Breeders’ Cup,” he added. “Six furlongs is not her best distance and I think she is better on dirt. She shows brilliance on the dirt.”

Bradley has scheduled one work for Groupie Doll on Saturday, Oct. 19 and plans to ship her to Santa Anita on Tuesday, Oct. 22.

Groupie Doll en route to the Thoroughbred Club of America Stakes.

Wesley Ward was all smiles Sunday morning following the first graded stakes victory by his 4-year-old Judy the Beauty in the TCA. Ward owns the Ontario-bred Ghostzapper filly and trains her as well.

“The filly is doing good and the owner-trainer is doing better,” Ward said. “This is her home track and that home-court advantage is big in all sports.”

Never worse than third in 11 previous starts, Judy the Beauty had placed in six graded stakes before breaking through Saturday under Hall of Fame jockey John Velazquez, who rode her for the first time.

“She ran very well for Johnny,” Ward said. “The mount is his for as long as he wants it.”

The victory earned Judy the Beauty a berth in Filly & Mare Sprint; she will do all of her major preparations for the Breeders’ Cup at Keeneland.

***

Opening Day was a success for Unlimited Equine and trainer Tevis McCauley when their Chinchero, a compact chestnut Even the Score filly, took Race 4 by three lengths. The sophomore may be a modest runner, but she made the move from a third at Indiana Downs on Sept. 18 to take down eight others in the 6 ½ furlong sprint on Keeneland’s Polytrack. Stay tuned for an online feature on the McCauley program.

***

Racing resumes Wednesday at Keeneland, where the $150,000 JPMorgan Chase Jessamine Stakes (gr. IIIT) will be contested as Race 8 of nine with an approximate post time of 4:49 p.m. EDT. The Jessamine drew a field of 10 2-year-old fillies going 1 1/16 miles on the turf, which hopefully will have dried out by then. In this race, Ward has Richies Party Girl, a daughter of Any Given Saturday who interestingly broke her maiden at Belmont Park on July 4, went to Deauville to run fourth in the Aug. 17 Prix du Calvados (Eng-III), and returned to narrowly take a Sept. 7 Churchill Downs allowance going a mile on the lawn.

***

Looking ahead to Saturday, Hit The Board Stables has Pucker Up Stakes (gr. IIIT) victress I’m Already Sexy in deep in the $400,000 Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup Stakes (gr. IT). The Wayne Catalano trainee tuned up for a run in the 1 1/8 mile turf event on the morning of Oct. 6 with a five-furlong move on the main track in :59.20. Fractions for the work were :12.80, :24.40, :36.60, with a six-furlong gallop out in 1:12.40.

Grade I stakes winners Alterite and Discreet Marq top the list of 12 sophomore fillies extended invitations for the 30^th running of the QEII. Alterite, group I-placed in France, won the Garden City (gr. IT) at Belmont Park on Sept. 14 in her U.S. debut. Alterite is trained for Martin Schwartz by Chad Brown, who won last year’s QE II with Dayatthespa. Discreet Marq won the Del Mar Oaks (gr. IT) for Patricia Generazio before finishing second to Alterite in the Garden City. Also the winner of the Sands Point (gr. IIT), Discreet Marq is trained by Christophe Clement, who won the 1994 QE II with Danish.

Other graded or group winners extended invitations include Joyce Young’s Caroline Thomas, Ken and Sarah Ramsey’s Kitten’s Dumplings, Melnyk Racing Stables’ Leigh Court, Sycamore Racing’s Nellie Cashman, Wertheimer and Frere’s Sarach, Susan Magnier, Michael Tabor and Derrick Smith’s Say, and Glen Hill Farm’s Wishing Gate.

Rounding out the invitees are Andrew Stone’s Concise and Sheikh Mohammed bin Khalifa Al Thani’s Topaze Blanche.

No previous QE II winner has produced a QE II winner, but two of this year’s invitees are daughters of race winners. Riskaverse, winner of the 2002 renewal, is the dam of Say, who ran sixth in Saturday’s First Lady Stakes (gr. IT). Bit of Whimsy, winner of the 2007 race, is the dam of Caroline Thomas.

Entries for the QEII will be drawn Wednesday, Oct. 9.

Youth on the Rise As Meet Begins

2013-10-01T20:34:00Z

Purely Hot (Photo: Coady Photography)

By Claire Novak

LEXINGTON, KY (Oct. 1, 2013) - She shipped into Keeneland late Friday, rolled down the lane with a solid work Sunday morning, and by Sunday afternoon had firmly established herself as ruler of Barn 43 -- at least in her own mind.

Never mind her old life as a $4,000 claimer. Purely Hot, gearing up for another run at champion female sprinter Groupie Doll in the Oct. 5 Thoroughbred Club of America Stakes (gr. II), has blossomed for partners Mike Tuozzo and Dave Baal under the care of her young trainer, 24-year-old Nick Caruso. After galloping along through five straight wins from May to August at Presque Isle Downs, she ran the race of her life in the Sept. 9 Presque Isle Masters -- punching her ticket to Lexington when she gave the champ all she could handle before yielding late in the 6 1/2-furlong test.

Regular rider Harry Vega was aboard for that race and for the 5-year-old racemare's final pre-TCA move, her only breeze over the Lexington oval. Purely Hot posted fractions of :12 1/5, :24 2/5, :36 2/5, and galloped out five furlongs in 1:01. Vega has only ridden at Keeneland once before; he won the 2002 Phoenix Stakes (gr. III) aboard Xtra Heat.

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Purely Hot, a 5-year-old Maryland-bred daughter of Pure Prize out of the Kissin Kris mare Wood Not, will be Caruso's first starter at Keeneland, and his first in a graded stakes. He's not alone; the racemare's owners have also never started a runner at the Lexington oval, or in a graded stakes event.

Tuozzo, 41, is the son of New York owner Anthony Tuozzo, who had horses with Mike Hushion in the Empire State. He grew up around the New York Racing Association circuit, and began buying horses of his own about 10 years ago after moving to Pennsylvania around 1999.

"I bought one privately, just a cheap horse, and then I dabbled in breeding when we retired her and made a couple babies," Tuozzo said. "After that, I started claiming a little bit more, switched trainers a couple of times, and ended up with Nick -- and I'm pretty happy with Nick."

Caruso is a native of Hummelstown, Pa. who took out his license late last fall. He picked up his horse-savvy ways while rodeoing with his grandpa as a youngster and attending races with his father, then walked hots at Penn National for John Zimmerman and was an assistant to Brannon Kulp before going out on his own. In January at Penn National, he and Tuozzo picked Purely Hot up for a $4,000 tag. The connections lost her to her previous owners for $8,000 in February, but then claimed her back for $10,000 in March. That was the last time she ran for a tag. Her combined winning margin in the five races prior to the Masters was 20 3/4 lengths; she has six wins overall and the Masters second in seven outings on the Tapeta at Presque Isle Downs.

"We gave her an opportunity to run on the surface and it showed her ability to perform," Tuozzo said. "We just took a shot and it turned out better than anybody even expected."

All we did was take her to Presqe Isle," Caruso said. "We didn't do anything other than take her there. Her whole mind changed. She thinks she's the best. We've watched her, she's turned the corner from being a nice horse to being a great horse because of her mind. She's very arrogant and cocky. She's proud of herself, and that makes a horse tough to beat."

Read more about Purely Hot at ESPN.com. The bay filly drew post 2 of 6 in the TCA, view entries here.

***

Trainer Michael Wilson and 'West Virginia Moonshine' the pony (Photo: Claire Novak)

Nick Caruso isn't the only youngster starting a horse in the TCA. Darley Flying Start ('11) grad Michael Wilson, 28, has Tanglewood Tale for the race, a Breeders' Cup Challenge "Win and You're In" event for the Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint (gr. I).

Bred in Kentucky by Ron McCauley out of the Unbridled's Song mare Dreambride, this 4-year-old Tale of the Cat filly has won three in a row for Avanti Stable, including a Sept. 18 allowance event at Belmont Park. She tries Polytrack for the first time in her stakes debut.

"She's an interesting horse in that she's been winning in New York, but she doesn't necessarily like the New York tracks," Wilson said. "She tends to run over a surface, she doesn't have a long stride that gets into a deeper track, she's short-strided and I always thought if we could get her onto a little bit of a tighter, faster track, she'd improve."

Taking care of Tanglewood Tale at Keeneland (Photo: Claire Novak)

Claimed at Saratoga for $25,000 last September from Crossed Sabres Farm and trainer Dale Romans (she was a $60,000 weanling purchase by Crossed Sabres from the 2009 Keeneland November breeding stock sale when consigned by Paramount), Tanglewood Tale has a 4-2-4 record from 17 starts. She is the first Keeneland starter for Wilson, a California native who came up with Hall of Fame trainer Richard Mandella, did a stint with Doug O'Neill, and spent time working for another Hall of Famer, Bob Baffert, before graduating from the Darley program and going out on his own last fall with a New York-based string. Read more about Wilson here.

"The first year has definitely been a learning curve," Wilson said. "Learning how to train over the tracks, figuring out the differences between the East Coast tracks and California racing... it was a humbling experience, let's just say that. But things started to come together at Saratoga and since then we've been doing very well."

Wilson said the Breeders' Cup could be a consideration for Tanglewood Tale should she take the huge jump in class that would be required to win over runners like Groupie Doll, Judy the Beauty, and Purely Hot. Tanglewood Tale breaks from post 4 of 6 in the six-furlong sprint (entries here).

"I would definitely talk to the owners to see if that's something they're interested in considering, because I think it would be a tremendous opportunity for her," Wilson said. "I know we're facing some of the best sprinters in the country, but she's a filly on the improve and I haven't hit the ceiling with her yet."

***

Riding high off a record-setting training title at Arlington Park (his 11th at the Chicagoland oval), having recently completed a history making 10-for-15 streak at Kentucky Downs' 5-day meet, and enjoying a career-best year in which his runners have earned more than $4.9 million, trainer Wayne Catalano is gearing up for a big meet at Keeneland.

The trainer has Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners' Battlefield Angel in the Darley Alcibiades (gr. I) and William Stiritz's Hogy in the Stoll Keenon Ogden Phoenix (gr. III) on Friday's Opening Day card (that one is cross-entered in Saturday's grade I Shadwell Turf Mile), with Susan Moulton's Solitary Ranger in the Dixiana Breeders' Futurity (gr. I) on Saturday and Poker Player in the Bourbon (gr. IIIT) for Gary and Mary West on Sunday.

"Everything came together at the right time," said Catalano, who brought about 40 horses to the Lexington oval. "We got some good results from very good clients giving us some chances with some very good horses. All my staff performed very well. The results showed. I think the roll will continue (at Keeneland). We're set up to do pretty good."

For more on Solitary Ranger, who drew post 6 in an oversubscribed Futurity field (view entries), check out the newest installment of Novak at the Track.

***

Keeneland has launched a free Race Day App and Fall Stars microsite to bring fans closer to the action as the Oct. 4-26 season gets underway.

The Race Day App, downloadable from iTunes or Google, offers helpful tools like a betting calculator, expert tips, entries and real-time results, and more. Fans can use an interactive map with search and filter capabilities to navigate their way through Keeneland and notify friends of their location.

The Fall Stars microsite delivers information for the opening Fall Stars Weekend, including entries for each of the nine graded stakes, seven of them Breeders' Cup Challenge "Win and You're In" events. The site will continue to track Breeders' Cup-bound horses through the World Championships on Nov. 1-2 at Santa Anita.

Follow the Keeneland fall meet via the track's Facebook Page and on Twitter (@keeneland, @keenelandracing) -- fans are encouraged to use the #fallstars hashtag to stay on top of all the action. And, as always, stay tuned to the Blood-Horse Facebook and Twitter accounts (@bloodhorse) for coast-to-coast racing coverage.

As a thank you to fans, Keeneland will offer "Track Packs" on Wednesdays and Thursdays during the meet. Simply 'like' Keeneland's Facebook Page, print the Track Pack coupon, and bring it to any of the track's admission gates for free general admission. For just $10, fans can purchase a reserved grandstand seat, a race-day program, and receive a Keeneland hat -- a $28 value.

***

The Oct. 4 Opening Day program attracted 117 entries in the body of 10 races. The Darley Alcibiades for 2-year-old fillies attracted 13 entrants; the Phoenix Stakes for sprinters drew 14 with one horse on the also-eligible list. View the overnight here, check out the entries on Equibase, and read Tom LaMarra's preview of the racing season. The Keeneland Files return Sunday, Oct. 6.