Keeneland Barn Notes April 2 2017

By Amy Owens —-

Keeneland’s 15-day Spring Meet opens Friday, April 7, and concludes Friday, April 28,
with racing on Wednesdays through Sundays. Post time for the first race each day
is 1:05 p.m. ET. Keeneland will be closed on Easter Sunday, April 16.

• McCRAKEN WORKS HALF-MILE IN :49.40 FOR SATURDAY’S $1 MILLION TOYOTA BLUE GRASS
• TOYOTA BLUE GRASS CANDIDATE IT’S YOUR NICKEL WORKS
5 FURLONGS IN 1:01.60
• EUROPEAN CHAMPION LADY AURELIA WORKS; TO MAKE 2017 DEBUT IN GIANT’S CAUSEWAY
• GRADE 1 WINNERS ABOUND IN COOLMORE JENNY WILEY NOMINATIONS
• OPENING WEEKEND PROBABLE STAKES FIELDS

McCRAKEN WORKS HALF-MILE IN :49.40
FOR SATURDAY’S $1 MILLION TOYOTA BLUE GRASS

Whitham Thoroughbreds’ homebred McCraken, the probable favorite for Saturday’s $1 million Toyota Blue Grass (G2), worked a half-mile in :49.40 over a fast main track after the Sunday morning renovation break at Keeneland. (Click here for a video of the work.)

With jockey Brian Hernandez Jr. aboard, McCraken backtracked alongside a pony to the seven-eighths pole before starting his solo journey. Breaking off at the half-mile pole, McCraken posted fractions of :12.60, :25, :37 and galloped out five furlongs in 1:01.20 and six furlongs in 1:13.80.

“I thought the work was very good,” trainer Ian Wilkes said. “It was a nice half, and he galloped out strong another quarter and I was pleased with how he did it.”

It was the third Keeneland work for McCraken, who missed a scheduled start in the Tampa Bay Derby (G2) because of a minor injury to his left front ankle.

“He is feeling good and his attitude is great. He is enjoying it here,” Wilkes said. “He has gotten bigger and stronger since he has been here and maybe missing that race was a blessing. Things happen for a reason and we will find out in the long run.”

For Hernandez, the work capped off a whirlwind 24 hours. Yesterday, he rode Girvin to win the TwinSpires.com Louisiana Derby (G2) then drove all night with his family from New Orleans. He arrived at Keeneland in time for the work.

“It was worth it,” Hernandez said with a laugh of the 10-hour ride. “Every rider’s dream is to be in the spot I’m in.

“I’m good friends with both (connections),” he continued. “I’m happy for (trainer) Joe (Sharp), (his wife) Rosie and (owner) Brad (Grady) to win the Louisiana Derby with Girvin and then I get to come here to work a horse like McCraken.”

Hernandez likes what he has seen from McCraken, who launched his unblemished career last October and who has had Hernandez aboard for all four of his victories.

“He does everything right on cue now,” Hernandez said. “He goes around in perfect 12s (seconds for an eighth of a mile) and gets faster as he goes. He’s an amazing horse.

“Last year he worked five-eighths before the Kentucky Jockey Club (G2) and just went out there but now he is focused on the job like he wants to do it. I don’t have to force him to do anything.”

TOYOTA BLUE GRASS CANDIDATE IT’S YOUR NICKEL
WORKS 5 FURLONGS IN 1:01.60

With Jack Gilligan aboard for trainer Kenny McPeek, It’s Your Nickel worked 5 furlongs in 1:01.60 after Sunday’s renovation break. Keeneland clockers caught him in fractions of :13.20, :25.40, :37.60, :50.40, 1:01.60 and out in 1:14.60. (Click here for a video of the work.)

“We were just looking for a nice maintenance work, something to keep his feet on the ground for the rest of the week,” McPeek’s assistant Alan Shell said. “He finished up well, so we’ll just keep an eye on him this week and should be good to go. He looks like he’s handling the track well.”

By Dialed In, It’s Your Nickel scored his maiden victory in August over the turf course at Saratoga in the second start of his career. He made his 2017 debut in a Jan. 27 allowance race at Fair Grounds in which he finished second but was elevated to first after the winner was disqualified. In his most recent race, It’s Your Nickel drew off to a 6½-length victory in the John Battaglia Memorial on March 4 at Turfway Park.

Today’s work marked the third at Keeneland for It’s Your Nickel, who worked a half-mile in :47.40 on March 20 in company with Purely a Dream, who five days later won the Bourbonette Oaks (G3) at Turfway. The time was the fastest of nine at the distance.

On March 27 at Keeneland, It’s Your Nickel worked five furlongs in 1:02.60 also in company.

“He’s a horse who doesn’t have to have company,” Shell said. “He’s fit.”

It’s Your Nickel races for Harold Lerner, AWC Stables, Scott Akman and Nehoc Stables.

Two other Toyota Blue Grass horses at Keeneland galloped Sunday morning.

Calumet Farm’s Wild Shot galloped on the main shortly after the track opened with Jozefat Calvo aboard for trainer Rusty Arnold.

Reddam Racing’s Irap made his first trip to the main track and galloped 1¼ miles under Antonio Romero for trainer Doug O’Neill. Irap went to the all-weather training track the previous two days.

Two other likely starters for the Toyota Blue Grass on Saturday – two-time Grade 1 winner Practical Joke and Tampa Bay Derby (G2) winner Tapwrit – were scheduled to arrive at Keeneland from South Florida Sunday afternoon.

LADY AURELIA WORKS; TO MAKE 2017 DEBUT IN GIANT’S CAUSEWAY

Trainer Wesley Ward said Keeneland’s listed Giant’s Causeway, at 5½ furlongs on turf on April 15, is scheduled to mark the 2017 debut of Stonestreet Farm, George Bolton, Peter Leidel’s Lady Aurelia, Europe’s champion 2-year-old filly of 2016.

“(The Giant’s Causeway) gives us good spacing to go to the (June 20) King’s Stand (G1), which is five-eighths (of a mile) at Royal Ascot (in England),” Ward said.

On Sunday morning, co-owner Barbara Banke of Stonestreet and Ward watched Lady Aurelia’s first work of the year over the Keeneland turf course. Working with Ward’s 3-year-old maiden winner Bound for Nowhere, the Scat Daddy filly covered five furlongs over the firm turf in 1:00.20. Bound for Nowhere to her inside was clocked in 1:01.20.

“Beautiful work – everything we want,” Ward said about Lady Aurelia. “Finished with speed to spare.”
During Keeneland’s 2016 Spring Meet, Lady Aurelia captured her career debut in track-record time and went on to win the Queen Mary (G2) at Royal Ascot and Darley Prix Morny (G1) at Deauville in France She was third in the Connolly’s Red Mills Cheveley Park (G1) at Newmarket in England.

Banke said Lady Aurelia, a graduate of Keeneland’s 2015 September Yearling Sale, already ranks among Stonestreet’s top runners, which include Horses of the Year Curlin and Rachel Alexandra.

“She’s right up there at the top, another champion, a European champion,” Banke said. “We gotta do that (running American horses overseas) more. It’s important just to show the breadth and speed of American bloodstock and make people want to come over here and buy our yearlings at the Keeneland sale.”

GRADE 1 WINNERS ABOUND IN COOLMORE JENNY WILEY NOMINATIONS

Sheep Pond Partners’ Lady Eli is one of five Grade 1 winners among the 19 nominees to the 29th running of the $350,000 Coolmore Jenny Wiley (G1) for fillies and mares to be run Saturday, April 15.

A three-time Grade 1 winner trained by Chad Brown, Lady Eli has not raced since a runner-up finish beaten a nose in the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Turf (G1) in November.

Other Grade 1 winners nominated to the 1 1/16-mile grass test are Canadian Horse of the Year Catch a Glimpse and Celestine, plus the 1-2 finishers from last fall’s Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup Presented by Lane’s End, Time and Motion and Harmonize. Yesterday, Celestine won the Honey Fox (G2) at Gulfstream Park.

Slated to be run a day earlier is the 29th edition of the $300,000 Maker’s 46 Mile (G1) for 4-year-olds and up that drew 25 nominations, including Grade 1 grass winners Bal a Bali (BRZ) and Divisidero plus Heart to Heart, runner-up in last year’s race.

In all, six stakes will be run next week starting with the 29th running of the $125,000 Appalachian (G3) Presented by Japan Racing Association for 3-year-old fillies at a mile on the turf scheduled for Thursday, April 13.

Heading the roster of 41 nominations are the 1-2 finishers from last fall’s Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (G1), New Money Honey and Coasted, and the 1-2 finishers from last fall’s JPMorgan Chase Jessamine (G3) here, La Coronel and Lull.

In addition to the Coolmore Jenny Wiley next Saturday, three other stakes are on tap.

The 87th running of the $200,000 Ben Ali (G3) for 4-year-olds and up going 1 1/8 miles on the main track drew 31 nominations. Among the nominees are the 1-2-3 finishers from last year’s race: Eagle, Noble Bird and Breaking Lucky.

Also that day is the 36th running of the $200,000 Stonestreet Lexington (G3) for 3-year-olds going
1 1/16 miles on the main track that drew 58 nominations.

The Stonestreet Lexington is the final Kentucky prep for the $2 million Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (G1) to be run May 6 at Churchill Downs. The race awards 17 points toward the Derby on a 10-4-2-1 scale for the first- through fourth-place finishers.

The 21st running of the $100,000 Giant’s Causeway at 5½ furlongs on the turf for fillies and mares drew 38 nominations headed by European champion Lady Aurelia and last year’s winner, Exaggerated

OPENING WEEKEND PROBABLE STAKES FIELDS

$150,000 TRANSYLVANIA (G3) PRESENTED BY KEENELAND SELECT (Entries close Monday; Race Friday April 7) – Big Score (trainer Tim Yakteen), Bird’s Eye View (Michael Dini), Cowboy Culture (Brad Cox), Horse Fly (D. Wayne Lukas), Oscar Performance (Brian Lynch), Profiteer (Shug McGaughey), Sonic Boom (Ian Wilkes), Ticonderoga (Chad Brown).
$1,000,000 TOYOTA BLUE GRASS (G2) (Entries close Tuesday; Race Saturday, April 8) – Irap (Doug O’Neill), It’s Your Nickel (Kenny McPeek), J Boys Echo (Dale Romans), McCraken (Ian Wilkes), Practical Joke (Chad Brown), Tapwrit (Todd Pletcher), Wild Shot (Rusty Arnold).
$500,000 CENTRAL BANK ASHLAND (G1) (Entries close Tuesday; Race Saturday, April 8) – Daddys Lil Darling (Kenny McPeek), Elate (Bill Mott), Pretty City Dancer (Mark Casse), Summer Luck (Casse). Possible: Princess Karen (Jeff Bonde), Tapa Tapa Tapa (Tim Hamm).
$300,000 MADISON (G1) (Entries close Tuesday; Race Saturday, April 8) – Clothes Fall Off (Kiaran McLaughlin), Constellation (Jerry Hollendorfer), High Ridge Road (Linda Rice), Kathballu (Kenny McPeek), Mines and Magic (Vicky Oliver), Paid Up Subscriber (Chad Brown), Paulassilverlining (Brown), Wheatfield (Danny Pish).
$250,000 COMMONWEALTH (G3) (Entries close Tuesday; Race Saturday, April 8) – A. P. Indian (Arnaud Delacour), Awesome Slew (Mark Casse), Cautious Giant (Kristen Mulhall), Fish Trappe Road (Bret Calhoun), Limousine Liberal (Ben Colebrook), Redesdale (Brendan Walsh), Riding in the Wind (Jose Lopez), Seeking the Soul (Dallas Stewart), Tale of S’avall (Barclay Tagg), Yockey’s Warrior (Al Stall Jr.).
$200,000 SHAKERTOWN (G2) (Entries close Tuesday; Race Saturday, April 8) – Blue Wings (Patrick Huffman), Green Mask (Brad Cox), Hogy (Scott Becker), Holding Gold (Mark Casse), Mongolian Saturday (Enebish Ganbat), Rainbow Heir (Jason Servis).
$150,000 ADENA SPRINGS BEAUMONT (G3) (Entries close Thursday; Race Sunday, April 9) – Dancing Rags (Graham Motion), Laney (Eddie Kenneally), Ms Locust Point (John Servis), My Miss Chiff (Al Stall Jr.), Promises Broken (Phil Simms), Sweet Loretta (Todd Pletcher), Tapped (Jerry Hollendorfer). Possible: Sounds Delicious (Linda Rice).