KEENELAND BARN NOTES FRIDAY, APRIL 7 – OPENING DAY

By Amy Owens —-

Keeneland’s 15-day Spring Meet runs through 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.
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Visit Keeneland.com/bluegrass for information about opening-weekend stakes,
including biographies of owners, trainers and jockeys competing
in Saturday’s $1 million Toyota Blue Grass (G2).

• J BOYS ECHO GIVES ROMANS SHOT AT TOYOTA BLUE GRASS REPEAT; ALL TOYOTA BLUE GRASS HORSES GALLOP FRIDAY MORNING
• PROBABLE STARTERS FOR UPCOMING STAKES
• 2017 SPRING MEET SPECIAL EVENTS

J BOYS ECHO GIVES ROMANS SHOT AT TOYOTA BLUE GRASS REPEAT;
ALL TOYOTA BLUE GRASS HORSES GALLOP FRIDAY MORNING

Even though Brody’s Cause came into last year’s Toyota Blue Grass off a seventh-place finish in the Tampa Bay Derby (G2), trainer Dale Romans was confident the colt would deliver a high-quality performance.

Racing for the Albaugh Family Stable, Brody’s Cause stepped up with a 1¾-length victory to justify Romans’ confidence.

Romans is back for this year’s Toyota Blue Grass (G2) with another Albaugh runner, J Boys Echo. His confidence in the Keeneland Sales graduate is sky high.

“I am more confident than I was last year,” Romans said Friday morning after J Boys Echo returned to the stakes barn following a gallop on the main track. Tammy Fox was aboard for the exercise after the renovation break. “He is doing so good right now and peaking at the right time.”

Unlike Brody’s Cause, J Boys Echo comes into the Toyota Blue Grass off a victory, this one coming in the Gotham (G3) in which he was 7 lengths off the pace early on before swooping to the lead at the head of the stretch and drawing off to a 3½-length score.

“There does not appear to be much speed in there, so he may be closer tomorrow,” Romans said.
J Boys Echo arrived at Keeneland Thursday morning from Churchill Downs.

Romans, who saddled Dullahan to win the 2012 Toyota Blue Grass, is one of six trainers to have won the race twice and a victory Saturday would make him one of six to have three victories in the race.
Three Racing Hall of Fame trainers – Ben Jones, LeRoy Jolley and Syl Veitch – have won the race in consecutive years.

Only two owners have won the race in back-to-back years. Calumet Farm won the 1947 and 1948 renewals with Faultless and Coaltown, respectively, and C.V. Whitney won the 1950 race with Mr. Trouble and the first division in 1951 with Mameluke.

Robby Albarado, who is seeking his first Toyota Blue Grass victory, has the mount Saturday on
J Boys Echo, who is 4-1 on the morning line.

On Friday, the Toyota Blue Grass 7-5 morning-line favorite, Whitham Thoroughbreds’ undefeated McCraken, galloped 1½ miles under Yoni Orantes before the renovation break for trainer Ian Wilkes.

Wilkes has saddled two previous Toyota Blue Grass starters, but had a role with two other runners that went on to win the Kentucky Derby.

He was the exercise rider for Unbridled, who finished third in the 1990 race, and was an assistant to Carl Nafzger with Street Sense, who finished second in the 2007 race.

“The purpose then was to get better for the next race, and we are in the same boat,” Wilkes said, referring to the Kentucky Derby. “I’d like to see him have a good race. He is a unique horse and he keeps amazing me.”

Klaravich Stables and William H. Lawrence’s Practical Joke galloped about 1 3/8 miles under Fernando Rivera soon after the renovation break. Trainer Chad Brown said he is confident in the colt, a two-time Grade 1 winner last year who was second to Gunnevera in the Xpressbet Fountain of Youth (G2) on March 4.

“It’s a tough race,” Brown said. “He’s going to have to be at his very best, but I’m happy with the way he’s training. I’m looking for the horse to win. He needs to prove himself at this distance. What I’m hoping for is a really clean trip to give the horse a chance. If he can do it, he can do it.”
Practical Joke was scheduled to school in the Paddock Friday afternoon.

Bridlewood Farm, Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners and Robert LaPenta’s Tapwrit galloped 1 3/8 miles under Romain Techer for trainer Todd Pletcher, who is one of the five trainers with three Toyota Blue Grass victories.
Ginny DePasquale, who is overseeing the Pletcher string here, said the trainer would be here Saturday afternoon to saddle Tapwrit.

DePasquale was asked what she would like to see from Tapwrit on Saturday.

“Besides a win?” she said with a laugh. “I hope he gets a good pace to run into and not have to be used up in a prep (for the Kentucky Derby) and have some left over.”

Calumet Farm’s Wild Shot was one of the first horses on the main track, galloping a mile and a half under Jozefat Calvo shortly after the track opened at 5:30 a.m. Wild Shot was scheduled for a noon schooling session in the Paddock.
Third behind Tapwrit in his most recent start in the Tampa Bay Derby, Wild Shot has compiled a record of 6-1-2-2.

“I’d just like to see him run his race and make up the ground he’s been losing by (to Tapwrit and McCraken),” trainer Rusty Arnold said. “He’s never run a bad race”.

Reddam Racing’s Irap galloped on the training track under exercise rider Antonio Romero.
Trained by Doug O’Neill, Irap will attempt to become the first maiden to win the Toyota Blue Grass, which will have its 93rd running Saturday.

“I’d just like to see him finish strong like he has been doing in the mornings there,” O’Neill said via text.

Julien Leparoux will be aboard Irap, who comes into Saturday’s race off a fourth-place finish in the Sunland Derby (G3) on March 26.

Shortly after 9 a.m., Harold Lerner, AWC Stables, Nehoc Stables and Magdalena Racing’s It’s Your Nickel galloped about 1¼ miles with Pablo Portes aboard for trainer Kenny McPeek, who won the race in 2002 with Harlan’s Holiday and 2013 with Java’s War. He has run six horses in the race.

“The first time I ran in it was with Tejano Run (in 1995), and he was (the second choice behind eventual Kentucky Derby-G1 winner Thunder Gulch). It was a short field, kinda like this one, and it was a paceless race. They crawled on the front end, and Wild Syn won it at (30)-1.
“You just never know (how the race will unfold). All you can do is have your team get the horse ready, lead him up there and try.”

It’s Your Nickel was scheduled to school in the Paddock Friday afternoon.

McPeek is one of six trainers who have won the Toyota Blue Grass and Central Bank Ashland (G1) in the same year. In a little more than a half-hour on Saturday, he could become the first trainer to repeat the feat if Daddys Lil Darling wins the $500,000 Central Bank Ashland and It’s Your Nickel takes the Toyota Blue Grass.

“I’d like to do that again,” he said.

McPeek was joined this morning by co-owner Wayne Cutler of AWC Stables. Wayne is the “W” in AWC; the “A” is his wife, Adriana. The couple arrived last night from New York on a flight that included jockeys Javier Castellano and Jose Ortiz, he said.

Tomorrow is a big day for the Cutlers, who are part of Team D, co-owner of Wood Memorial (G1) starter Mo Town. Their children will be at Aqueduct for the Wood Memorial, which has a 5:52 p.m. post time, while they are at Keeneland for the Toyota Blue Grass, set to go off at 6:17 p.m.
“This will be the most exciting 30 minutes of my life,” Cutler said, adding with a laugh, “but don’t tell my wife that.”

PROBABLE STARTERS FOR UPCOMING STAKES

$125,000 APPALACHIAN (G3) PRESENTED BY JAPAN RACING ASSOCIATION (Entries taken Sunday, April 9; race Thursday, April 13) – Coasted (trainer Leah Gyarmati), Dream Dancing (Mark Casse), Journey Home (Graham Motion), Lull (Christophe Clement), Morticia (Rusty Arnold), New Money Honey (Chad Brown), Proctor’s Ledge (Brendan Walsh), Purely a Dream (Kenny McPeek), Viva Vegas (Derek Ryan).
$300,000 MAKER’S 46 MILE (G1) (Entries taken Tuesday, April 11; race Friday April 14) – American Patriot (Todd Pletcher), Bal a Bali (BRZ) (Richard Mandella), Blacktype (FR) (Christophe Clement), Bondurant (Ian Wilkes), Heart to Heart (Brian Lynch), Inspector Lynley (Shug McGaughey), What a View (Kenny Black). Possible: Bolo (Carla Gaines).
$350,000 COOLMORE JENNY WILEY (G1) (Entries taken Wednesday, April 12; race Saturday, April 15) – Catch a Glimpse (Mark Casse), Dickinson (Kiaran McLaughlin), Goodyearforroses (IRE) (Richard Baltas), Illuminant (Michael McCarthy), Kitten’s Roar (Mike Maker), Lady Eli (Chad Brown), Quidura (GB) (Graham Motion), Time and Motion (James Toner).
$200,000 STONESTREET LEXINGTON (G3) (Entries taken Wednesday, April 12; race Saturday, April 15) – Convict Pike (Rusty Arnold), Resiliency (Steve Asmussen), Time to Travel (Michael Matz). Possible: No Dozing (Arnaud Delacour).
$200,000 BEN ALI (G3) (Entries taken Wednesday, April 12; race Saturday, April 15) – Bird Song (Ian Wilkes), Scuba (Brendan Walsh), Watershed (Kiaran McLaughlin). Possible: Matt King Coal (Linda Rice).
$100,000 GIANT’S CAUSEWAY (Entries taken Wednesday, April 12, race Saturday, April 15) – Bibby (Vicky Oliver), Exaggerated (Arnold Delacour), Her Love for Pappy (John Ortiz), Lady Aurelia (Wesley Ward), Lajatico (GB) (Doug O’Neill), Miss Katie Mae (IRE) (Graham Motion), Nobody’s Fault (Neil Pessin), Pretty Perfection (Kelly Breen).

2017 SPRING MEET SPECIAL EVENTS

Through December
Keeneland Library exhibit“Man o’ War: Images from the Keeneland Library Collections.” Exhibit features 16 shots of Man o’ War during his racing career and years at stud by Charles Christian Cook, Joseph Alvie Estes, Robert Lee McClure and Bert Clark Thayer. The Library is open to the public Mondays through Fridays from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. ET. During the 2017 Spring Meet, it also is open on Saturdays from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
The Library’s online exhibit “Man o’ War: In Others’ Words” tells the story of Man o’ War’s life, accomplishments and influence through images from its collection that are accompanied by quotations from the horse’s connections, including owner Samuel D. Riddle and trainer Louis Feustel, along with contemporary sports writers and modern biographers.
Friday, April 7 – Opening Day
The Keeneland Shop’s Milliners Corner presents Christine A. Moore Millinery and Forme Millinery adjacent to the Walking Ring from 9 a.m. to the last race.
College Scholarship Day. Thousands of students from colleges and universities in Kentucky and beyond will be at the track for this popular event. Admission is free with a college ID. Full-time students can register in the North Terrace to win one of ten $1,000 scholarships awarded after each race and prizes from local vendors. The first 2,000 students to register will receive a Keeneland College Scholarship Day T-shirt courtesy of Coca-Cola or a Southern Proper hat. The $10,000 Runhappy Scholarship will be awarded via random drawing to one lucky full-time student after the eighth race post parade.
Tailgating on The Hill. Keeneland’s popular tailgate lot, located adjacent to the Keene Barn & Entertainment Center, features local food trucks, a jumbo television screen, wireless wagering and wagering terminals, race-day programs, The Keeneland Shop kiosk and free shuttles to the track. BETologists will be available to answer fans’ questions.
Friday Pick 4 Presented by TVG. A $200,000-guaranteed pool will be offered on the final four races of the day.
Saturday, April 8
Sunrise Trackside Keeneland shares a special side of Thoroughbred racing that is worth getting up early to enjoy. Sponsored by LEX18, Sunrise Trackside is a free, family-friendly event with activities for all ages: Breakfast With the Works features breakfast ($8) and trackside commentary (7-8:30 a.m.) while Thoroughbreds train on the main track; children’s activities in the Kids Club Corner (7-9 a.m.); Keeneland tours (7:30-10 a.m.); Paddock demonstration with Central Kentucky Riding for Hope (9 a.m.); trackside handicapping seminar with Paddock Host Katie Gensler and racing analyst Tom Leach (11 a.m.); and Q&A session with jockey Brian Hernandez Jr. in the Paddock (12:05 p.m.). Hernandez is riding McCraken in the $1 million Toyota Blue Grass (G2) that afternoon.

The Keeneland Shop’s Milliners Corner presents Christine A. Moore Millinery and Forme Millinery adjacent to the Walking Ring from 9 a.m. to the last race.

Tailgating on The Hill. Keeneland’s popular tailgate lot, located adjacent to the Keene Barn & Entertainment Center, features local food trucks, a jumbo television screen, wireless wagering and wagering terminals, race-day programs, The Keeneland Shop kiosk and free shuttles to the track. One of Central Kentucky’s favorite bluegrass bands will perform from 12-4 p.m. BETologists will be available to answer fans’ questions.
$400,000 All-Stakes Pick 4 Presented by TVG. Features races 7-10: Shakertown (G2), Madison (G1), Central Bank Ashland (G1) and Toyota Blue Grass (G2).
$300,000 All-Stakes Pick 5 Presented by TVG. Features races 6-10: Commonwealth (G3), Shakertown, Madison, Central Bank Ashland and Toyota Blue Grass.
Sunday, April 9
Kids Club Family Day. The Keeneland Kids Club is the Official Kids Club for Keeneland fans 12 and younger. Members and their families are invited to enjoy a special day at the races by receiving free general admission and access to reserved Grandstand seating. Children’s activities will take place in the North Terrace from noon to 3 p.m.