KEENELAND BARN NOTES TUESDAY, APRIL 11

Posted On 12 Apr 2017

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.

• TOM LEACH INTERVIEWS TRAINERS OF HORSES IN UPCOMING STAKES
• HEART TO HEART WILL ENHANCE RESUME WITH MAKER’S 46 MILE WIN
• COASTED TO GIVE LEAH GYARMATI FIRST KEENELAND STARTER
• HORACIO DEPAZ SAVORS FIRST KEENELAND TRAINING WIN
• GALLOPING OUT
• PROBABLE STARTERS FOR SATURDAY STAKES
• SPRING MEET SPECIAL EVENTS
• SPRING MEET LEADERS

TOM LEACH INTERVIEWS TRAINERS OF HORSES IN UPCOMING STAKES

Keeneland Racing Analyst Tom Leach, the “Voice of the Wildcats” for University of Kentucky football and men’s basketball, interviews these trainers about their horses in upcoming Keeneland stakes:

Norman Casse, assistant to his father, Mark, on Dream Dancing in Thursday’s Appalachian (G3) Presented by Japan Racing Association and Catch a Glimpse in Saturday’s Coolmore Jenny Wiley (G1).

Shug McGaughey on Inspector Lynley in Friday’s Maker’s 46 Mile (G1).

HEART TO HEART WILL ENHANCE RESUME WITH MAKER’S 46 MILE WIN

He is a millionaire and an eight-time graded stakes winner, but there is one glaring omission from the resume of Heart to Heart, the 6-year-old horse owned by Terry Hamilton.

Among his 12 victories are seven Grade 3 victories and a Grade 2 score but no Grade 1 triumph.
He will try again Friday when he goes postward in the 29th running of the $300,000 Maker’s 46 Mile (G1).

“He had a big chance last year,” trainer Brian Lynch said of Heart to Heart, who finished second to Miss Temple City. “There was a (pacesetter) in there and (Miss Temple City) ran a big race.”

Heart to Heart likely will have to contend with pace pressure again this year as Grade 1 What a View is coming from California.

“What a View and Heart to Heart have the same running style, and in a perfect world we draw outside of him and let him set the pace,” Lynch said. “Heart to Heart won the Canadian Turf (G3) in his last start for the second year in a row, and we are coming in with the same spacing between races. He runs well fresh and this is a good time to take them on.”

Friday’s race will mark Heart to Heart’s fourth try in a Grade 1 race.

“I’d like to knock out a Grade 1 with him, especially a race as prestigious as the Maker’s,” Lynch said. “That would guarantee him a good life (as a stallion).”

But Lynch is far from ready to have Heart to Heart head for a life of leisure.

“We are in no hurry to retire him; he could be around for a couple more years,” Lynch said. “He’s a sound horse and likes his job.

“I’m tempted to run him in the ($500,000) Woodford Reserve (Turf Classic, G1 on May 6). He never has lost at a mile and an eighth and he’s never lost at Churchill Downs.”

COASTED TO GIVE LEAH GYARMATI FIRST KEENELAND STARTER

Leah Gyarmati has primarily divided her time between New York and Florida since she started training in 1999 and never has started a horse at Keeneland.

That will change Thursday when she sends the Treadway Racing Stable’s Coasted postward in the 29th running of the $125,000 Appalachian (G3) Presented by Japan Racing Association for 3-year-old fillies going a mile on the turf.

“I have been here for the sales,” Gyarmati said. “This is the first time on my own starting one, but I was here for Allen Jerkens with Silent Account when she won the Alcibiades (in 1985). I galloped her and Jimmy (Jerkens’ son) came to saddle her.”

A daughter of Tizway, Coasted has posted a 5-2-2-1 record on turf and finished second in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (G1) last November at Santa Anita.

“She has shown she can compete at this level,” Gyarmati said. “She ran well at Gulfstream (where she was second in the Grade 3 Herecomesthebride on March 4) and the timing was right for this race.”
Coasted worked an easy half-mile in :52.20 Sunday morning over the Keeneland turf.

“That was intentional,” Gyarmati said of the time of the work. “I wanted her to two-minute lick around there and then roll through the lane. She had a good work before that at Gulfstream (:59.63 for 5 furlongs on the dirt), but that was the day after the Florida Derby (G1) and the track was (still extremely fast).”

Coasted won the P.G. Johnson at Saratoga last September and then finished third behind Appalachian rival New Money Honey in the Miss Grillo (G3) over a yielding course.

“She’s never really run a clunker, but that day at Belmont it had rained, the course was soft and her race was not as impressive as her others,” Gyarmati said. “The course yesterday was a little soft. I hope we don’t get a lot of rain (which is forecast for Tuesday), but that is something you can’t control.”

HORACIO DEPAZ SAVORS FIRST KEENELAND TRAINING WIN

Horacio DePaz is no stranger to the winner’s circle, but his entrance to Keeneland’s hallowed enclosure with Sagamore Farm’s Chubby Star was extra special on April 7, opening day of the 2017 Spring Meet. The triumph in the allowance race was DePaz’s first at the track with his name on the program as trainer.

“It was really nice to win at Keeneland, especially with a homebred,” he said. “Knowing her family and everything about her made the win even more meaningful.”

DePaz gave Chubby Star her initial training under saddle at Kevin Plank’s Sagamore in Glyndon, Maryland, where she was born and raised. The nearly century-old farm came to prominence as a Thoroughbred breeding and training facility under Alfred G. Vanderbilt. Plank, founder of Under Armour sports apparel, restored the farm after purchasing it in 2007.

DePaz was intrigued by Plank’s strategy of blending first-class racing with farm training. He was an assistant to former Sagamore trainer Ignacio Correas IV and was promoted in 2015 when Correas left to train for multiple clients at his year-round Keeneland base.

He relishes the close-knit Sagamore atmosphere.

“When the foals are born, we all go to the barn to see them,” he said. “We watch them grow up. Then they come over to the training barn to be broken. We even get to see their mothers when they are pregnant because they are all on the farm.”

DePaz gained experience riding American Quarter Horses in match races in his native Texas before switching to exercising Thoroughbreds at Louisiana Downs. He spent 4½ years traveling to various race tracks during his tenure as an exercise rider for Todd Pletcher and rode eventual champion Uncle Mo at Churchill Downs in the two weeks leading up to the colt’s Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (G1) victory.

Although he accompanied many Pletcher horses to Keeneland when they were stabled at Churchill, DePaz had never galloped or been stabled here until this spring. He has three stalls at Keeneland. His 40-horse Sagamore string is divided equally between the farm and Laurel Park.

“I liked working at the track because it is a world of its own, but I really like how horses do at the farm,” DePaz said. “There are more options: We can ride them in the fields or on our track, which is better than just going in circles all the time.”

GALLOPING OUT

Horse Country Tours, which offers tours of Central Kentucky Thoroughbred farms, veterinary clinics and related businesses, on Thursday is offering a behind-the-scenes tour of Keeneland that includes a visit with Racing Hall of Fame trainer Nick Zito at his barn. Click here for more information.

PROBABLE STARTERS FOR SATURDAY STAKES

Entries for these Keeneland stakes on Saturday will be taken tomorrow:
$350,000 COOLMORE JENNY WILEY (G1) – 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) – Capt. Grider (Dante Zanelli), Convict Pike (Rusty Arnold), No Dozing (Arnaud Delacour), Resiliency (Steve Asmussen), Souper Tapit (Mark Casse), Tiz a Slam (Roger Attfield), West Coast (Bob Baffert). Possible: Time to Travel (Michael Matz).
$200,000 BEN ALI (G3) – Bird Song (Ian Wilkes), Scuba (Brendan Walsh), Watershed (Kiaran McLaughlin). Possibles: Conquest Enforcer (Jeff Radosevich), Matt King Coal (Linda Rice).
$100,000 GIANT’S CAUSEWAY – Bibby (Vicky Oliver), Exaggerated (Arnold Delacour), Her Love for Pappy (John Ortiz), Lady Aurelia (Wesley Ward), Lajatico (GB) (Doug O’Neill), Lots o’ Lex (Gerald Aschinger), Marquee Cal Gal (Phil Sims), Miss Katie Mae (IRE) (Graham Motion), Nobody’s Fault (Neil Pessin), Pretty Perfection (Kelly Breen), Rapid Rhythm (Mike Stidham).

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, contemporary sports writers and modern biographers.

Wednesday, April 12
Backstretch Tour and Day at the Races. Join us for an all-day experience of Thoroughbred racing at its finest. Begin your day with a walk in the barn area to see race-day preparations. Other stops include a trackside view of morning workouts, Racing Office and the restricted Jockeys Quarters. Following the tour, guests will meet a Keeneland BETologist to learn more about reading the race-day program and placing a bet. Then enjoy the thrill of live Thoroughbred racing from the comfort of the Keeneland Grandstand. $50 person. Click here for more information.

Horses and Hope Pink Day. Keeneland hosts Pink Day in conjunction with Jane Beshear’s Horses and Hope program. Wear pink and help us promote breast cancer awareness while we raise money for this worthy cause. Prior to the races, Mrs. Beshear and the Kentucky Cancer Program will host a survivor’s lunch in Keeneland’s Entertainment Center and Keene Barn. Survivors and guests will enjoy a delicious meal and fashion show sponsored by Miss Priss Prom and Pageant Store, Two Chicks and Company and The Spa at Griffin Gate. Deputy Commissioner Heather French Henry will recognize veterans, and Miss Kentucky will present a medical tribute to survivors. After the program, guests will take a shuttle to reserved seating in Keeneland’s Grandstand. The afternoon also features a Horses and Hope race honoring breast cancer survivors and a commemorative photo.

WINS-DAY Challenge. Place a mythical $2 win and place wager on Keeneland Races 3-8. Entry fee is $10 with a guaranteed $2,500 pool. Limit three entries per person. The first 200 participants receive a free Daily Racing Form and an appetizer card from Malone’s. Visit Wagering Central to sign up.

Thursday, April 13

Official Keeneland Tour. Available Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays in April at 8:30 a.m. ET. Click here for more information and to purchase tickets ($8 per person; 12 and younger free).
Budweiser Clydesdales. The famous Budweiser Clydesdales return to Keeneland. Fans can have their photos taken with a Budweiser Clydesdale on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday at the East Gate between noon and 1 p.m. On Saturday, the Budweiser Clydesdales hitch will make an on-track appearance between races.

Friday, April 14

Maker’s Mark Commemorative Bottle Signing takes place in the Keene Barn & Entertainment Center and begins at 7:30 a.m. ET. Sales of the bottle began April 8 at retail locations across Kentucky and benefit the University of Kentucky Athletics Association’s Center for Academic and Tutorial Services (CATS). More information on the bottle signing can be found at keeneland.com/calendar/makers-mark-bottle-signing.

Official Keeneland Tour.
Behind-the-Scenes Racing Tour. For an insider’s view of Keeneland, Tour Guides will lead guests to the track’s behind-the-scenes areas such as the Jockeys Quarters, where some of the world’s leading riders prepare for their race day; to the barns, where the race day begins, to the track to see morning workouts and through the picturesque Keeneland Paddock. A limited number of dates and tickets ($25 per person) are available for this exclusive experience. The two-hour tour begins at 9 a.m. and is limited to 10 people. Click here for more information

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

Budweiser Clydesdales. The famous Budweiser Clydesdales return to Keeneland. Fans can have their photos taken with a Budweiser Clydesdale on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday at the East Gate between noon and 1 p.m. On Saturday, the Budweiser Clydesdales hitch will make an on-track appearance between races.
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, a 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 15

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 while Thoroughbreds train on the main track (7-8:30 a.m.); children’s activities in the Kids Club Corner (7-9 a.m.); Keeneland tours (7:30-10 a.m.); Paddock demonstration with Asbury University Service Mounts (9 a.m.); trackside handicapping seminar (11:30 a.m.); and Q&A session with a Keeneland jockey in the Paddock (12:05 p.m.).

Budweiser Clydesdales. The famous Budweiser Clydesdales will perform on the main track between races.

Keeneland Shop’s Milliners Corner presents Christine A. Moore Millinery and Polly Singer Designs 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, a 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.

Sunday, April 16 – Easter – Keeneland is closed.

SPRING MEET LEADERS
Through April 9 (three days of racing)
Jockey Starts Wins 2nd 3rd Purses

Javier Castellano 8 5 0 1 $290,420
Julien Leparoux 20 4 3 3 $804,189
Jose Ortiz 23 4 3 2 $393,885
Joel Rosario 14 4 3 2 $629,900
Corey Lanerie 19 3 3 2 $453,610

Trainer Starts Wins 2nd 3rd Purses

Wesley Ward 10 3 2 1 $117,146
Eddie Kenneally 9 3 0 2 $382,283
Mark Casse 10 3 0 0 $339,079

Owner Wins

Juddmonte Farms (Khalid Abdullah) 2
Live Oak Plantation (Charlotte C. Weber) 2