KEENELAND BARN NOTES WEDNESDAY, APRIL 12

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.

• WEST COAST INVADES FROM WEST COAST FOR STONESTREET LEXINGTON
• DEFENDING CHAMPION EAGLE FACES SEVEN RIVALS IN BEN ALI
• CHAMPION LADY AURELIA TAKES ON ELDERS IN GIANT’S CAUSEWAY
• BREEDERS’ CUP WINNER NEW MONEY HONEY MAKES 2017 DEBUT IN APPALACHIAN PRESENTED BY JAPAN RACING ASSOCIATION
• BLACK HOPES FOR BETTER LUCK WITH WHAT A VIEW IN MAKER’S 46 MILE
• LAEL STABLES TRIES TO MATCH LIVE OAK PLANTATION DOUBLE
• KEENELAND’S FIRST LADY BECOMES TRACK’S NINTH BREEDERS’ CUP CHALLENGE RACE; FOUR FALL MEET STAKES TO AIR LIVE ON NBC SPORTS
• SATURDAY BUSY DAY FOR BEST TURNED OUT AWARDS
• GALLOPING OUT
• SPRING MEET SPECIAL EVENTS
• SPRING MEET LEADERS

WEST COAST INVADES FROM WEST COAST
FOR SATURDAY’S STONESTREET LEXINGTON

Gary and Mary West’s West Coast, a recent maiden winner at Santa Anita, will try to give trainer Bob Baffert back-to-back triumphs in the $200,000 Stonestreet Lexington (G3) when he faces nine rivals in the 1 1/16-mile race for 3-year-olds on the main track.

The Stonestreet Lexington will go as the ninth race on Saturday’s 11-race program with a 5:34 p.m. ET post time.

West Coast was second in his debut Feb. 18 before breaking his maiden by 3¼ lengths three weeks later at 1 1/16 miles.

Baffert won the race last year with Collected.

Flavien Prat has the mount on West Coast and will break from post position 10.

Favoritism in the race, however, might go to Lael Stables’ No Dozing.

Trained by Arnaud Delacour, No Dozing comes into the Stonestreet Lexington off a fourth-place finish in the Tampa Bay Derby (G2). No Dozing was fourth to champion Classic Empire in last fall’s Claiborne Breeders’ Futurity (G1) here and closed 2016 with a runner-up finish in the Remsen (G2).

Lael Stables has won this race twice, most recently in 2015 with Delacour trainee Divining Rod. Lael also won the 2006 race with Showing Up.

Joel Rosario has the mount on No Dozing and will break from post position four.

The field for the Stonestreet Lexington, from the rail out, is: Resiliency (Florent Geroux, 118 pounds), Souper Tapit (Robby Albarado, 118), Senior Investment (Channing Hill, 118), No Dozing (Rosario, 118), Time to Travel (Edgar Prado, 118), Convict Pike (Angel Cruz, 118), Capt. Grider (Jesus Castanon, 118), He’s Munnie (Miguel Mena, 118), Lookin At Blessing (Nik Juarez, 118) and West Coast (Prat, 118).

DEFENDING CHAMPION EAGLE FACES SEVEN RIVALS IN BEN ALI

W.S. Farish’s Eagle will face seven rivals Saturday as he attempts to become the fourth back-to-back winner of the $200,000 Ben Ali (G3).

The 87th Ben Ali, run at 1 1/8 miles on the main track, will go as the seventh races on Saturday’s
11-race program with a 4:24 p.m. ET post time. First post time Saturday is 1:05 p.m.

Trained by Neil Howard, Eagle enters Saturday’s Ben Ali off a fourth-place finish two weeks ago in the New Orleans Handicap (G2) at Fair Grounds. Robby Albarado has the mount and will break from post position two.

Howard has won the Ben Ali five times and Albarado four, with the two of them teaming up for victories in 2003 with Horse of the Year Mineshaft, 2004 with Midway Road and 2005 with Alumni Hall.

The most recent horse to repeat in the Ben Ali was Aspro in 1983-1984.

Another Ben Ali entrant, Scuba, brings a three-race win streak into the Ben Ali with all victories coming by open lengths. The 6-year-old Tapit gelding, trained by Brendan Walsh, won the 1½-mile Greenwood Cup (G3) at Parx by five lengths, the 1 5/8-mile Temperence Hill at Belmont Park by three lengths and then the 1¾-mile Marathon by 4¼ lengths.

Kendrick Carmouche, who has been aboard for all three of those victories, has the call Saturday and will break from post position four.

The field for the Ben Ali, from the rail out, is: Blofeld (Florent Geroux, 118 pounds), Eagle (Albarado, 118), Watershed (Paco Lopez, 118), Scuba (Carmouche, 120), Taketothestreets (Channing Hill, 118), Bird Song (Brian Hernandez Jr., 118), Conquest Enforcer (Joel Rosario, 118) and Frammento (Nik Juarez, 118).

CHAMPION LADY AURELIA TAKES ON ELDERS IN GIANT’S CAUSEWAY

Stonestreet Stables, George Bolton and Peter Leidel’s European champion Lady Aurelia, a Group 1 and 2 winner last year in Europe, will make her 2017 debut Saturday against older fillies and mares in the 21st running of the $100,000 Giant’s Causeway.

The Giant’s Causeway, run at 5½ furlongs on the turf, will go as the eighth race on Saturday’s
11-race program with a 4:57 p.m. ET post time.

Trained by Wesley Ward, Lady Aurelia debuted at Keeneland April 21 with a 7½-length romp. Two months later she moved to the grass and won the Queen Mary (G2) at Royal Ascot in England and two months after that won the Group 1 Darley Prix Morny at Deauville in France.

Lady Aurelia closed 2016 with a third-place finish in the Cheveley Park Stakes (G1) at Newmarket in England.

The only 3-year-old in the Giant’s Causeway, Lady Aurelia will be ridden by Julio Garcia and break from post position seven.

Also making her 2017 debut is defending champion Exaggerated.

Owned by Lael Stables, Exaggerated will try to become the first repeat winner of the Giant’s Causeway.
Trained by Arnaud Delacour, Exaggerated will be ridden by Flavien Prat and break from post position four.

The field for the Giant’s Causeway, from the rail out, is: Ruby Notion (Joel Rosario, 120 pounds), Triple Chelsea (Wilmer Garcia, 120), Nobody’s Fault (Jose Valdivia Jr., 120), Exaggerated (Prat, 120), Rapid Rhythm (James Graham, 120), Come to Mischief (Perry Ouzts, 120), Lady Aurelia (Garcia, 117), Lots o’ Lex (Jesus Castanon, 120), Bibby (Jose Lezcano, 120), Pretty Perfection (Paco Lopez, 125), Lajatico (GB) (Florent Geroux, 120) and Miss Katie Mae (IRE) (Jose Ortiz, 120). Also-eligible: Marquee Cal Gal (Jack Gilligan, 120) and Super Saks (Declan Cannon, 120).

BREEDERS’ CUP WINNER NEW MONEY HONEY MAKES 2017 DEBUT IN THURSDAY’S APPALACHIAN PRESENTED BY JAPAN RACING ASSOCIATION

Thursday’s Appalachian (G3) Presented by Japan Racing Association marks the 2017 debut of
e Five Racing Thoroughbreds’ New Money Honey, a daughter of Medaglia d’Oro who won the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (G1) in November.

“I’ve had a lot of luck (in the Appalachian),” trainer Chad Brown said. “I think it’s a good race to get her started.”

Brown has two wins in the Appalachian with Dayatthespa in 2012 and Lady Eli in 2015. In 2012, Dayatthespa returned to Keeneland’s Fall Meet and won the Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup (G1). In consecutive races in 2014, she captured the First Lady (G1) at Keeneland and the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Turf (G1) at Santa Anita, and received the Eclipse Award as the year’s champion female turf runner.

Lady Eli, who won the 2014 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf at Santa Anita, made her 3-year-old debut in the Appalachian. On Saturday, Lady Eli will make her first start of 2017 in Keeneland’s Jenny Wiley (G1).

Before shipping to Keeneland, New Money Honey was at Palm Meadows in South Florida, where on April 1 she turned in her final serious work for the Appalachian: five furlongs on firm turf in 1:00.50. On Saturday at Keeneland, she worked four furlongs in :50.20 on a fast dirt track for what Brown called “a little maintenance breeze.”

In the Appalachian, New Money Honey’s rivals include three fillies who ran behind her in the Breeders’ Cup: runner-up Coasted, fourth-place finisher Lull and sixth-place finisher La Coronel. The field of 12 includes four fillies exiting stakes wins: Herecomesthebride (G3) winner Dream Dancing, Ginger Brew winner Bellavais, Melody of Colors winner Morticia and Bourbonette Oaks (G3) winner Purely a Dream.
‘She’s coming into the race terrific,” trainer Chad Brown said about New Money Honey, a graduate of Keeneland’s 2015 September Yearling Sale. “We’re excited to get the year started. (The Appalachian has a) tough field. She’s going to have to come with a good race right off the layoff, but she’s training real well.”

Javier Castellano, who has ridden New Money Honey in all her races, including a win in the Miss Grillo (G3) at Belmont Park, will be aboard in the Appalachian and will break from post four. She is the 7-2 co-favorite in the morning line with La Coronel, who defeated her in her career debut in September.

BLACK HOPES FOR BETTER LUCK WITH WHAT A VIEW IN MAKER’S 46 MILE

When trainer Kenny Black brought the speedy What a View to Keeneland last fall for the Shadwell Turf Mile (G1), he thought the stars were aligned perfectly.

What a View was riding a four-race win streak. He drew what Black thought was a favorable post position (the 11) and figured to be the speed of the race. Instead, he never saw the lead and finished eighth under Kent Desormeaux, who had been aboard for all six of the California-bred gelding’s victories.

“I was not happy with the ride last year,” Black said. “Kent had beaten Tepin two races before (in the First Lady-G1 on Photo Call [IRE]) by opening 10 lengths on the backstretch. My horse has never been beaten from the nine hole out and what happens?

“There was no speed in the race. They go :49 for the half and 1:13 and 2 for the three-quarters and Kent has him fifth and three lengths off the lead. The owners and I were watching it and were just shaking our heads.”

The Shadwell Turf Mile experience aside, Black had no qualms about returning to Keeneland for another Grade 1 try.

“I love it here,” Black said. “I think this is the preeminent meet in the country. (What a View) has run second in his last three starts, beaten a photo in the last two and doing well. I’ve always believed in striking while the iron is hot.”

Tyler Baze has ridden What a View in his past five starts and will be aboard Friday in the $300,000 Maker’s 46 Mile (G1) when What a View breaks from post two as the lone Grade 1 winner in the field of 12.

“It looks like me and Brian (Lynch’s) horse (Heart to Heart) are the only speed in there,” Black said.

LAEL STABLES TRIES TO MATCH LIVE OAK PLANTATION DOUBLE

Last Saturday, the Live Oak Plantation of Mrs. Charlotte Weber scored two stakes victories in a 35-minute span when Awesome Slew won the Commonwealth (G3) and Holding Gold took the Shakertown (G2).
This Saturday, Lael Stables will attempt to match that feat with defending champion Exaggerated in the 21st running of the $100,000 Giant’s Causeway and No Dozing in the 36th running of the $200,000 Stonestreet Lexington (G3).

Exaggerated will be making her first start in 10 months as she tries to become first repeat winner of the Giant’s Causeway.

“She needed a break last year and I didn’t feel the Florida program was right for her and I gave her an extended break,” trainer Arnaud Delacour said. “It is a tough race, but you have to start somewhere to get ready for a summer campaign. She is doing very well.”

Delacour also won the 2014 Giant’s Causeway with Ageless in 2014 for Lael.

“She almost got the repeat the next year, but she ran second,” Delacour said.

No Dozing will be making his first start since a fourth-place finish in the Tampa Bay Derby (G2) on March 11.

“He got here yesterday from Tampa,” said Delacour, who saddled Divining Rod to a victory in the 2015 Lexington for Lael.

“They are different horses. No Dozing is more experienced at this time. He ran four times last year including going two turns. He ran well here last fall in the (Claiborne) Breeders’ Futurity (G1) and that is one positive and I don’t think he liked the track at Tampa.”

Divining Rod used his victory in the Lexington to move on to a start in the Preakness (G1) in which he finished third behind eventual Triple Crown winner American Pharoah.

“We will wait and see what kind of performance he has,” Delacour said about possibly following a similar route with No Dozing.

KEENELAND’S FIRST LADY BECOMES TRACK’S NINTH BREEDERS’ CUP CHALLENGE RACE; FOUR FALL MEET STAKES TO AIR LIVE ON NBC SPORTS

Keeneland’s $400,000 First Lady (G1), a 1-mile turf race to be run Oct. 7 during opening Fall Stars weekend of Keeneland’s Fall Meet, has been added to the slate of 2017 Breeders’ Cup Challenge races, 81 stakes that reward the winner with an automatic berth into corresponding races of the Breeders’ Cup World Championships to be held Nov. 3-4 at Del Mar. (Click here for the complete 2017 schedule.)
The First Lady is an automatic qualifier for the $2 million Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Turf (G1).
The First Lady becomes the ninth Breeders’ Cup Challenge race at Keeneland, joining the $400,000 Darley Alcibiades (G1) and $250,000 Stoll Keenon Ogden Phoenix (G2) on Oct. 6; $1 million Shadwell Turf Mile (G1), $500,000 Claiborne Breeders’ Futurity (G1) and $250,000 Thoroughbred Club of America (G2) on Oct. 7; $500,000 Juddmonte Spinster (G1) and $250,000 Dixiana Breeders’ Futurity (G3) on Oct. 8; and $150,000 JPMorgan Chase Jessamine (G3) on Oct. 11.

The Shadwell Turf Mile, Claiborne Breeders’ Futurity, Juddmonte Spinster and Dixiana Bourbon will be broadcast live on NBC or NBC Sports Network as part of the “Breeders’ Cup Challenge Series: Win and You’re In, presented by Lane’s End Farm and America’s Best Racing.” The series features 17 qualifying races and other major stakes on the Road to the Breeders’ Cup.

NBC will broadcast the Shadwell Turf Mile and Claiborne Breeders’ Futurity. NBC Sports Network will air the Juddmonte Spinster and Dixiana Bourbon.

The winner of the Shadwell Turf Mile earns an automatic starting berth in the $2 million Breeders’ Cup Mile (G1). The other Keeneland stakes and their corresponding Breeders’ Cup race: Claiborne Breeders’ Futurity ($2 million Sentient Jet Breeders’ Cup Juvenile-G1), Juddmonte Spinster ($2 million Breeders’ Cup Distaff-G1) and Dixiana Bourbon ($1 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf-G1).

Click here to view the 2017 “Breeders’ Cup Challenge Series: Win and You’re In” schedule on NBC and NBC Sports Network.

SATURDAY BUSY DAY FOR BEST TURNED OUT AWARDS

On Saturday, Coolmore, sponsor of the $350,000 Jenny Wiley (G1), and Stonestreet, the new sponsor of the $200,000 Lexington (G3), will present Best Turned Out Awards for eight of the day’s 11 races. The honor recognizes the grooms of racehorses determined to have the best overall appearance in the Saddling Paddock. Grooms will be recognized in a special ceremony in the Winner’s Circle before each race and receive a $500 prize.

Judges like to see horses with shiny hair, flowing tails and tidy manes and grooms wearing neat clothing.

“The Best Turned Out Awards give Keeneland and our sponsors the opportunity to recognize the efforts of the grooms who work so hard with these horses every day,” Keeneland Sponsorship Director Bonnie Senft said.

Dixiana Farm will present Best Turned Out Awards on April 22, day of the Dixiana Elkhorn (G2).

GALLOPING OUT

Toyota Blue Grass (G2) winner Irap returned to the track Wednesday morning for the first time since winning the $1 million race on Saturday. With exercise rider Antonio Romero aboard, Irap combined jogging and galloping on three laps of the five-eighths mile all-weather training track.
Also returning to the track was Tapwrit, who finished fifth in the Toyota Blue Grass. Tapwrit jogged on the main track and is scheduled to ship to Churchill Downs on Sunday. …
Keeneland Racing Analyst Tom Leach, the “Voice of the Wildcats” for University of Kentucky football and men’s basketball, interviews trainer Brendan Walsh about Proctor’s Ledge in Thursday’s Appalachian (G3) Presented by Japan Racing Association; Scuba in Saturday’s Ben Ali (G3); and Redesdale, fifth in Saturday’s Commonwealth (G3).

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
Budweiser Clydesdales. The famous Budweiser Clydesdales return to Keeneland to perform on the race track. 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.
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 to perform on the race track. 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 to perform on the race track. 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