KEENELAND BARN NOTES THURSDAY, APRIL 13

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
• OXLEY, LIVE OAK PLANTATION, PLETCHER NEAR MILESTONES
• GAINES HOPES BOLO ENDS ROAD WOES IN MAKER’S 46 MILE
• TIME AND MOTION KICKS OFF 2017 IN COOLMORE JENNY WILEY
• SCUBA RESURFACES IN BEN ALI
• GALLOPING OUT
• BEHIND THE SCENES: COUPLE’S LOVE OF RACING INCLUDES WORKING TOGETHER AT KEENELAND
• 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:

Brian Lynch on Heart to Heart in Friday’s Maker’s 46 Mile (G1).

Ian Wilkes on Bondurant in the Maker’s 46 Mile, Bird Song in Saturday’s Ben Ali (G3) and Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (G1) hopeful McCraken, who is training at Churchill Downs.

OXLEY, LIVE OAK PLANTATION, PLETCHER NEAR MILESTONES

Keeneland has its eye on owners John C. Oxley and Charlotte Weber’s Live Oak Plantation and trainer Todd Pletcher because all of them are on the verge of milestones at the track.

A win by Dream Dancing or La Coronel in today’s eighth race, the $125,000 Appalachian (G3) Presented by Japan Racing Association, will be Oxley’s eighth graded stakes win, earning for him the Keeneland Tray.

The Keeneland Tray is part of Keeneland’s signature Milestone Trophy Program, which recognizes owners for their stakes success here. Only 19 other owners in Keeneland history have achieved such an accomplishment.

Also bidding for its eighth graded stakes win at Keeneland is Live Oak Plantation, which on Saturday will start Souper Tapit in the day’s ninth race, the $200,000 Stonestreet Lexington (G3). Last Saturday, Live Oak moved into contention for the Keeneland Tray when Holding Gold won the Shakertown (G2) and Awesome Slew took the Commonwealth (G3) in consecutive races.

On Friday, Pletcher will bid for his record 51st stakes victory at Keeneland with WinStar Farm’s American Patriot in the $300,000 Maker’s 46 Mile (G1). He equaled the track record held by his former boss, D. Wayne Lukas, on Sunday when St. Elias Stable’s Sweet Loretta captured the Adena Springs Beaumont (G3).

GAINES HOPES BOLO ENDS ROAD WOES IN MAKER’S 46 MILE

Bolo has been one of the most consistent turf runners the past two years in California, but when he has taken his act on the road the results have been less than favorable. That could change Friday in the $300,000 Maker’s 46 Mile (G1).

“I hope our luck changes here,” trainer Carla Gaines said Thursday morning. “We are going to try one more time. He shipped well and is in good form or he wouldn’t be here.”

Owned by Golden Pegasus Racing and Earle Mack, Bolo was 12th in the 2015 Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (G1), ninth in the 2015 Belmont Derby (G1) and 10th in last spring’s Woodford Reserve Turf Classic (G1) at Churchill Downs in his three trips outside California.

“He has had legitimate reasons for all of those results,” Gaines said. “The Derby was on dirt and American Pharoah beat him. At Belmont (jockey) Rafael (Bejarano) felt he had hurt himself and pulled him up and that horrified me. He was the favorite in that race. Rafael played it safe and that’s what you want to do.

“Last year in the Woodford Reserve he had his hind end taken out at the gate. I think he was starting to have throat issues at the time that we had to do tie-back (throat) surgery on.”

Bolo was off for nearly seven months before returning with a victory in the Arcadia (G2) followed by a close third in the Frank Kilroe Mile (G1). Bolo has had three dirt works at Santa Anita since the March 11 Kilroe.

“He’s in great shape and came off the layoff and won the Grade 2 at Santa Anita nicely,” said Gaines, who will be seeking her initial Keeneland victory.

“My two previous starts here were a (disappointment),” Gaines said. “I saddled Foxysox (GB) for the Queen Elizabeth II (Challenge Cup in 2006) and she finished 10th and then a few years ago I brought a filly in for Spendthrift for the First Lady (G1).”

That filly was Winding Way, who finished seventh over a yielding course that was drenched by more than an inch of rain in a two-hour span.

“They had what they called the rain of the millennium that day,” Gaines recalled with a laugh. “We had to wait 30 minutes in the paddock because of thunder and lightning. I had open-toe shoes on and every time I took a step, water came up to my knees. I looked like I had taken a shower with my clothes on.”

TIME AND MOTION KICKS OFF 2017 IN COOLMORE JENNY WILEY

The last time the Phillips Racing Partnership’s Time and Motion ran at Keeneland, she prevailed in a three-horse photo in the Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup Presented by Lane’s End (G1) last October.
Following the victory, trainer James Toner indicated a Breeders’ Cup run in three weeks would be too quick and that the Jenny Wiley likely would be a good starting point for 2017.

“Usually we give them five months off after the Breeders’ Cup,” Toner said. “They go to Darby Dan (Farm near Keeneland) and then down to Palm Meadows (in Florida). It is good to have a goal, but after you’ve done that, then what?

“She was doing so good (after the Queen Elizabeth) we wanted to try one more.”

And that is the reason Toner made a rare venture west and ran Time and Motion against older horses in the Matriarch (G1) at Del Mar.

“The American Oaks (G1) was at Santa Anita on New Year’s Eve and I didn’t want to wait 2½ months (between races),” Toner said. “The idea was to go out and get a race to set her up. I don’t want to say she didn’t fire … she only got beat three lengths by Miss Temple City … but that was a mile which is a too short for her. We said ‘that’s it’ and brought her home.”

Toner did not think Time and Motion would be ready to start 2017 in the Coolmore Jenny Wiley given the late start to her winter break but changed his mind.

“Her last two breezes at Palm Meadows were really good and I did not want to wait until Belmont next month,” Toner said.

SCUBA RESURFACES IN BEN ALI

DARRS, Inc.’s Scuba, daylight winner of the Marathon (G2) during Breeders’ Cup Weekend last November at Santa Anita, will kick off his 2017 campaign Saturday in the 87th running of the $200,000 Ben Ali (G3) at 1 1/8 miles.

“This is a good place to start,” trainer Brendan Walsh said of Scuba, whose long-range 2017 goal is a repeat victory in the Marathon at Del Mar. “We may have one eye on the Brooklyn (G2 on June 10) because he ran well at Belmont last year, but we’ll follow basically the same schedule the second half of the year”

Scuba gave Walsh his second Marathon victory. The first was Cary Street in 2014.

“Cary Street wanted every yard of a mile and a half to a mile and three-quarters,” Walsh said. “Scuba is very competitive anywhere from a mile and an eighth to a mile and three-quarters.”

Walsh, who went out on his own in 2011, saw his stable’s fortunes begin to rise after Cary Street’s Marathon victory.

“Cary Street did it for us,” said Walsh, whose number of starters doubled in 2015 and whose earnings topped $2 million in 2016. “We got more horses and have done well.”

GALLOPING OUT

Miss Sky Warrior, one of the favorites for the $1 million Kentucky Oaks (G1) at Churchill Downs, jogged a mile on the main track Thursday morning alongside a pony and trainer Kelly Breen.
“She got here Wednesday and today was her first day back on the track after the Gazelle (G2),” Breen said.

Owned by Arlene’s Sun Star Stable, Miss Sky Warrior has won five consecutive races with four of those coming in graded stakes. She won the Gazelle (G2) last Saturday at Aqueduct by 13 lengths.
“We’ll race Saturday here (with Pretty Perfection in the Giant’s Causeway) and then figure out getting to Churchill Downs,” Breen said. …

Apprentice Rayan Gazader scored his first Keeneland victory and earned his fourth win overall when he rode High Multiple to win the third race Wednesday. In partnership with Daniel A. Lynch, trainer Merrill Scherer owns the 3-year-old Scat Daddy gelding, who won the 1 1/16-mile race by a half-length in 1:46.29.

BEHIND THE SCENES: COUPLE’S LOVE OF RACING INCLUDES
WORKING TOGETHER AT KEENELAND

Nearly four decades after meeting on the job at a Lexington Thoroughbred farm, Nick and Julie Tooth are working together again at Keeneland. They stay busy as BETologists on race days, chauffer buyers and sellers via golf carts during sales and spend the rest of the year as on-site tour guides.

“We enjoy sharing our love and knowledge of Thoroughbreds, racing and horses in general with Keeneland patrons,” Julie said. “We meet people from many parts of the U.S. and all over the world. At least for a few hours, we all have a common interest.”

As roaming BETologists, the Tooths assist fans with wagering.

Nick has been an avid handicapper since age 12 when his father took him to the races while growing up in Australia. Julie came late to handicapping, thinking it seemed too much like hard work. However, she was a quick learner thanks to her hands-on experience with Thoroughbreds and understanding of racing and pedigrees.

She was hired as a BETologist for the 2014 Spring Meet after seeing an ad for the position in a trade publication. Nick joined the team the following April after retiring as purchasing manager for Rood & Riddle Equine Hospital.

“We really enjoy recapping our day with each other over dinner,” Julie said. “We talk about the people we have met, questions we have been asked and our thoughts for the following day’s races.”

In between their initial encounter and their current Keeneland roles, the couple raised their 33-year-old son, Laurence, worked on a horse operation in Australia for several years and returned to Lexington for careers in the Thoroughbred industry.

From different directions.

Although drawn to the Thoroughbred world from different backgrounds, both were horse-crazy kids. Julie specialized in showing American Saddlebreds while growing up in suburban Muncie, Indiana. She first visited Keeneland while studying for her biology degree at Transylvania University in Lexington. After graduation, she met Nick when he became her boss at Domino Stud. He began teaching her about Thoroughbreds and she continued to learn with subsequent jobs handling horses at Keeneland sales, caring for mares and foals and managing an equine rehabilitation facility.

Nick was raised on a sheep and cattle property two hours south of Sydney, Australia, where he often attended the races. He later worked at the famous Widden Stud in the Hunter Valley and he competed on some of their horses as an amateur jockey.

“I had many wins and am able to share my insights from actually competing on racehorses and how that all enters into a jockey’s strategy,” he said. “I knew I wanted to make Thoroughbreds my life’s work and came to Kentucky on a horse flight at age 20, hoping to land a job in Lexington.”

His first job was at the aforementioned Domino Stud His resume includes management on area breeding farms, including Mill Ridge, Winter Quarter and Parrish Hill.

When the Spring Meet ends, the Tooths continue to follow racing.

“We have an online wagering account with Keeneland Select and we both enjoy handicapping,” Julie said. “After 36 years of marriage, if conversation is lagging we can always ask, ‘who do you like in this next race?’ It really is a fun hobby for couples.”

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.

Thursday, April 13
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 today and tomorrow 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. 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). Click here for more information on the bottle signing.
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).
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 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 12 (four days of racing)

Jockey Starts Wins 2nd 3rd Purses

Julien Leparoux 25 7 3 4 $881,329
Javier Castellano 10 5 0 1 $290,716
Jose Ortiz 27 4 4 2 $411,754
Joel Rosario 14 4 3 2 $629,900
Corey Lanerie 22 3 3 2 $455,250
Julio Garcia 3 3 0 0 $108,000

Trainer Starts Wins 2nd 3rd Purses

Wesley Ward 11 4 2 1 $153,145
Eddie Kenneally 10 3 0 2 $382,517
Mark Casse 11 3 0 0 $341,239

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