Keeneland April 22 Barn Notes

By Amy Owens —-

SATURDAY, APRIL 22

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.

• LOUISIANA DERBY WINNER GIRVIN TO WORK HERE MONDAY
• UNBRIDLED MO EXITS HILLIARD LYONS DOUBLEDOGDARE VICTORY IN GOOD ORDER
• KENT SWEEZEY LAUNCHES TRAINING CAREER TODAY
• GALLOPING OUT
• SPRING MEET SPECIAL EVENTS
• SPRING MEET LEADERS

LOUISIANA DERBY WINNER GIRVIN TO WORK HERE MONDAY

The weekend forecast of rain prompted trainer Joe Sharp to bring Louisiana Derby (G2) winner Girvin, a candidate for the $2 million Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (G1) on May 6, to Keeneland to use the 5-furlong all-weather training track. He quickly put the plan in action Saturday, sending Girvin to gallop over it shortly after 6 a.m.

Girvin is the leading point earner on the Road to the Kentucky Derby with 150 points. He won the Louisiana Derby and Risen Star (G2) at Fair Grounds.

“I made the right decision coming over here,” Sharp said. “The track is sealed at Trackside (Training Center in Louisville where the colt had been stabled).”

Rain remained in the forecast for Louisville for Saturday and part of Sunday. Sharp said he likely would keep Girvin, owned by Brad Grady, at Keeneland another few days.

“We will probably stay here and work Monday,” Sharp said.

UNBRIDLED MO EXITS HILLIARD LYONS DOUBLEDOGDARE
VICTORY IN GOOD ORDER

Red Oak Stable’s Unbridled Mo exited her three-quarter length victory in Friday’s Hilliard Lyons Doubledogdare (G3) in good order, according to Ginny DePasquale, assistant to trainer Todd Pletcher.
Unbridled Mo gave Pletcher his third stakes victory of the Spring Meet and boosted his overall Keeneland record total to 52. Plans were to be determined for Unbridled Mo, now a three-time Grade 3 winner, but Pletcher indicated via text that the $150,000 Allaire DuPont at 1 1/8 miles at Pimlico on May 19 is on the radar

Runner-up Power of Snunner also exited the race well.

“She tried so hard; I feel bad for her getting that close (without the win),” trainer Joe Sharp said. “I’d like to get a graded stakes win with her. I may take her back to Pennsylvania (where she was foaled) and let her beat up on some Pennsylvania-breds.”

KENT SWEEZEY LAUNCHES TRAINING CAREER TODAY

Kent Sweezy, Lela’s Gift, Brittany Trimble
Entered in today’s 10th race, the 3-year-old First Samurai filly Lela’s Gift will become Kent Sweezey’s first starter as a trainer.

“I woke up at 2:30 (this morning). I couldn’t sleep,” he said. “I thought about how cool it would be to win a race at Keeneland in front of everybody here.”

In many ways, Sweezey, 31, has spent a lifetime preparing for this moment. His family is deeply involved in the Thoroughbred industry. His father, Wayne, and Wayne’s wife, Cathy, own Timber Town Stable, a successful consignor at Keeneland sales that is home to the all-star broodmare band owned by Mandy Pope. Timber Town bred Lela’s Gift and races her with Lela Brown and James A. Brown.

The younger Sweezey, who graduated from Lexington’s Dunbar High School, attended the breeding program offered by the Irish National Stud and spent time in Ireland, New Zealand and Australia. He might have pursued a career in the breeding industry if trainer Christophe Clement had not visited Timber Town about eight years ago and invited him to go to Payson Park training center in Florida for “a little taste of the race track.” Sweezey became hooked by the excitement of racing.

He worked for Clement in Florida and New York for a year then spent three years with Eoin Harty in California. He became interested in working for Jimmy Jerkens in New York after Jerkens ran one-two in the 2014 Travers (G1) with V. E. Day and Wicked Strong.

“I just wanted to work for Jimmy and learn that whole Jerkens program,” he said, adding that spending time with horses such as multiple graded stakes winner Shaman Ghost instilled in him a love of older horses with which Jerkens is so successful.

About a year ago, Sweezey decided to go out on his own.

“I think it was just time,” he said. “I knew my dad has this filly that I’ve always liked. I heard from people that it was time. Some of Jimmy’s clients were the ones that really pushed me into doing it and they all said they would support me. So far they have.”

Sweezey, who is assisted by his girlfriend and exercise rider, Brittany Trimble, has seven horses at Keeneland, including one for Pope, with another two set to arrive Wednesday. When the Spring Meet ends, he will move to Trackside Training Center in Louisville with hopes of acquiring stalls at Churchill Downs after the Kentucky Derby (G1).

He said he still talks to Jerkens quite often.

“He just texted me today and told me good luck with the filly,” he said. “He knows I’m in tough, but he knows the hard work we put into her will pay off.”

Lela’s Gift, who will be making her third start this afternoon, represents another Keeneland connection. Her second dam, Love You by Heart, won the 1988 Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup (G2) here.

GALLOPING OUT

Keeneland Racing Analyst Tom Leach, the “Voice of the Wildcats” for University of Kentucky football and men’s basketball, interviews owner Ken Ramsey about winning his first race of Keeneland’s Spring Meet on Friday and entering Charming Kitten in today’s Dixiana Elkhorn (G2). …

Toyota Blue Grass (G2) winner Irap came out of his 1:44 mile work Friday in good order and is expected to return to the track Sunday, most likely the all-weather training track. Irap is scheduled to work again next Friday and van to Churchill Downs a day or two after the work.

Practical Joke, runner-up in the Toyota Blue Grass, came out of his :49.80 half-mile work Friday in fine fashion, according to trainer Chad Brown.

Brown indicated that the two-time Grade 1 winner would ship on Monday to Churchill, where he will have a 12-horse contingent stabled.

Tampa Bay Derby (G2) winner Tapwrit, who worked 5 furlongs in 1:01.40 Friday, walked the shedrow at trainer Todd Pletcher’s barn.

Tapwrit is scheduled to go to Churchill Downs Monday along with Malagacy. Fifth in last Saturday’s Arkansas Derby (G1), Malagacy has galloped the past three days here since arriving from Arkansas, according to Pletcher assistant Ginny DePasquale. …

Wes Welker and Elizabeth Kumin’s millionaire Group 1 winner Undrafted won Friday’s third race in his 2017 debut. The 7-year-old Purim gelding, based at Keeneland with trainer Wesley Ward, took the 5½-furlong race on the turf by 1½ lengths with Joel Rosario aboard. He was the 2-1 favorite. Undrafted won the 2015 Diamond Jubilee (G1) at England’s Royal Ascot and Keeneland’s 2016 Shakertown (G2) and has three starts in the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint (G1). He has won seven of 29 races and has earned $1,347,013. …

Blissful Song, a winning daughter of Unbridled’s Song sold at Keeneland’s 2009 November Breeding Stock Sale, was named Argentina’s 2016 Broodmare of the Year this week. She is the dam of multiple Group 1 winner Sixties Song, honored as Argentina’s champion stayer. Haras Firmamento, who purchased Blissful Song and bred Sixties Song, was named Argentina’s Breeder of the Year.

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.

Saturday, April 22
Keeneland Shop’s Milliners Corner presents Polly Singer Designs and Dorfman Pacific adjacent to the Walking Ring from 9 a.m. to the last race.

$300,000 Guaranteed Pick Four. Covers races 7-10, including the Dixiana Elkhorn (G2).
Sunday, April 23
Keeneland Shop’s Milliners Corner presents Dorfman Pacific adjacent to the Walking Ring from 9 a.m. to the last race.
Military Day at the Races Presented by Marathon. All active-duty, reserve, veterans and military families receive free general admission with a military I.D., DD214, veteran I.D. or other form of Military I.D. at any pass gate. The Military Family Zone in the North Terrace will offer free food, live music and more from noon to 4 p.m. ET. In honor of Month of the Military Child, Keeneland will have activities for children throughout the day. Following the third race (post time: 2:12 p.m. ET), a 40’ x 60’ American flag will be unfurled on the main track.

SPRING MEET LEADERS
Through April 21 (10 days of racing)
Jockey Starts Wins 2nd 3rd Purses

Joel Rosario 46 11 6 8 $1.032,088
Javier Castellano 33 11 4 2 $744,290
Julien Leparoux 48 9 7 7 $1,094,085
Corey Lanerie 44 7 8 5 $672,545
Robby Albarado 53 5 5 7 $552,853
Paco Lopez 24 5 2 1 $429,494

Trainer Starts Wins 2nd 3rd Purses

Wesley Ward 37 9 4 5 $411,496
Chad Brown 15 6 4 2 $721,377
Kiaran McLaughlin 12 6 2 0 $525,460
Todd Pletcher 10 6 0 0 $484,827
Mark Casse 27 5 3 3 $540,428

###