Keeneland April 24 Barn Notes

By Amy Owens —-

Keeneland begins the final three days of the Spring Meet on Wednesday. Post time
for the first race Wednesday through Friday is 1:05 p.m. ET. The season’s final stakes
is the $150,000 Bewitch (G3) on Friday.

• KENTUCKY DERBY CANDIDATE GIRVIN JOGS IN ADVANCE OF WORK LATER THIS WEEK; IRAP GALLOPS
• BLAISE BRUCATO CAPTURES GRADE ONE GAMBLE AND SPRING CHALLENGE AT KEENELAND
• GALLOPING OUT
• SPRING MEET SPECIAL EVENTS
• SPRING MEET LEADERS

KENTUCKY DERBY CANDIDATE GIRVIN JOGS IN ADVANCE OF WORK LATER THIS WEEK

With trainer Joe Sharp riding alongside on a lead pony, Brad Grady’s Girvin, winner of the Risen Star (G2) and Louisiana Derby (G2) and the top point earner on the Road to the Kentucky Derby (G1), jogged twice around the main track Monday morning before the renovation break.

Around 7:30 a.m., Girvin made his second appearance on the Keeneland surface with Rosie Napravnik aboard in a repeat of his Sunday exercise.

Sharp said around 9 a.m. that he plans to give Girvin his final tune-up for the Derby on Friday at Keeneland.

“We just decided we are probably going to work him Friday,” Sharp said. “Just one solid stiff work going into the Derby instead of trying to squeeze two half-mile (workouts) in him. Probably five-eighths or three-quarters (of a mile) eight days out from the Derby.”

Winner of the April 8 Toyota Blue Grass (G2), Reddam Racing’s Irap galloped three times around the 5-furlong all-weather track in his return to training after working a mile in 1:44 on Friday.

Trainer Doug O’Neill was at Keeneland for that work. He plans to be back at Keeneland this Friday when Irap is to work again with jockey Mario Gutierrez aboard.

Irap is scheduled to ship to Churchill Downs April 29 or 30.

BLAISE BRUCATO CAPTURES GRADE ONE GAMBLE
AND SPRING CHALLENGE AT KEENELAND

In the history of Keeneland, many patrons have had memorable (and profitable) weekends We would venture to guess, however, that not many have equaled the success that Blaise Brucato experienced this weekend.

Roughly 24 hours after winning the inaugural Keeneland Spring Challenge, a $400 buy-in tournament on Saturday, Brucato topped that performance with a dramatic win in Keeneland’s Grade One Gamble, a $3,000 buy-in tournament that has become one of the most prized titles on the National Handicapping Championship (NHC) Tour.

On Saturday, the Cleveland native bested a field of 258 players by hitting a $500 exacta on the last race to win a $10,000 Breeders’ Cup Betting Challenge (BCBC) spot and $3,500 in cash. Mike Maloney of Lexington captured second and fourth places in the tourney, earning an NHC spot and $3,500 in prize money. NHC qualifiers Paul Hoffman of Chicago (third place) and Mark Haidar of Northville, Michigan (fifth place) joined lucky sixth-place finisher Ali Aksoy of Toronto, who benefited from the NHC rule that prohibits any player from scoring two NHC spots in one tournament.

After winning the Saturday tournament, Blaise revealed that April 22 was his dad’s birthday. Bill Brucato introduced his son to horse racing at a young age, and even though Bill died in 1988, his love for racing lives on through Blaise.

The incredible story continued on Sunday as Brucato closed again in the final race, cashing a $250 exacta to vault past former NHC Tour champion Jonathon Kinchen by a mere $200 to claim back-to-back victories, another BCBC spot, an NHC berth, and $13,000 in cash.

In the Grade One Gamble, a record 170 entries competed for seven BCBC spots, 10 NHC spots, and over $40,000 in cash prizes. The second-place finish by Austin, Tex., native Kinchen earned him a BCBC and NHC spot plus $6,500 in cash. Third- through seventh-place finishers Bob Traynor of Oceanside, California; Joe Kramer of Fargo, North Dakota; Marshall Gramm of Memphis; Randy Gallo of Palm Beach Garden, Florida; and Kenneth King of New York City earned BCBC and NHC entries in addition to cash prizes.

Brian Johnson of Biloxi, Mississippi, and the aforementioned Aksoy and Maloney finished eighth through tenth, respectively, earning berths to the 2018 NHC in addition to cash prizes. Aksoy and Mahoney both earned their second NHC berth in as many days.

To recap the weekend, totaling his bankroll winnings, cash prizes, and BCBC/NHC berths, Brucato cashed for more than $50,000.

GALLOPING OUT

Live Oak Plantation’s homebred Victory to Victory, Canada’s champion 2-year-old filly, won Sunday’s sixth race in her 2017 debut. Florent Geroux rode the Exchange Rate filly to a 2-length victory in the 1-mile allowance race on the turf in 1:37.73. Winner of last year’s Natalma (G1) at Woodbine, she is trained by Mark Casse. …

Trainer Will VanMeter earned his first Keeneland victory when Double First won Sunday’s fourth race. VanMeter owns the 3-year-old Majestic Warrior filly, who won the 1 1/16-mile race by a neck in 1:47.03 with Declan Cannon aboard.

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.
Tuesday, April 25
Official Keeneland Tour. 8:30 a.m. ET. Click here for more information and to purchase tickets.

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.
Wednesday, April 26
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 includes seating, program and food voucher. Click here for more information.

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 27
Official Keeneland Tour. 8:30 a.m. ET. Click here for more information and to purchase tickets.

Herald-Leader Subscriber Appreciation Day. All Lexington Herald-Leader subscribers will receive free General Admission with the coupon from the front page of the April 27 edition. Meet members of the newspaper staff and win prizes.
Friday, April 28 – Closing Day of the Spring Meet
Official Keeneland Tour. 8:30 a.m. ET. Click here for more information and to purchase tickets.

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.
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. 

SPRING MEET LEADERS
Through April 23 (12 days of racing)
Jockey Starts Wins 2nd 3rd Purses

Joel Rosario 51 14 6 8 $1,119,878
Javier Castellano 38 12 5 2 $794,730
Julien Leparoux 59 10 11 9 $1,218,745
Corey Lanerie 56 10 10 8 $798,152
Florent Geroux 62 5 7 13 $439,376
Luis Saez 37 5 7 6 $343,584
Robby Albarado 60 5 5 9 $565,817
Paco Lopez 31 5 3 2 $460,510

Trainer Starts Wins 2nd 3rd Purses
Wesley Ward 43 9 4 6 $424,436
Chad Brown 16 6 5 2 $735,777
Mark Casse 28 6 3 3 $573,548
Kiaran McLaughlin 12 6 2 0 $525,460
Todd Pletcher 14 6 1 0 $508,527
Brian Lynch 19 5 4 4 $329,125

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