Keeneland April 26 Barn Notes

By Amy Owens —-

Keeneland begins the final three days of the Spring Meet today. Post time for the first race Wednesday through Friday is 1:05 p.m. ET.

• CENTRAL BANK ASHLAND WINNER SAILOR’S VALENTINE WORKS
• WESLEY WARD, JOEL ROSARIO LEAD PEERS TO BEGIN FINAL WEEK OF KEENELAND SPRING MEET
• GALLOPING OUT
• SPRING MEET SPECIAL EVENTS
• SPRING MEET LEADERS

CENTRAL BANK ASHLAND WINNER SAILOR’S VALENTINE WORKS

Semaphore Racing and Homewrecker Racing’s Sailor’s Valentine returned to the work tab on Wednesday for the first time since she won the Central Bank Ashland (G1) on April 8, breezing five furlongs in a minute flat over a fast track soon after the renovation break. She is scheduled to make her next start in the $1 million Kentucky Oaks (G1) on May 5 at Churchill Downs.

“She worked really good, did it really easy,” trainer Eddie Kenneally said. “It’s her final work before the Oaks, and she’s all set. We’re excited about her. We think she’s coming into the race real good. She’s an improving filly at the moment.”

With assistant Kelly Wheeler, Sailor’s Valentine worked in company with stablemate Laney. Keeneland clockers caught Sailor’s Valentine in fractions of :12, :23.60, :35.20, :47.20 and a minute.

Kenneally said Sailor’s Valentine probably would ship to Churchill Saturday. Corey Lanerie has been named to ride the Mizzen Mast filly in the Oaks.

Semaphore Racing purchased Sailor’s Valentine for $100,000 at Keeneland’s 2015 September Yearling Sale.

Winner of the Central Bank Ashland at 22-1, Sailor’s Valentine has two wins in six starts with earnings of $359,214.

WESLEY WARD, JOEL ROSARIO LEAD PEERS TO BEGIN
FINAL WEEK OF KEENELAND SPRING MEET

With three days remaining in Keeneland’s 2017 Spring Meet, Wesley Ward appears on the verge of his third Keeneland title as leading trainer while the race for leading jockey is much closer.

Ward has 10 wins, including the April 15 Giant’s Causeway with Lady Aurelia, in his bid for his second Spring Meet crown. In 2012, he won nine races during the Spring Meet and led all trainers in the Fall Meet with 12 victories.

He won Wednesday’s first race with Ice Wine Stable’s Royal Asset.

Ward has horses for another race Wednesday, two races Thursday and three races Friday.
Tied for second place with six wins each are Chad Brown, Mark Casse, Kiaran McLaughlin and Todd Pletcher.

Brown has no horses entered for the remainder of the meet. Wednesday marks the final day of Keeneland racing for both Casse and McLaughlin with one horse for the former and two for the latter. Pletcher has one horse entered Wednesday and three on Thursday to complete his Keeneland activity.

Joel Rosario, who won a Spring Meet record 38 races in 2013, tops the standings of the current season with 14 wins. That total is two more than Javier Castellano and four more than Corey Lanerie and Julien Leparoux in third.

Rosario is named to ride in three races on Wednesday, four races on Thursday and four races on Friday.
Castellano, who on Monday was announced as a 2017 inductee into the Racing Hall of Fame, is named on horses in four races on Wednesday and in five races on Thursday. He will be at Belmont Park on Friday.
The leading owner is Godolphin Racing, which has won five races with horses trained by McLaughlin. Four of those victories came April 15 and included Dickinson in the Coolmore Jenny Wiley (G1) and Watershed in the Ben Ali (G3).

GALLOPING OUT

Reddam Racing’s Toyota Blue Grass (G2) winner Irap galloped about 1½ times around the main track with exercise rider Antonio Romero aboard for trainer Doug O’Neill as he continues training at Keeneland for his next start in the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (G1) on May 6 at Churchill Downs. The Tiznow colt is scheduled to work at Keeneland on Friday at 8:30 a.m. with trainer Doug O’Neill in attendance. Julien Leparoux will be aboard Irap. …
Keeneland Sales Associate Jesse Ullery will join Paddock Host Mike Battaglia today and tomorrow. Katie Gensler will return Friday.

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 26
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

###