Keeneland Barn Notes — Friday, Oct. 20

Posted On 21 Oct 2017

By Amy Owens —-

FRIDAY, OCT. 20
Keeneland’s 17-day Fall Meet concludes Saturday, Oct. 28, with racing
on Wednesdays through Sundays. Post time for the first race each day is 1:05 p.m. ET.
**********

· HORSEMEN TALK ABOUT WEEKEND STAKES HORSES
· LIVE OAK PLANTATION, G. WATTS HUMPHREY JR. BID FOR KEENELAND MILESTONE
· CASSE DUO WORKS TOGETHER IN BREEDERS’ CUP PREP
· PLANS UNDETERMINED FOR SYCAMORE WINNER BIG BEND
· MISS SUNSET INVADES FROM CALIFORNIA FOR SATURDAY’S LEXUS RAVEN RUN
· GALLOPING OUT
· SPONSORS HONOR KEENELAND GROOMS WITH BEST TURNED OUT AWARDS
· PROBABLE FIELD FOR CLOSING-DAY HAGYARD FAYETTE
· BREEDERS’ CUP CONTENDERS STABLED AT KEENELAND
· FALL MEET SPECIAL EVENTS
· FALL MEET LEADERS

HORSEMEN TALK ABOUT WEEKEND STAKES HORSES
Keeneland Racing Analyst Tom Leach, the “Voice of the Wildcats” for University of Kentucky football and men’s basketball, interviewed these horsemen about horses in upcoming stakes:
Brad Cox about Pinch Hit in Saturday’s Lexus Raven Run (G2).
Shug McGaughey about Apple Betty (IRE) in Sunday’s Rood & Riddle Dowager (G3)
Vicki Oliver about Youngest Daughter in today’s Pin Oak Valley View (G3).
Elliott Walden, President/CEO and Racing Manager of WinStar Farm, about Overture in the Lexus Raven Run.

LIVE OAK PLANTATION, G. WATTS HUMPHREY JR. BID
FOR KEENELAND MILESTONE
Two owners with horses in today’s Pin Oak Valley View (G3) – G. Watts Humphrey Jr. and Charlotte Weber’s Live Oak Plantation – are on the verge of milestone victories at Keeneland. A win by the horse owned by either will earn a Keeneland Tray, marking an eighth graded stakes victory here.
The Keeneland Tray is part of Keeneland’s signature Milestone Trophy Program, which recognizes owners for their stakes success. Only 20 other owners in Keeneland history have achieved such an accomplishment.

Humphrey owns Youngest Daughter, a 3-year-old The Factor filly trained by his daughter, Vicki Oliver. Live Oak owns Let It Ride Mom, a 3-year-old Into Mischief filly trained by Mark Casse.
Humphrey already has won two graded stakes during the 2017 Fall Meet with horses trained by Rusty Arnold. On Oct. 8, his Romantic Vision won the Juddmonte Spinster (G1) and is to make her next start in the Breeders’ Cup Distaff (G1). His Morticia captured the Oct. 13 Buffalo Trace Franklin County (G3).

CASSE DUO WORKS TOGETHER IN BREEDERS’ CUP PREP
Trainer Mark Casse was honing his Breeders’ Cup hand on two fronts Friday morning headlined by Keeneland stakes winners Heavenly Love and Flameaway working together before the break at Keeneland.
Debby Oxley’s Heavenly Love, winner of the opening-day Darley Alcibiades (G1), and her husband, John Oxley’s Flameaway, winner of the Oct. 8 Dixiana Bourbon (G3), matched strides through
5 furlongs in 1:00. Kim Carroll was aboard Heavenly Love and Sophie Doyle was on Flameaway as they raced through fractions of :12, :24, :36, :48 and out 6 furlongs in 1:13. The 5-furlong works were the best of 24 at the distance.
“It was a good move,” said David Carroll, Casse’s assistant at Keeneland. “We were very happy with both of them and they cooled out beautifully. Flameaway is a really good workhorse and was for (Heavenly Love to work with).
“It was mainly just maintenance to let them stretch their legs. They will have an easy half-mile next week and then ship (to Del Mar) on the 30th.”
Heavenly Love is being pointed to the $2 million 14 Hands Winery Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1) on Nov. 4. Flameaway is on track for the $1 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf (G1) on Nov. 3.
Via text, Casse said John Oxley’s Gio Game, a maiden winner here Oct. 6, “breezed super this morning at Churchill (1:00.20 for 5 furlongs)” and will be pointed to the 14 Hands Winery Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies.
The remainder of Casse’s likely six-horse Breeders’ Cup contingent also worked on the main track at Churchill Downs this morning, including Keeneland Spring Meet stakes winners Holding Gold and Awesome Slew, both owned by Charlotte Weber’s Live Oak Plantation.
Shakertown (G2) winner Holding Gold (Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint-G1) worked 5 furlongs in 1:00.40 and Commonwealth (G3) winner Awesome Slew (Las Vegas Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile-G1) worked 5 furlongs in 1:00.
Casse’s other Churchill worker was Live Oak’s three-time Grade 1 winner World Approval (Breeders’ Cup Turf-G1), who covered 5 furlongs in 1:00.80.

PLANS UNDETERMINED FOR SYCAMORE WINNER BIG BEND
Trainer Tom Proctor said Union Rags Racing’s Big Bend was fine the morning after his three-quarter length victory in Thursday’s Sycamore (G3).
“It’s nice to win one,” said Proctor, who will attempt to complete a stakes double Sunday with Promotional in the Rood & Riddle Dowager (G3).
Ridden by Drayden Van Dyke, Big Bend became only the second 3-year-old in the 23-year history of the race to take the Sycamore. Mustanfar, in 2004, was the other.
Proctor said the next stop for Big Bend is to be determined.
“I kind of wanted to see how he ran yesterday,” Proctor said, referring to future plans for the son of Union Rags.
Sierra Farm’s Nessy also came out of the race well, according to Nicola Ward, Keeneland assistant to trainer Ian Wilkes. “He’s good this morning and he’ll stay here a couple of days,” Ward said.
Wilkes did not indicate immediate plans for Nessy Thursday after the race.
There are plans for Guy Pariente’s Canessar (FR), who finished third as the favorite.
“I am going to take him to Ocala (Florida), freshen him up and get him ready for the spring for a race like the (Dixiana) Elkhorn (G2),” trainer Arnaud Delacour said of the spring equivalent to the Sycamore.
“The pace yesterday was OK for that distance but it seemed like he had to work hard to get in the race and he didn’t do that in his first race (in this country Sept. 16).”

MISS SUNSET INVADES FROM CALIFORNIA
FOR SATURDAY’S LEXUS RAVEN RUN
With few worlds left to conquer in California, Miss Sunset has flown east for a start in Saturday’s $250,000 Lexus Raven Run (G2) for 3-year-old fillies going 7 furlongs on dirt.
“She has done great things against state-breds and has run well in open company,” said trainer Jeff Bonde who arrived in Lexington late Thursday from his base in Southern California.
Miss Sunset, who arrived at Keeneland on Tuesday, has won five stakes, four of which came against California breds. Saturday’s race will be her graded stakes debut.
“Her owners (Alan Klein and Phil Lebherz) are her breeders and they want to get a graded stakes for her,” Bonde said. “Plus, this is the last shot at straight 3-year-olds.”
Klein and Lebherz also owned Eclipse Award winner She’s a Tiger, who was trained by Bonde. This is Bonde’s first trip back to Kentucky to race since he ran She’s a Tiger, the champion 2-year-old filly of 2013, in the Eight Belles (G3) at Churchill Downs in 2014.
Miss Sunset, who will be ridden for the first time by Julien Leparoux, won her only start at the Lexus Raven Run’s 7-furlong distance, resulting in a 5½-length triumph in the Fleet Treat in July at Del Mar.
“The seven-eighths is a very good distance for her,” said Bonde, who is not worried about the filly having to break from post position 11. “There is a long run to the turn and she can position herself.”

GALLOPING OUT
Trainer Tom Morley and jockey Feargal Lynch teamed to earn their first Keeneland victory when Donegal Racing’s first-time starter Ciaran won Thursday’s third race. The 2-year-old Malibu Moon gelding won the 6½-furlong race by four lengths in 1:18.33. …

Also scoring his first Keeneland victory Thursday was trainer Rodolphe Brisset, who won the seventh race with Quip. WinStar Farm, China Horse Club International and SF Racing own the 2-year-old Distorted Humor colt. Ridden by Florent Geroux, Quip won the 1 1/16-mile race by 6½ lengths in 1:44.98. …

@BetKeeneland, Keeneland’s new Twitter handle that delivers real-time handicapping tips and tools to wagering fans, features a Handicapper of the Day series that benefits the Permanently Disabled Jockeys Fund (PDJF). Keeneland is providing each Handicapper of the Day with a $200 bankroll to wager during the race day, with winnings going to support PDJF. Thursday’s guest handicapper, Samantha Siegel, accumulated winnings of $4,050. Guest handicappers for the next three days are Jason Crowley, a Keeneland fan and handicapper from Lexington (Friday); Turf writer Dick Jerardi (Saturday); and Tom Law of the Saratoga Special (Sunday).

SPONSORS HONOR KEENELAND GROOMS WITH BEST TURNED OUT AWARDS

This weekend, grooms of racehorses determined to have the best overall appearance in the Saddling Paddock will be recognized in a special ceremony before each race as part of the Best Turned Out Awards. The grooms will receive cash prizes ranging from $250 to $500.

Today representatives of Pin Oak Stud, sponsor of the Valley View (G3), will select horses in separate races throughout the day. Judges like to see horses with shiny hair, flowing tails and tidy manes and grooms wearing neat clothing.

“Our sponsors always enjoy the opportunity to recognize the efforts of the grooms who work so hard with these horses every day,” Keeneland Sponsorship Director Bonnie Senft said. “The Best Turned Out Awards are popular every year for the judges and the grooms.”

On Sunday, day of the Rood & Riddle Dowager (G3), Rood & Riddle Equine Hospital will present Best Turned Out Awards.

On closing day, Saturday, Oct. 28, Hagyard Equine Medical Institute will present Best Turned Out Awards. The Hagyard Fayette (G2) will be run that day.

PROBABLE FIELD FOR CLOSING-DAY HAGYARD FAYETTE
$200,000 HAGYARD FAYETTE (G2) (Entries taken Wednesday; race Saturday, Oct. 28) – Eagle (trainer Neil Howard), Giuseppe the Great (Nick Zito), Honorable Duty (Brendan Walsh), McCraken (Ian Wilkes), Neolithic (Todd Pletcher), Texas Chrome (Allen Milligan) and The Player (Buff Bradley).

BREEDERS’ CUP CONTENDERS STABLED AT KEENELAND

Keeneland is home to several potential contenders for the Breeders’ Cup World Championships at Del Mar on Nov. 3-4.
Pre-entries for the Breeders’ Cup will be announced Wednesday, Oct. 25.

Here are the trainers and their possible Breeders’ Cup runners:

Trainer (Barn)
Horse
Breeders’ Cup Race
Last Race
Most Recent Work Since Last Race

Charlie Appleby (quarantine)
Wuheida (GB)
Filly and Mare Turf
4th 10/1 Prix de l’Opera (G1) @Chantilly (scratched from 10/14 Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup Presented by Lane’s End (G1) @KEE

Rusty Arnold (60)
Romantic Vision
Distaff
Won 10/8 Juddmonte Spinster (G1) @KEE

Chad Brown (30)
Rushing Fall
Juvenile Fillies Turf
Won 10/11 JPMorgan Chase Jessamine (G3) @KEE

Mark Casse (37-38)
Flameaway
Juvenile Turf
Won 10/8 Dixiana Bourbon (G3) @KEE
10/20 @KEE: 5f in 1:00

Heavenly Love
Juvenile Fillies
Won 10/6 Darley Alcibiades (G1) @KEE
10/20 @KEE: 5f in 1:00
Brian Lynch (40)
Oscar Performance
Turf
3rd 9/30 Joe Hirsch Turf Classic (G1) @BEL
10/15 @KEE: 4f/turf in :49.60

Kenny McPeek (70)
Princess Warrior
Juvenile Fillies
2nd 10/6 Darley Alcibiades (G1) @KEE

Todd Pletcher (27)
Stainless
Juvenile Fillies Turf/Juvenile Fillies
2nd 10/11 JPMorgan Chase Jessamine (G3) @KEE

Mike Stidham (2)
Zipessa
Filly and Mare Turf
Won 10/7 First Lady (G1) @KEE

Roger Varian (quarantine)
Nezwaah (GB)
Turf/Filly and Mare Turf
5th in 10/15 E.P. Taylor (G1) @WO

Wesley Ward (47, 68)
Fairyland
Juvenile Fillies Turf
2nd 8/16 Bolton Landing @SAR
10/15 @KEE: 5f/turf in 1:03.20

Hemp Hemp Hurray
Juvenile Turf
2nd 9/17 Summer (G2) @WO
10/15 @KEE: 5f/turf in 1:05.60

Lady Aurelia
Turf Sprint
2nd 8/25 Coolmore Nunthorpe (G1) @York
10/12 @KEE: 5f/turf in 1:01.80

Ultima D
Juvenile Fillies Turf
Won 9/6 Exacta Systems Juvenile Fillies @KD
10/15 @KEE: 5f/turf in 1:02.80

FALL MEET SPECIAL EVENTS
Friday, Oct. 20
College Scholarship Day – Full-time college students receive free general admission and the chance to win one of ten $1,000 scholarships awarded after each race. A $10,000 Runhappy Scholarship also will be awarded. Click here to preregister before 5 p.m. ET on Oct. 19. On Friday, registration will take place in Keeneland’s College Zone in the North Terrace. Students will enjoy music, free snacks and prize drawings.
Pin Oak Bluegrass Exacta Sweepstakes. On the day of the $150,000 Pin Oak Valley View (G3), fans can sign up for a chance to win a package for Keeneland’s 2018 Spring Meet that includes a private tour of Pin Oak Stud near Versailles, Kentucky, and an afternoon at the Keeneland races with lunch in the Equestrian Room. There also will be a chance to win a Keeneland gift basket. The sign-up table is on the ground level, trackside from Elevator C from noon to 2:30 p.m. ET.

The Woodford Humane Society will have an information table where fans can sign up to win a Keeneland gift basket. Sign-up table is located on the ground level, trackside from Elevator C from noon to 3 p.m.
The Keeneland Shop’s Milliners Corner presents a trunk show with Lela Ray Jewelry adjacent to the Walking Ring from 11 a.m. to 30 minutes after final post.

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, The Keeneland Shop kiosk and free shuttles to the track. BETologists will be available to answer fans’ handicapping questions.

Friday Pick 4 Presented by TVG. A $200,000-guaranteed pool will be offered on the final four races of the day, including the Pin Oak Valley View (G3).

Saturday, Oct. 21
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 for purchase and trackside commentary (7-8:30 a.m.) while Thoroughbreds train on the main track; children’s activities in the Kids Club Corner (7-9 a.m.); Keeneland tours (7:30-10 a.m.); Paddock demonstration with Hagyard Equine Medical Institute (9 a.m.); trackside handicapping seminar with Paddock Host Katie Gensler (11 a.m.); and Q&A session with jockey James Graham in the Paddock (12:05 p.m.).

The Keeneland Shop’s Milliners Corner presents a trunk show with Lela Ray Jewelry adjacent to the Walking Ring from 11 a.m. to 30 minutes after final post.

$350,000 Guaranteed Pick 4 Presented by TVG. Features races 7-10, including the Lexus Raven Run (G2).
Sunday, Oct. 22
Heroes Day Delivered by Papa John’s – Keeneland recognizes the men and women who serve our community. All military (active duty and veterans), first responders – law enforcement officers, firefighters, EMTs – and their families will receive free general admission and access to reserved Grandstand seating. Free food, children’s activities and more will be offered in the North Terrace from Noon-4 p.m.

FALL MEET LEADERS
Through Oct. 19 (10 days of racing)
Jockey
Starts
Wins
2nd
3rd
Purses

Julien Leparoux
48
9
7
3
$891,599
Florent Geroux
49
9
7
6
$704,332
Robby Albarado
58
8
5
10
$745,121
Ricardo Santana Jr.
40
8
5
1
$345,217
Jose Ortiz
16
6
2
3
$264,037
Corey Lanerie
68
5
11
5
$283,333

Trainer
Starts
Wins
2nd
3rd
Purses

Mike Maker
33
8
4
1
$341,263
Mark Casse
23
6
6
2
$944,027
Rusty Arnold
12
4
1
3
$488,347
Steve Asmussen
20
4
4
1
$260,443
Dale Romans
10
4
1
2
$444,950
Wesley Ward
22
4
3
1
$123,830

Owner
Wins

G. Watts Humphrey Jr.
4*
John C. Oxley
4
Kenneth L. and Sarah K. Ramsey
4
Breeze Easy (Mike Hall)
2*
L. William and Corinne Heiligbrodt
2
Jay Em Ess Stable (Samantha Siegel)
2
Three Diamonds Farm (Kirk Wycoff)
2
*includes partnerships
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