Keeneland Barn Notes — Tuesday, April 17

By Amy Owens —-

Keeneland’s 16-day Spring Meet runs through Friday, April 27, with racing
Wednesdays through Sundays. Post time for the first race each day is 1:05 pm. ET.
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• BLENDED CITIZEN BACK ON KENTUCKY DERBY TRAIL
• JENDA’S AGENDA MAKES GRADED STAKES DEBUT IN FRIDAY’S HILLIARD LYONS DOUBLEDOGDARE
• HIGH-PROFILE EXERCISE RIDER PATTERSON LAUNCHES TRAINING CAREER
• CANADIAN TAKES KEENELAND’S GRADE ONE GAMBLE HANDICAPPING CONTEST
• @BETKEENELAND SETS HANDICAPPERS FOR THIRD WEEK OF RACING
• PROSPECTIVE FIELD FOR UPCOMING STAKES
• SPRING MEET SPECIAL EVENTS
• SPRING MEET LEADERS

BLENDED CITIZEN BACK ON KENTUCKY DERBY TRAIL

After Greg Hall and SAYJAY Racing’s Blended Citizen finished fifth in the Toyota Blue Grass (G2) on April 7, it appeared the colt’s Kentucky Derby dreams were toast.

Last Friday, Jack Sisterson, assistant to trainer Doug O’Neill, said the plan was to look for a race to use as a prep for the Belmont (G1) because Blended Citizen had accumulated only 22 points toward the Derby. That total ranked 25th on the list for the race that is limited to 20 starters.

Then Saturday, in the final two points races toward the Run for the Roses, no horses jumped ahead of Blended Citizen and a couple of other runners were dropped from Derby consideration. Suddenly Blended Citizen was No. 23.

“Things have changed,” Sisterson said Tuesday morning. “Doug called me yesterday afternoon and said, ‘Let’s point to the Kentucky Derby.’ ”

Sisterson said Blended Citizen most likely would work Saturday.

“Brooke Hubbard, the racing manager for SAYJAY, will be here Thursday when What’sontheagenda runs (for SAYJAY in a turf allowance race),” Sisterson said. “Doug will make the decision, depending on weather, but probably Saturday.”

Should O’Neill follow his pattern of the past two years with 2016 Derby winner Nyquist and 2017 Toyota Blue Grass winner Irap, Blended Citizen would have one more work after this weekend before going to Churchill Downs.

As it stands now, Blended Citizen is three defections away from making the Derby. Last year at this time, his half-brother Lookin At Lee was in a similar spot on the Derby bubble at No. 22.
Lookin At Lee wound up finishing second in the Derby to Always Dreaming.

JENDA’S AGENDA MAKES GRADED STAKES DEBUT IN FRIDAY’S
HILLIARD LYONS DOUBLEDOGDARE

Trainer Larry Jones and his wife, Cindy, have five broodmares mares, including three-time graded stakes winner Just Jenda.

On Friday, Just Jenda’s 4-year-old daughter, Jenda’s Agenda, will make her graded stakes debut in the 24th running of the $100,000 Hilliard Lyons Doubledogdare (G3) at 1 1/16 miles on Keeneland’s main track.

“She is the first foal to race out of that mare,” Larry Jones said. “It feels good (to have one like that). And Proud Citizen (Jenda’s Agenda’s sire) has been good to us.”

Jenda’s Agenda won her first three career races in 2017, including a small stakes at Laurel before going on the shelf for 11 months until her next start.

“She had some bone bruising after her third race last year, and we gave her the time off,” Jones said.
Jenda’s Agenda returned in February at Fair Grounds, finishing second in a 6-furlong sprint, and then took an allowance race at Oaklawn Park at the Hilliard Lyons Doubledogdare distance.

“She has done well since her race at Oaklawn and done well here,” Jones said. “Friday will be her first start in a graded stakes, so hopefully we can move onward and upward.”

Florent Geroux, who was aboard for the Oaklawn victory, has the mount Friday. Geroux is tied with Corey Lanerie with eight wins apiece to lead all jockeys through the first half of the 16-day Spring Meet.

HIGH-PROFILE EXERCISE RIDER PATTERSON
LAUNCHES TRAINING CAREER

After making a name for herself as a key assistant to Hall of Fame trainer Shug McGaughey, Jenn Patterson has begun training Thoroughbreds in her own name.

“After being an assistant for so long and learning so much over the years, I thought I would give training on my own a try instead of doing nothing with all the information and knowledge I have gained,” Patterson said.

Patterson worked in relative anonymity before gaining recognition as exercise rider of 2013 Kentucky Derby (G1) winner Orb during her nine-year tenure with McGaughey. After the colt raced in all three Triple Crown races, Patterson, Orb and about another dozen horses summered at Fair Hill training center in Maryland while McGaughey stayed at Belmont Park with the main string.

She treasures those memories, especially the days surrounding the Run for the Roses.

“From the beginning of Orb’s career, everyone felt like he would be special and we were all having fun with it,” she said. “There was pressure at the Derby but at the same time, Shug kept things light so we were all having fun. (Orb) was doing so well coming up to the Derby that we all kept good heads on our shoulders.

“Everyone talks about ‘the walkover’ before the race and that is great with the crowd and all the horses. But the walk back with the winner was an unreal feeling.”

Patterson grew up surrounded by racing and horses in Wilmington, Delaware. She notes that she had a mount even before she was born because her older sister had a pony that was destined to become hers. By age three, Patterson was riding and by age five she was going across open fields during fox hunts. Her father Duncan is a real estate specialist by trade with a long history in steeplechase and flat racing that includes time as a trainer, rider and executive.

With that background, it was no surprise that Patterson would gravitate to her career. During summers and after graduating from Pennsylvania’s Gettysburg College with a degree in business management, Patterson earned money exercising steeplechasers. She eventually shifted to a winter job with flat runners in Florida that evolved into her position with McGaughey in New York. That job brought her to Keeneland during the racing seasons.

After resigning from the McGaughey barn, Patterson remained at Keeneland and rode for trainers such as Charlie LoPresti, who entrusted her with two-time Horse of the Year Wise Dan.

Patterson is in the saddle each morning at Keeneland aboard the four Thoroughbreds in her barn. She expects to have her first entrant later this meeting or at Churchill Downs next month.

“I am very grateful to my owners, Michael Dubb and Harry Rosenblum, who sent me horses to give me a start,” she said.

CANADIAN TAKES KEENELAND’S GRADE ONE GAMBLE
HANDICAPPING CONTEST

John Kimove of Wasaga Beach, Ontario, was best of the record total of 195 players who participated in Sunday’s 10th annual Grade One Gamble, Keeneland’s premier live bankroll handicapping contest.

Contestants paid $3,000 to enter the Grade One Gamble and started with a live bankroll of $2,000. The competition offered as many as six spots in the 2018 Breeders’ Cup Betting Challenge (BCBC) and 10 spots in the NTRA National Horseplayers Championship (NHC) in Las Vegas in February 2019.

Kimove made a big move in Keeneland’s ninth and final race, cashing $1,058 win and $400 win/place wagers on Ironclad, and a $420 exacta and $5 trifecta for total winnings of $17,963. His total of $19,963 nipped second-place finisher Ross Szlasa of Mooresville, North Carolina, who also hit big on the final race to post a total of $17,710.

Kimove took home $37,000 in prize money, and Szlasa took down $18,000.

They join the contest’s third- through sixth-place finishers – Chris Podratz of Santa Clarita, California; Gary Wright of Parlin, New Jersey; James Metzger of Louisville and Timothy Yohler of Fishers, Indiana – in winning fully paid berths to the BCBC and fully paid entries to the NHC.

NHC entries also were awarded to seventh- through 10th place, with Gary Machiz of Cream Ridge, New Jersey; Hugh Bishop of Sarasota, Florida; Dave Cichy of Johnsburg, Illinois, and Blaise Brucato of Cleveland punching their early tickets to Las Vegas. The 10th and final spot bankroll was a hefty $8,640.

Click here for the results of the Grade One Gamble.

On Saturday, Keeneland held the $400 Spring Challenge, which had a $400 buy-in with a live bankroll of $250 and $150 prize fund fee. The competition drew 284 entries.

Christy Moore of Fishers, Indiana, won the contest by nailing a huge $3 trifecta in Saturday’s fifth race, and she finished well clear of the field with more than $4,700 from an initial bankroll of $250. Moore, the fiancé of Grade One Gamble qualifier Timothy Yohler, won a fully paid berth to the BCBC plus $3,500 in prize money.

The second- through sixth- place finishers – Kevin Willett of Hastings, Nebraska; Ed Deicke of Lido Beach, New York; Paul Shurman of Dix Hills, New York: Julie Loboyko of Lexington and Ken Kasowicz of Chicago – won spots in the NHC plus prize money.

Click here for the results of the Spring Challenge.

@BETKEENELAND SETS HANDICAPPERS FOR THIRD WEEK OF RACING

Keeneland’s @BetKeeneland on Twitter is providing horseplayers with real-time handicapping tips and insights while benefiting the Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance (TAA) through its Handicapper of the Day Series.

The @BetKeeneland handle offers on-demand wagering content including live reports and updates lasting 60-90 seconds approximately 10 minutes prior to each race from Jeremy Plonk of the fan education website Horseplayernow.com along with scratches, changes, clockers reports and other wagering-related information.

In addition, nationally recognized handicappers share their daily picks and recommended wagers with a $200 bankroll they will play each race day to benefit the TAA, which accredits, inspects and awards grants to approved aftercare organizations to retire, retrain and rehome Thoroughbreds.

Handicappers participating this week are:

• Judy Wagner (April 18) won the 2011 National Handicapping Championship in the second year of the tournament, and was named to the NHC’s Hall of Fame in 2016. The New Orleans resident is a member of the NTRA’s Board of Directors as an advocate for horseplayers nationwide Her husband, Bryan, won the 2009 NHC Tour.
• Zoe Cadman (April 19) is a racing analyst for XBTV.com and former jockey. The native of South Africa became the first female jockey to be leading rider in Chicago when winning Hawthorne’s 2001 Spring Meet.
• Jonathon Kinchen (April 20) won the title of NHC Tour champion in 2015 and was runner-up in the 2017 Keeneland Grade One Gamble. The Austin, Texas, resident cohosts the Players Podcast weekly on DRF.com.
• Dave Johnson (April 21) was the iconic voice of the Triple Crown on ABC Sports. His signature “And down the stretch they come!” has been heard by hundreds of millions of racegoers and TV viewers worldwide. Johnson co-hosts “Down the Stretch” each Saturday on SiriusXM radio.
• “Keeneland Dan” Dan Cronin (April 22) of Cincinnati has been playing the races for nearly five decades and is a mortgage broker and handicapper for his website Fatbaldguyracing.com. His brother is University of Cincinnati men’s basketball coach Mick Cronin.

PROSPECTIVE FIELD FOR UPCOMING STAKES

$250,000 Dixiana Elkhorn (G2) (Entries taken Wednesday; race Saturday) – Probable: Big Bend (Tom Proctor), Bullards Alley (Tim Glyshaw), Call Provision (Chad Brown), Canessar (FR) (Arnaud Delacour), Danish Dynaformer (Roger Attfield), Hayabusa One (FR) (Peter Miller), Hunter O’Riley (James Toner), Itsinthepost (FR) (Jeff Mullins), One Go All Go (Scooter Dickey), Oscar Nominated (Mike Maker), Royal Son (Kellyn Gorder), Some in Tieme (BRZ) (Kenny McPeek).

SPRING MEET SPECIAL EVENTS

The Keeneland Library is paying tribute to Pierre Bellocq, the internationally celebrated artist better known as “Peb,” with the exhibit “Artistry of Peb: Fifty Years of Features” and a virtual exhibit on Keeneland.com titled “The Artistry of Peb.” “Artistry of Peb” showcases 18 of Bellocq’s features from The Morning Telegraph and Daily Racing Form spanning the mid-1950s to the mid-2000s. This work solidified Peb’s renown as an artistic commentator of the Thoroughbred racing industry. The Keeneland Library is free and open to the public from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. ET Monday through Friday.
Official Keeneland Tours – Keeneland offers a selection of guided tours, including Behind-the-Scenes Racing Tours and a Backstretch Tour and Day at the Races. On Saturdays during Sunrise Trackside, free guided tours begin every 20 minutes from the Paddock and Walking Ring from 7:30-10 a.m.
Wednesday, April 18
WINS-Day Challenge Sponsored by Malone’s. An inexpensive way for beginning handicappers to test their skills and give handicapping contests a try, the WINS-Day Challenge has a $2,500-guaranteed pool. Enter for $10 at Wagering Central and place a mythical $2 win and place wager – no actual money required – on Keeneland races 3-8. Limit three entries per person. The first 200 participants receive a free Malone’s appetizer card.
Friday, April 20
The Keeneland Shop’s Milliners Corner presents Dorfman Pacific adjacent to the Walking Ring.
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’ 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 Hilliard Lyons Doubledogdare (G3).
Saturday, April 21
Sunrise Trackside Racehorses and the people who work with them begin the day well before sunrise. See what they’re up to Saturday mornings during Sunrise Trackside, a free family-friendly event. Breakfast With the Works features breakfast for purchase and trackside commentary (7-8:30 a.m.) while horses train on the main track, and is accompanied by children’s activities in the Kids Club Corner (7-9 a.m.); guided walking tours (7:30-10 a.m.); Paddock demonstration (9 a.m.) with Central Kentucky Riding for Hope; and a Q&A session with a jockey in the Paddock (12:05 p.m.).

The Keeneland Shop’s Milliners Corner presents Dorfman Pacific adjacent to the Walking Ring.
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. One of Central Kentucky’s favorite bluegrass bands will perform from 12-4 p.m. BETologists will be available to answer fans’ questions.

$300,000 All-Stakes Pick 4 Presented by TVG. Features races 7-10, including the Dixiana Elkhorn (G2)
Sunday, April 22
The Keeneland Shop’s Milliners Corner presents Dorfman Pacific adjacent to the Walking Ring.
Military Day at the Races Presented by Marathon. Keeneland recognizes the men and women who serve our country. All active-duty, reserve, veterans and military families will receive free general admission and access to reserved Grandstand seating with military I.D. Military families will join us in the North Terrace from noon to 4 p.m. for free food and children’s activities.
 
SPRING MEET LEADERS
Through April 15 (8 days of 16-day season)
Jockey Starts Wins 2nd 3rd Purses

Florent Geroux 38 8 6 3 $606,192
Corey Lanerie 45 8 6 2 $493,436
Jose Ortiz 51 7 7 8 $1,096,536
Brian J Hernandez Jr. 42 7 5 6 $558,821
Joel Rosario 28 6 7 8 $409,276
Javier Castellano 14 5 3 1 $479,768
Luis Saez 33 5 2 4 $342,734
Gabriel Saez 21 5 1 2 $206,814

Trainer Starts Wins 2nd 3rd Purses

Chad Brown 16 8 3 2 $1,361,990
Wesley Ward 16 6 4 2 $370,890
Brad Cox 15 6 1 1 $524,824
Bret Calhoun 10 5 0 2 $384,340
Kenny McPeek 24 3 6 2 $332,996
Charlie LoPresti 9 3 3 1 $167,088
Tom Amoss 12 3 2 2 $74,380
Larry Jones 6 3 1 0 $95,800

Owners Wins
G. Watts Humphrey Jr.* 3
Peter M. Brant* 2
Calumet Farm (Brad Kelley) 2
Cobra Cooper Racing (Ted Cooper) 2
Mark Detampel 2
Michael Dubb* 2
Tom Durant 2
e Five Racing Thoroughbreds (Robert J. Edwards Jr.)* 2
Charles E. Fipke 2

*Includes partnerships.
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