Keeneland Barn Notes — Sunday, Sept. 30

By Amy Owens —-

Keeneland’s 17-day Fall Meet opens Friday, Oct. 5, and concludes Saturday, Oct. 27, with racing
Wednesdays through Sundays. Post time for the first race each day is 1:05 pm. ET
except Saturday, Oct. 6, when the first post is 12:40 p.m.

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• SKEPTIC COULD GIVE ARNOLD JUDDMONTE SPINSTER REPEAT
• TALK VEUVE TO ME WORKS HALF-MILE IN :48.20 FOR JUDDMONTE SPINSTER
• WORK TAB
• PROSPECTIVE FIELDS FOR FALL STARS WEEKEND STAKES

SKEPTIC COULD GIVE ARNOLD JUDDMONTE SPINSTER REPEAT
Five trainers have won the Juddmonte Spinster (G1) in consecutive years, and Rusty Arnold hopes to join the club next Sunday when he sends out Skeptic in Keeneland’s marquee Fall Meet race for fillies and mares on the main track.
Owned by G. Watts Humphrey Jr. and Ashbrook Farm, Skeptic tuned up for the $500,000 Juddmonte Spinster with a half-mile breeze in :48.60 Sunday morning after the renovation break over a fast track.
Romantic Vision gave Arnold his second victory in the Juddmonte Spinster in 2017 when she splashed home to a 2-length victory in the mud.
“She (Romantic Vision) got good for a short period of time and she loved the mud,” Arnold said. “This filly (Skeptic) has so much talent. Can she beat older horses? Probably not, but I am taking a shot here.”
Arnold had considered running Skeptic in the Cotillion (G1) at Parx on Sept. 22 or today in the Remington Oaks (G3) at Remington Park. He chose the Juddmonte Spinster, adding, “The top New York fillies generally don’t come because it is too close to the Breeders’ Cup.”
Skeptic won the Monmouth Oaks (G3) in her most recent start Aug. 18 and prior to that was fourth in the Indiana Oaks (G3) in her stakes debut. Both races were 1 1/16 miles; the Juddmonte Spinster is 1 1/8 miles.
“She was not mentally ready for it at Indiana,” Arnold said. “It was night racing and there was a big crowd. I hope with the mile and an eighth we can make up ground on Talk Veuve to Me (who won the race by 4¾ lengths with Skeptic finishing 11½ lengths back).”
Following the Indiana Oaks on July 14, Skeptic went to Saratoga.
“She did great up there and she has had six good weeks since Monmouth,” Arnold said.
Skeptic could top off a big weekend for Arnold, who plans to have entrants in two other stakes on Fall Stars Weekend. Preston Madden’s Borracho is slated to start in Saturday’s $500,000 Claiborne Breeders’ Futurity (G1), and G. Watts Humphrey Jr.’s Awestruck is headed to the $250,000 Thoroughbred Club of America (G2).
Borracho broke his maiden in his most recent start on Sept. 15 at Churchill Downs going a one-turn mile. The Claiborne Breeders’ Futurity is a two-turn, 1 1/16-mile race.
“Two turns: That is what he wants,” Arnold said of the son of Uncle Mo, who worked a half-mile in :49 Sunday morning. “I think that will improve him.”
Awestruck, who worked a half-mile in :49.60 on Saturday, is cutting back in distance for the 6-furlong TCA.
“I maybe made a mistake with her,” Arnold said. “In my mind, I thought she would go long being a Tapit out of a Tiznow mare. Her best races have been one turn and 7 furlongs. I wish this race was 7 furlongs.”
Also working Sunday morning for Arnold was Morticia, winner of last year’s Buffalo Trace Franklin County (G3). Prepping to defend her title in the 5½-furlong turf test on Oct. 12, Morticia worked a half-mile on the main track in :49.

TALK VEUVE TO ME WORKS HALF-MILE IN :48.20
FOR JUDDMONTE SPINSTER
Talk Veuve to Me, most recently fourth in the Alabama (G1) at Saratoga, completed her major preparations for next Sunday’s 1 1/8-mile $500,000 Juddmonte Spinster (G1) by working a half-mile in company in :48.20 over a fast track Sunday morning.
“I would give her two thumbs up (for the work),” said trainer Rodolphe Brisset, who was aboard Tale Veuve to Me. “She did it easy on the bridle. She had her major work last week when she went five-eighths in (:59.60) and out (6 furlongs) in 1:12.”
Keeneland clockers caught Talk Veuve to Me in fractions of :12.40, :24.20, :36.40 and out five-eighths in 1:01.60.
Sunday’s work was the fourth at Keeneland since the Alabama for Talk Veuve to Me. Brisset owns the filly in partnership with Team Valor International and Stephen McKay.
“She has done very well since the Alabama and the six weeks timing between races is very good,” Brisset said of the filly, who won the Indiana Oaks (G3) prior to her Alabama run.
“We did not get the setup we wanted in the Alabama,” Brisset said of the 1¼-mile race. “I still think she is a two-turn filly and now she is back on her own track.”
The Juddmonte Spinster will be Talk Veuve to Me’s first start against older horses.
“That is not a concern,” Brisset said. “You have to face them sometime.”

WORK TAB
Old Friends winner Next Shares worked 5 furlongs in 1:02.40 in preparation for a probable start in Saturday’s $1 million Shadwell Turf Mile (G1) for trainer Richard Baltas. Also working for Baltas was First Lady (G1) hopeful Insta Erma, who covered 5 furlongs in 1:02.40 after the morning renovation break. Insta Erma won the Ladies Turf (G3) at Kentucky Downs in her most recent start. …
Trainer Neil Drysdale sent out First Lady probable La Sardane (FR), who worked 5 furlongs in 1:01.80. …
Other works of note included Dixiana Bourbon (G3) probables Blockbuster, who worked a half-mile in :48 for trainer Mark Casse, and Tracksmith, who covered 5 furlongs in 1:01.80 for trainer Joe Sharp. Indian Summer probable Egoli worked a half-mile in :48.60 for trainer Wesley Ward, who sent out Woodford (G2) Presented by Keeneland Select probable starter Master Merion to work 5 furlongs in 1:00.60.

PROSPECTIVE FIELDS FOR FALL STARS WEEKEND STAKES
Here are the probable starters for Fall Stars Weekend stakes as compiled by Keeneland Stakes Coordinator Allison DeLuca:

*$400,000 DARLEY ALCIBIADES-G1 (Entries taken Tuesday, Oct. 2; race Friday, Oct. 5) – Bella Ciao (Antonio Sano), Bizwhacks (Doug O’Neill), Catherinethegreat (trainer Mark Casse), Champagne Anyone (Ian Wilkes), Chocolate Kisses (Mark Casse), Into Trouble (Ben Colebrook), Lady TNT (Joe Sharp), Lightscameraaction (Kenny McPeek), Malocchio (John Servis), Oxy Lady (Jack Sisterson), Reflect (Keith Desormeaux), Restless Rider (McPeek), Somewhere (Buff Bradley).
*$250,000 STOLL KEENON OGDEN PHOENIX-G2 (Entries taken Tuesday, Oct. 2; race Friday, Oct. 5) – Dalmore (Anthony Quartarolo), Distinctive B (Peter Miller), Heartwood (James Chapman), Limousine Liberal (Ben Colebrook), Promises Fulfilled (Dale Romans), Whitmore (Ron Moquett).
*$1,000,000 SHADWELL TURF MILE-G1 (Entries taken Wednesday, Oct. 3; race Saturday, Oct. 6) – Almanaar (GB) (Chad Brown), Big Score (Tim Yakteen), Bound for Nowhere (Wesley Ward), Forge (GB) (Bill Mott), Christian C (Wayne Catalano), Divisidero (Kelly Rubley), Great Wide Open (IRE), (Conor Murphy), Heart to Heart (Brian Lynch), Holiday Stone (George Weaver), Mr. Misunderstood (Brad Cox), Next Shares (Richard Baltas), Qurbaan (Kiaran McLaughlin), Synchrony (Michael Stidham), Voodoo Song (Linda Rice), Zulu Alpha (John Ortiz). Possible: Analyze It (Brown).
*$500,000 CLAIBORNE BREEDERS’ FUTURITY-G1 (Entries taken Wednesday, Oct. 3; race Saturday, Oct. 6) – Aurelius Maximus (Chad Brown), Borracho (Rusty Arnold), Classy John (Dallas Stewart), Dream Maker (Mark Casse), Knicks Go (Ben Colebrook), Looking At Bikinis (Chad Brown), Mind Control (Greg Sacco), Moonster (Dale Romans), Mr. Ankeny (Romans), Signalman (McPeek), Sombeyay (Todd Pletcher), Standard Deviation (Brown), Tobacco Road (Steve Asmussen), Unionizer (Bill Mott).
*$400,000 FIRST LADY-G1 (Entries taken Wednesday, Oct. 3; race Saturday, Oct. 6) – A Raving Beauty (GER) (Chad Brown), Crown Walk (GB) (Henri-Alex Pantall), Dona Bruja (ARG) (Ignacio Correas IV), Insta Erma (Richard Baltas), La Sardane (FR) (Neil Drysdale), Off Limits (IRE) (Brown), One Liz (Wayne Catalano), Pyscho Sister (Ari Herbertson), Quidura (GB) (Brown), Valadorna (Mark Casse).
*$250,000 THOROUGHBRED CLUB OF AMERICA-G2 (Entries taken Wednesday, Oct. 3; race Saturday, Oct. 6) – Awestruck (Rusty Arnold), Chalon (Arnaud Delacour), Curlin’s Approval (Happy Alter), Happy Like a Fool (Wesley Ward), Mia Mischief (Steve Asmussen), Miss Sunset (Jeff Bonde), Rich Mommy (Victor Barboza Jr.), Torrent (Ron Moquett).
$200,000 WOODFORD PRESENTED BY KEENELAND SELECT-G2 (Entries taken Wednesday, Oct. 3; race Saturday, Oct. 6) – Bucchero (Tim Glyshaw), Done Deal (Ian Wilkes), Holding Gold (Mark Casse), Machismo (Gary Johnson), Master Merion (Wesley Ward), Undrafted (Ward), Vici (Mike Maker), Will Call (Brad Cox).
*$500,000 JUDDMONTE SPINSTER-G1 (Entries taken Thursday, Oct. 4; race Sunday, Oct. 7) – Blue Prize (ARG) (Ignacio Correas IV), Eskimo Kisses (Kenny McPeek), Fuhriously Kissed (Anthony Quartarolo), Pacific Wind (Chad Brown), Skeptic (Rusty Arnold), Talk Veuve to Me (Rodolphe Brisset).
*$250,000 DIXIANA BOURBON-G3 (Entries taken Thursday, Oct. 4; race Sunday, Oct. 7) – All American Hero (Mark Casse), Art du Val (GB) (Charles Appleby), Blockbuster (Casse), Gins and Tins (Wesley Ward), Henley’s Joy (Mike Maker), Life Mission (Ben Colebrook), Mr Wrench It (Coty Davidson), Salvator Mundi (Kenny McPeek), Tracksmith (Joe Sharp).
*$200,000 INDIAN SUMMER (Entries taken Thursday, Oct. 4; race Sunday, Oct. 7) – Blame the Frog (Ben Colebrook), Chelsea Cloisters (Wesley Ward), Egoli (Ward), Nitrous (Steve Asmussen), Perfect Answer (Coty Davidson), Shang Shang Shang (Ward), Strike Silver (Mark Casse).
*Breeders’ Cup Challenge race