Keeneland Barn Notes — Thursday, Oct. 25

By Amy Owens —-

Keeneland’s 17-day Fall Meet concludes Saturday.
Post time for the first race each day is 1:05 p.m. ET.
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• BREEDERS’ CUP CONTENDERS WORK FOR ARNOLD, CASSE, LYNCH AND McPEEK
• LEADING HORSEMEN OF FALL MEET IN TIGHT RACE
• JOCKEY GAFFALIONE FINDS SUCCESS AT FALL MEET
• BREEDERS’ CUP CONTENDERS STABLED AT KEENELAND
• FALL MEET SPECIAL EVENTS
• FALL MEET LEADERS

BREEDERS’ CUP CONTENDERS WORK
FOR ARNOLD, CASSE, LYNCH AND McPEEK
Five contenders for the 35th Breeders’ Cup World Championships at Churchill Downs Nov. 2-3 turned in their final preparations over a fast track Thursday morning at Keeneland.
“Perfect,” trainer Rusty Arnold said after his unbeaten Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (G1) hopeful Concrete Rose worked a half-mile in :49 around 5:45 a.m. “We wanted her to go in :49, and she went in :49.”
Concrete Rose worked in company with stablemate Macabre to her inside. She passed her workmate down the lane and finished two lengths in front.
Keeneland clockers caught Concrete Rose in fractions of :12.40, :24.40, :36.60 and :49.
Owned by Ashbrook Farm and BBN Racing, Concrete Rose earned a berth in the Juvenile Fillies Turf by winning Keeneland’s JPMorgan Chase Jessamine (G2) on Oct. 10 in her second start. The Twirling Candy filly captured her career debut Aug. 20 at Saratoga.
Arnold said Concrete Rose would head to Churchill Tuesday.
Last year’s JPMorgan Chase Jessamine winner, Rushing Fall, won the Juvenile Fillies Turf.
The remaining works occurred after the morning renovation break.
Trainer Kenny McPeek sent Darley Alcibiades (G1) winner Restless Rider (Tito’s Handmade Vodka Juvenile Fillies-G1) with JPMorgan Chase Jessamine fifth-place finisher Princesa Carolina for a half-mile work. (Click here for a video of the work.)
“Rain is coming overnight, and I wanted to work them before this track got wet,” McPeek said.
Restless Rider was a length in front of Princesa Carolina at the finish and was clocked in :48.40. Time for Princesa Carolina was :48.60.
The pair went in :11.80, :23.60, :36 and galloped out in 1:00.80.
“We just wanted to let (Restless Rider) stretch her legs again,” McPeek said. “She was coming back six days off her last breeze (in which she worked 5 furlongs in 1:01.40).”
Princesa Carolina was pre-entered in the Juvenile Fillies Turf but was not selected into the field. McPeek said she might run in Sunday’s Rags to Riches at Churchill.
McPeek said the two fillies as well as his Claiborne Breeders’ Futurity (G1) runner-up, Signalman (Sentient Jet Juvenile-G1), would leave for Churchill “maybe today, maybe tomorrow, I haven’t set it yet.” Signalman is to breeze at Churchill Saturday.
Restless Rider is owned by Fern Circle Stables and Three Chimneys Farm. Three Chimneys owns Princesa Carolina.
Signalman races for Tommie M. Lewis, David A. Bernsen and Sherri McPeek’s Magdalena Racing.
Amerman Racing’s Oscar Performance, who has trained at Keeneland this month for Brian Lynch, had his final serious work for the Breeders’ Cup Mile (G1).

Oscar Performance and jockey Jose Ortiz, on the outside of stablemate Silver Ride, completed 5 furlongs in 1:01.40 after starting a length behind Silver Ride, who was clocked in 1:01.60. Oscar Performance, winner of the Woodbine Mile (G1) on Sept. 15, went the final quarter in :24 and galloped out 6 furlongs in 1:14. (Click here for a video of the work.)

“It was the work we needed going into the race,” Lynch said. “The gallop out and the whole work was a good work. He might have a little blowout at Churchill but nothing serious. This is what he needed, and Jose was thrilled with the work.”

Oscar Performance is scheduled to ship to Churchill on Sunday.

Making their way to the track about 9 a.m. were the final Breeders’ Cup contenders to work Thursday morning: John C. Oxley’s Indian Summer winner Strike Silver (Juvenile Turf Sprint) and Gary Barber’s Dixiana Bourbon (G3) fourth-place finisher War of Will (Juvenile Turf-G1). Both are trained by Mark Casse.

Working together, the pair covered 4 furlongs in :48.20. (Click here for a video of the work.)

Clockers caught the pair in fractions of :12.40, :24, :35.80 and :48.20 and galloping out in 1:00.80.

“Very happy with them,” David Carroll, Casse’s Keeneland assistant, said. “Great surface here and nice, quiet track. Hopefully it’ll be a winning breeze.”
Carroll said Strike Silver and War of Will along with Conrad Farm’s Lexus Raven Run (G2) winner Shamrock Rose (Filly and Mare Sprint-G1) would leave for Churchill on Sunday.

LEADING HORSEMEN OF FALL MEET IN TIGHT RACE

With three days remaining in Keeneland’s 17-day Fall Meet, the race for leading jockey, trainer and owner is far from over.
Julien Leparoux has 11 victories, one more than Tyler Gaffalione and Jose Ortiz, who are tied for second place. Apprentice Edgar Morales has nine wins, followed by Florent Geroux with seven and Brian Hernandez Jr. and Ricardo Santana Jr. with six apiece.
Leparoux is named on one mount today and four on both Friday and Saturday.
Gaffalione is to ride in five races today, eight Friday and six Saturday.
Ortiz, who has had two three-win days, is in five races today, seven Friday and eight Saturday.
Todd Pletcher has eight wins to lead trainers. He has two remaining starters, both Saturday.
In second with six wins apiece are Eddie Kenneally and Mike Maker.
Kenneally has entrants in two races today, four Friday and three Saturday.
Maker is represented by five starters over the next three days: one today, two Friday and two Saturday.
Six trainers each have four wins: Steve Asmussen, Ben Colebrook, Brad Cox, Chris Hartman, Joe Sharp and Ian Wilkes.
Horses owned by Ken and Sarah Ramsey have won four races, putting the Ramseys atop the list of leading owners as they bid to extend their record number of meet titles to 21.
The Ramseys have horses entered in four races Friday and two races Saturday.
G. Watts Humphrey Jr. is second with three victories. He has two runners entered today and two Friday.

JOCKEY GAFFALIONE FINDS SUCCESS AT FALL MEET
Jockey Tyler Gaffalione’s decision to spend his first full meet at Keeneland has rewarded the 24-year-old with 10 wins, including two graded stakes victories, to place him in a tie for second in the rider standings with three days remaining in the season. He leads all riders in earnings with $1,147,706.
Gaffalione, who is named to ride in 19 races over the next three days, is pleased with his success.
“My agent (Matt Muzikar) and I decided eight or nine (wins) would be a tremendous meet,” Gaffalione said.
His stakes wins came Oct. 7 in the $1 million Shadwell Turf Mile (G1) on 23-1 longshot Next Shares and Oct. 20 in the $250,000 Lexus Raven Run (G2) on Shamrock Rose.
Gaffalione, a Florida native, has followed his father, Steve Gaffalione, and grandfather Bobby Gaffalione as jockeys. His grandfather competed in the 1984 Kentucky Derby aboard Rexson’s Hope, and 33 years later Tyler rode Patch in the race.
As a teenager, Gaffalione exercised racehorses before school and breezed 2-year-olds at sales. He competed in his first race on Sept. 5, 2014, at Gulfstream Park. Two days later, in his third career start, he won his first race. He received the 2015 Eclipse Award as outstanding apprentice.
Through Wednesday, Gaffalione had 956 wins and had ridden the earners of nearly $34.4 million in his career. He has 209 wins this year to rank sixth among leading North American jockeys. His earnings of $10.4 million are good for 11th place.
In the past, Gaffalione made occasional Keeneland appearances and scored his first win here during the 2016 Fall Meet. He added his second win during the 2017 Spring Meet and third win in the 2017 Fall Meet. Gaffalione decided to “take a shot” at riding here full time this October because of the quality of the racing and the chance for new opportunities.
He said Keeneland’s electric atmosphere sets the track apart from others.
“I really just like the whole feel of the place,” he said. “When you win a race here, you actually feel like you’ve accomplished something. (Fans at) other tracks don’t applaud as much, but here you can hear them even when you’re coming down the stretch. Sometimes I have to look outside because I think there’s another horse coming but it’s just the crowd being loud. It’s special, there’s always a huge crowd here and great fans.”
Gaffalione’s Breeders’ Cup mounts include Next Shares (Mile-G1) and Mind Your Biscuits (Classic-G1 or TwinSpires Sprint-G1). After the Churchill meet concludes, he will spend the winter at Gulfstream Park with a planned return to Keeneland for the 2019 Spring Meet.
“Absolutely, that’s our plan,” Gaffalione said. “I’m very excited to be here and love the racing.”

BREEDERS’ CUP CONTENDERS STABLED AT KEENELAND

Keeneland is home to these contenders for the Breeders’ Cup World Championships at Churchill Downs on Nov. 2-3:
Trainer (Barn) Horse Breeders’ Cup Race Last Race (at KEE unless indicated) Most Recent Work Since Last Race

Rusty Arnold (60) Concrete Rose Juvenile Fillies Turf Won 10/10 JPMorgan Chase Jessamine (G2) 10/25: 4f in :49
Richard Baltas (41) Insta Erma Turf Sprint 6th in 10/6 First Lady (G1) 10/21: 4f in :51.60
Next Shares Mile Won 10/6 Shadwell Turf Mile (G1) 10/21: 5f in 1:04.20
Chris Block (44) Winning Envelope Juvenile Fillies Turf Won 9/29 allowance at CD 10/21: 4f in :48 on dirt
Chad Brown (27) Standard Deviation Juvenile 3rd in 10/6 Claiborne Breeders’ Futurity (G1) 10/21: 4f in :48.60
Mark Casse (37) Shamrock Rose Filly and Mare Sprint Won 10/20 Lexus Raven Run (G2)
Strike Silver Juvenile Turf Sprint Won 10/7 Indian Summer 10/25: 4f in :48.20
War of Will Juvenile Turf 4th in 10/7 Dixiana Bourbon (G3) 10/25: 4f in :48.20
Norm Casse (33) Belle Laura Juvenile Fillies Turf 3rd in 10/10 JPMorgan Chase Jessamine (G2)
Ben Colebrook (66) Knicks Go Juvenile Won 10/6 Claiborne Breeders’ Futurity (G1) 10/19: 5f in :59.20
Limousine Liberal Sprint/Dirt Mile 3rd in 10/5 Stoll Keenon Ogden Phoenix (G2) 10/20: 5f in 1:00.40
Mr. Crow Sprint 2nd in 9/29 Vosburgh (G1) at BEL 10/24: 3f in :35.20
Ignacio Correas IV (70) Blue Prize (ARG) Distaff Won 10/7 Juddmonte Spinster (G1) 10/19: 4f in :47.20
Brian Lynch (40) Oscar Performance Mile Won 9/15 Ricoh Woodbine Mile (G1)
at WO 10/25: 5f in 1:01.40
Kenny McPeek (34) Restless Rider Juvenile Fillies Won 10/5 Darley Alcibiades (G1) 10/25: 4f in :48.40

Signalman Juvenile 2nd in 10/6 Claiborne Breeders’ Futurity (G1) 10/20: 5f in 1:00.20
Joe Sharp (46) Mom’s On Strike Filly and Mare Turf 2nd in 9/13 Ramsey Farm at KD 10/20: 4f in :49.60 on dirt
Brendan Walsh (24) Extravagant Kid Turf Sprint 3rd in 10/6 Woodford (G2) Presented by Keeneland Select 10/24: 4f in :49.20 on dirt
Wesley Ward (41, 47, 68) Chelsea Cloisters Juvenile Turf Sprint 2nd in 10/7 Indian Summer 10/21: 5f in 1:04.60
Dragic Juvenile Turf Sprint 3rd in 10/7 Futurity at BEL 10/21: 5f in 1:05

Happy Like a Fool Sprint/Filly and Mare Sprint 5th in 10/6 Thoroughbred Club of America (G2) 10/21: 4f in :48.40
Kirby’s Penny Filly and Mare Sprint 3rd in 9/23 Gallant Bloom (G2) at BEL 10/23: 5 f in :59.20
Mae Never No (IRE) Juvenile Turf Sprint 3rd in 10/6 Speakeasy at SA 10/21: 4f in :47.80 on dirt
Moonlight Romance Juvenile Turf Sprint Won 9/8 Kentucky Downs Juvenile Turf Sprint at KD 10/23: 4f in :49.80
Shang Shang Shang Juvenile Turf Sprint Won 6/21 Norfolk (G2) at Royal Ascot 10/13: 5f in 1:02 on dirt
Stillwater Cove Juvenile Turf Sprint 5th in the 9/16 Natalma (G1) at WO 10/23: 4f in :50

FALL MEET SPECIAL EVENTS

Through Spring 2019
Keeneland Library exhibit “From the Vault: Historic Tracks.” This exhibit features 26 select images from the Library’s archive of tracks from the early 20th century. Pioneering Turf photographers John C. Hemment and Charles Christian Cook are featured, with additional representation from Joel Clyne Meadors and Robert Lee McClure, among others. The Library is open to the public Mondays through Fridays from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. ET.
The online exhibit “Photo Treasures from the Keeneland Library” presents nearly 100 other historic images of U.S. racing facilities in its “Tracks Gallery.”

Thursday, Oct. 25
Kentucky State Parks Foundation 5th Annual Day at the Races. Support the Foundation through “The Works” package, which includes reserved row parking, brunch in the Limestone Café of the Sales Pavilion, silent auction, reserved Grandstand seating and a race-day program. For more information, call 859 351-8430 or click here.
Friday, Oct. 26
Tour Keeneland, Behind-the-Scenes Racing Tour and Owner’s Experience Tour. Click here for more information these tours and other Official Keeneland Tours.

Racing from the Top: Behind the Scenes at Keeneland with Chris McCarron. Tour offered by Horse Country includes reserved Grandstand seating, program and food voucher. Portion of proceeds benefit Old Friends Equine. Click here for more information and to reserve through Horse Country.

The Hill (weather permitting) – Keeneland’s designated tailgate lot offers fans a jumbo screen TV to watch live racing, wagering, local food trucks and free shuttles to the Grandstand.

Saturday, Oct. 27
Sunrise Trackside – Halloween Edition. Thoroughbreds and their human connections begin the day well before sunrise. See what they’re up to during Sunrise Trackside, 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 racehorses train on the main track; children’s activities in the Kids Club Corner (7:30-9:30 a.m.); free guided Keeneland tours (7:30-10 a.m.); Paddock demonstration with a miniature horse from the Kentucky Horse Park (9 a.m.); and Q&A session with jockey Edgar Morales in the Paddock (12:05 p.m.).

The Headless Horseman will appear in the Paddock at 9:15 a.m. and on the track during the afternoon races. That morning, children are encouraged to dress up and participate in the costume contest in the Paddock following the Headless Horseman.
The Hill (weather permitting). Keeneland’s designated tailgate lot offers fans a jumbo screen TV to watch live racing and football, wagering, live music, local food trucks and free shuttles to the Grandstand.

FALL MEET LEADERS
Through Oct. 24 (14 days of 17-day season)
Jockey Starts Wins 2nd 3rd Purses

Julien Leparoux 68 11 6 6 $688,108
Jose Ortiz 68 10 12 9 $686,401
Tyler Gaffalione 57 10 5 5 $1,147,706
*Edgar Morales 52 9 3 5 $307,214
Florent Geroux 64 7 9 11 $761,375
Brian Hernandez Jr. 69 6 6 10 $727,658
Ricardo Santana Jr. 64 6 6 7 $493,927
Robby Albarado 54 5 11 2 $214,613
Chris Landeros 44 5 4 7 $309,208

*Apprentice

Trainer Starts Wins 2nd 3rd Purses

Todd Pletcher 17 8 2 1 $469,036
Eddie Kenneally 26 6 5 1 $221,751
Mike Maker 40 6 3 5 $310,288
Brad Cox 37 4 7 6 $456,892
Ian Wilkes 40 4 4 5 $362,654
Chris Hartman 22 4 4 2 $173,794
Steve Asmussen 33 4 3 4 $256,705
Joe Sharp 19 4 2 4 $188,421
Ben Colebrook 25 4 1 4 $466,072

Owner Wins

Kenneth and Sarah Ramsey 4
G. Watts Humphrey 3
Calumet Farm (Brad Kelley) 2
Joey Keith Davis 2
Marc Detampel and Sunshine State Racing (Mike Peak) 2
Susan and Jim Hill 2
Homewrecker Racing (Ricki and Ron Rashinski) 2
KRA Stud Farm (Jin Woo Lee) 2
Lothenbach Stables (Robert J. Lothenbach) 2
John C. Oxley 2
Sagamore Farm (Kevin Plank) 2
Marylou Whitney Stables (Marylou Whitney) 2
WinStar Farm (Kenny Trout), China Horse Club (Ah Khing Teo) and SF Racing (Gavin Murphy) 2

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