Keeneland Barn Notes — Thursday, March 28

By Amy Owens —-

Keeneland’s 2019 Spring Meet opens Thursday, April 4, with a 3 p.m. ET first post.
First post for the remainder of meet is 1:05 p.m. The 16-day season runs through Friday, April 26.
Keeneland is closed Easter Sunday, April 21.
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Click here for the lists of nominations and past performances
for Keeneland’s April 4-7 opening weekend stakes.
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• FULL GATE POSSIBLE FOR TOYOTA BLUE GRASS; FIELD OF EIGHT PROBABLE FOR CENTRAL BANK ASHLAND
• OPENING WEEK STAKES PROBABLES
• LIMOUSINE LIBERAL GEARS UP FOR 2019 DEBUT

FULL GATE POSSIBLE FOR TOYOTA BLUE GRASS;
FIELD OF EIGHT PROBABLE FOR CENTRAL BANK ASHLAND

Less than a week before entries for the 95th running of the $1 million Toyota Blue Grass (G2) are taken Wednesday, April 3, a full gate of 14 runners might face the starter for the April 6 race.

According to Keeneland Stakes Coordinator Tiffany Bourque, 13 horses are considered probable for the 1 1/8-mile dirt test with another five deemed as possible starters. The Toyota Blue Grass carries 170 qualifying points for the $3 million Kentucky Derby (G1) on a 100-40-20-10 basis to the first four finishers.

Heading the list of probables is Tommie Lewis, David Bernsen and Magadalena Racing’s Signalman. Trained by Kenny McPeek, Signalman was second in last fall’s Claiborne Breeders’ Futurity (G1) in his lone Keeneland start.

Other probables include Admire (trained by Dale Romans), Chase the Ghost (Dallas Stewart), Chess Chief (Stewart), Dream Maker (Mark Casse), Hoffa’s Union (Casse), Lucky Lee (John Servis), Market King (D. Wayne Lukas), Mr. Ankeny (Romans), Sir Winston (Casse), So Alive (Todd Pletcher), Somelikeithotbrown (Mike Maker) and Vekoma (George Weaver).

Considered as possible are Current (Pletcher), Galilean (Jerry Hollendorfer), Joevia (Greg Sacco), Our Braintrust (Casse) and Tax (Danny Gargan).

Also scheduled for April 6 is the 82nd running of the Central Bank Ashland Stakes (G1) for 3-year-old fillies going 1 1/16 miles on the main track. The race carries 170 qualifying points for the $125 million Kentucky Oaks (G1) on May 3.
Topping the roster of eight probables are D. J. Stable and Cash is King’s champion Jaywalk and Three Chimneys Farm and Fern Circle Stables’ Restless Rider, the 1-2 finishers in last fall’s Tito’s Handmade Vodka Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1) at Churchill Downs.

John Servis trains Jaywalk, who arrived at Keeneland on Tuesday from her winter base in Florida. Two-time Ashland winner Kenny McPeek trains Restless Rider, who won the Darley Alcibiades (G1) here last fall.

Other fillies considered as probable for the race are Bell’s the One (Neil Pessin), Bizwhacks (Doug O’Neill), Chocolate Kisses (Mark Casse), Feedback (Chad Brown), Lady Kate (Eddie Kenneally) and Needs Supervision (Jeremiah O’Dwyer). Considered as possible is Orra Moor (Pletcher).

OPENING WEEK STAKES PROBABLES

In addition to the Toyota Blue Grass and Central Bank Ashland, seven other stakes will be run during the opening week of the 16-day Spring Meet that kicks off Thursday, April 4. Click here for the lists of nominations and past performances for the stakes.

According to Stakes Coordinator Tiffany Bourque, here are the prospective field for those races:

$100,000 PALISADES TURF SPRINT (Entries taken Monday, April 1; race Thursday, April 4) – Bulletin (trainer Todd Pletcher), Dom Carlos (IRE) (Mark Casse), Gladiator King (Jaime Mejia), Real News (Al Stall Jr.), Skychief (Mike Maker), Strike Silver (Casse), Uncapped (Brendan Walsh), Vivid Verse (Joe Sharp) and Yes I Am Free (Casse). Possible: Blame the Frog (Ben Colebrook), Joyful Heart (Brian Lynch) and Red Island (IRE) (Phil D’Amato).
$150,000 KENTUCKY UTILITIES TRANSYLVANIA (G3) (Entries taken Tuesday, April 2; race Friday, April 5 – Dunph (Mike Maker), Go Away (Eddie Kenneally), Henley’s Joy (Maker), Louder Than Bombs (David Fawkes), More Ice (Jerry Hollendorfer), Spectacular Gem (James Baker), The Black Album (FR) (Rodolphe Brisset) and Weekly Call (Doug O’Neill).
$300,000 MADISON (G1) (Entries taken Wednesday, April 3; race Saturday, April 6) – Amy’s Challenge (Mac Robertson), Cathedral Reader (Dallas Stewart), Late Night Pow Wow (Javier Contreras), Shamrock Rose (Mark Casse), Spiced Perfection (Peter Miller) and Sultry (Eddie Kenneally).
$250,000 COMMONWEALTH (G3) (Entries taken Wednesday, April 3; race Saturday, April 6) – Bobby’s Wicked One (Al Stall Jr.), Copper Town (Todd Pletcher), Limousine Liberal (Ben Colebrook), Runaway Ghost (Todd Fincher), Still Having Fun (Tim Keefe), Storm Advisory (Anthony Quartarolo), Uno Mas Modelo (Quartarolo) and Warrior’s Club (D. Wayne Lukas).
$200,000 SHAKERTOWN (G2) (Entries taken Wednesday, April 3; race Saturday, April 6) – Angaston (Lon Wiggins), Captain Scotty (Peter Miller), Chaos Theory (Brendan Walsh), Imprimis (Joe Orseno), Jazzy Times (Wes Hawley), Latest Revenge (Greg Foley), Richard’s Boy (Miller) and Shakhimat (Roger Attfield).
$200,000 APPALACHIAN (G2) PRESENTED BY JAPAN RACING ASSOCIATION (Entries taken Thursday, April 4; race Sunday, April 7) – Beautiful Ballad (Mark Casse), Catch a Thrill (Casse), Clause (Chad Brown), Hard Legacy (Norm Casse), Primela (FR) (Cherie DeVaux), Princesa Carolina (Kenny McPeek) and Regal Glory (Brown).
$150,000 BEAUMONT (G3) PRESENTED BY KEENELAND SELECT (Entries taken Thursday, April 4; race Sunday, April 7) – Bold Script (Stuart Simon), Fancy Dress Party (Ben Colebrook), Mother (Bob Baffert), Power Gal (JPN) (Mark Casse) and Queen of Beas (Jorge Abreu).

LIMOUSINE LIBERAL GEARS UP FOR 2019 DEBUT

Katherine Ball’s $1,790,261 earner Limousine Liberal completed major preparations for his 2019 debut by working 5 furlongs in 1:00.20 over a fast track after the morning renovation break Thursday at Keeneland.

Keeneland clockers caught the 7-year-old in fractions of :11.80, :23.80, :35.20, :47.40 and out 6 furlongs in 1:13.80 as he worked on his own.

“I got him in :59 and 4,” trainer Ben Colebrook said. “He got a little something out of it and galloped out strong.”
Limousine Liberal concluded 2018 with a fifth-place finish in the TwinSpires Breeders’ Cup Sprint (G1) on Nov. 3 at Churchill Downs. He was given six weeks off after the Breeders’ Cup and spent the entire time at Colebrook’s barn on Rice Road. Thursday’s work was his fourth since he returned to the work tab March 8.

“He usually has four works,” Colebrook said of bringing Limousine Liberal back to the races. “We got a couple days behind because of the weather. He had two works on the training track to start with, and I may do a blow out before the race.”

Limousine Liberal figures to be the horse to beat in next Saturday’s 33rd running of the $250,000 Commonwealth (G3) going 7 furlongs. He finished second in last year’s running, beaten a neck by Warrior’s Club, and was third in the 2017 renewal.

On Wednesday, Colebrook worked KRA Stud Farm’s Knicks Go, winner of last fall’s Claiborne Breeders’ Futurity (G1) and runner-up in the Sentient Jet Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (G1).

“He may run in the (Stonestreet) Lexington (G3),” Colebrook said of Knicks Go, whose work (1:01.60 for 5 furlongs) was the first since he finished seventh in the Gotham (G3). “He didn’t run at all (in the Gotham) and now we got him back home and will try to change things up with him.”

Colebrook said Mr. Crow, also owned by KRA Stud Farm, would be pointed to an allowance race here during the meet that runs through April 26. Mr. Crow, who worked a bullet half-mile in :47 on Wednesday for his first work of 2019, has not run since finishing second in the Vosburgh (G1) on Sept. 29.
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