Keeneland Barn Notes — Wednesday, Oct. 21

Posted On 22 Oct 2020

By : admin

Comment: 0

By Amy Owens —-

Keeneland’s 17-day Fall Meet runs through Saturday.
Post time for the first race each day is 1:05 p.m. ET.

**********

· TIZ THE LAW SETTLING IN FOR BREEDERS’ CUP CLASSIC RUN

· RACE FOR LEADING TRAINER TIGHT WITH FOUR DAYS TO GO IN FALL MEET

· GALLOPING OUT

· FALL MEET LEADERS

**********

TIZ THE LAW SETTLING IN FOR BREEDERS’ CUP CLASSIC RUN

Sackatoga Stable’s multiple Grade 1 winner Tiz the Law galloped a mile and a half under Heather Smullen over a track labeled good Wednesday morning as he continued preparations for an expected run in the $6 million Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1) here Nov. 7.

“He’s doing good,” trainer Barclay Tagg said about the colt, who arrived here late Sunday afternoon, jogged Monday and galloped an easy mile Tuesday. “He had a strong mile-and-a-half gallop this morning.”

Tagg brought Tiz the Law, winner of this year’s Belmont (G1), Travers (G1), Curlin Florida Derby (G1) and Holy Bull (G3), to Keeneland early for the Breeders’ Cup World Championships so the colt could get two works over the track. The Classic will be his first start since a runner-up finish in the Sept. 5 Kentucky Derby (G1) Presented by Woodford Reserve.

“He’ll work Friday or Saturday,” Tagg said of Tiz the Law, who had his fourth work since the Kentucky Derby last Friday before he departed Belmont Park. “I have a two-day leeway.”

Isolated thunderstorms are forecast for Friday morning in the Lexington area with morning showers expected Saturday.

RACE FOR LEADING TRAINER TIGHT WITH FOUR DAYS TO GO IN FALL MEET

A three-win day Sunday rocketed Brad Cox into a narrow lead over Mike Maker after 13 days of the 17-day Fall Meet that concludes Saturday.

As the meet hits the top of the stretch this afternoon, Cox has an 11-10 edge on Maker with both trainers having one horse entered today. Both trainers will be busy over the final three days of the season with 10 entries apiece.

Maker has won six Keeneland training titles, including last fall. Cox has one title, which came in the Spring of 2018.

Close behind with eight victories is Steve Asmussen, who has won or shared three training titles. Asmussen has three horses entered this afternoon, three Thursday, four Friday and two Saturday.

Tyler Gaffalione has a commanding 18-12 advantage over Florent Geroux in the race for leading rider. Both jockeys have won two riding titles here with Gaffalione picking up his second during the five-day Summer Meet.

GALLOPING OUT

Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners, Michael Cloonan and Tim Thornton’s Blame Debbie, who outdueled Always Shopping by a head after a battle over the final half-mile of Sunday’s Rood & Riddle Dowager (G3), returned to trainer Graham Motion’s base at Fair Hill Training Center in Maryland on Tuesday.

The two fillies shaded 23 seconds for the final quarter-mile of the 1½-mile test. Blame Debbie became the first 3-year-old to win the race, which was run for the 29th time.

Blame Debbie is cataloged as a racing or broodmare prospect to Keeneland’s November Breeding Stock Sale from Nov. 9-18. She is Hip 1310. …

In selected races during Keeneland’s 2020 Fall Meet, grooms of racehorses determined to have the best overall appearance in the Paddock were recognized with Best Turned Out (BTO) awards. On Sunday, Rood & Riddle Equine Hospital presented a $500 BTO honor to Renier Rosales, groom of Siberian Iris (IRE), who competed in the Rood & Riddle Dowager (G3).

FALL MEET LEADERS

Through Oct. 18 (13 days of 17-day season)

Jockey

Starts

Wins

2nd

3rd

Purses

Tyler Gaffalione

$1,047,720

Florent Geroux

$865,321

Luis Saez

$1,182,436

Ricardo Santana Jr.

$661,695

Joe Talamo