Keeneland Barn Notes — Monday, Oct. 4

By Amy Owens —-

MONDAY, OCT. 4

Keeneland’s 17-day Fall Meet opens Friday and runs through Saturday, Oct. 30.
Post time for the first race each day is 1 p.m. ET. No racing Mondays and Tuesdays.

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· LOBO TO SEND IVAR (BRZ) OUT FOR TURF MILE REPEAT

LOBO TO SEND IVAR (BRZ) OUT FOR TURF MILE REPEAT

When last seen at Keeneland, Bonne Chance Farm and Stud R D I’s Ivar (BRZ) ran fourth in the
$2 million FanDuel Breeders’ Cup Mile (G1) Presented by PDJF for a finish that marked the best placing for a U.S.-based runner in the race.

Trainer Paulo Lobo has the 5-year-old ready for a crosstown trip this weekend from The Thoroughbred Center for the $750,000 Keeneland Turf Mile (G1), a “Win and You’re In” race for the Breeders’ Cup Mile to be run at Del Mar on Nov. 6.

“He is doing very well,” Lobo said of Ivar, who finished sixth beaten 2 lengths in the Turf Classic (G1) on Kentucky Derby Day (May 1) at Churchill Downs.

“He had a minor setback after that race, but he has been working steadily (since the end of July) and never has missed a work.”

Ivar earned his way into last year’s Breeders’ Cup with a victory in the Turf Mile here, and a triumph Saturday in the 36th running of the grass test would make him the third repeat winner. The others are Gio Ponti (2010-2011) and Dumaani (1995-1996).

In addition to Ivar, Lobo also plans to enter In Love (BRZ) for Bonne Chance.

“We put blinkers on him and his last race was amazing,” Lobo said of the gelding’s 2¼-length victory in the TVG Stakes (L) at Kentucky Downs on Sept. 8.

DADDY IS A LEGEND SEEKS TO COMPLETE RESUME
IN FIRST LADY PRESENTED BY UK HEALTHCARE

Susan and Jim Hill’s multiple graded stakes winner Daddy Is a Legend will attempt to add an elusive Grade 1 victory to her resume Saturday when she makes an expected start in the $400,000 First Lady (G1) Presented by UK HealthCare.

“We are trying to get a Grade 1 for her, and I think she is deserving of it,” trainer George Weaver said of Daddy Is a Legend, who posted the initial victory of her career as a 2-year-old here during the 2017 Fall Meet.

After an allowance race here in the spring, Daddy Is a Legend finished fifth against males in the Fourstardave (G1) in her most recent start.

Weaver said the First Lady was the target after the Fourstardave for Daddy Is a Legend, who has two runner-up finishes and two third-place efforts in Grade 1 tries.

The First Lady is a “Win and You’re In” race for the $2 million Maker’s Mark Filly and Mare Turf (G1) at Del Mar on Nov. 6.

“That would be Jim’s (Hill) call,” Weaver said of seeking a second Grade 1 should Daddy Is a Legend prevail Saturday. “She likes Del Mar (winning the Jimmy Durante-G3 and second in two runnings of the Matriarch-G1), and if she runs first or second here he’d be likely to consider it.”

TURNERLOOSE TOPS 46 NOMINATIONS
FOR JPMORGAN CHASE JESSAMINE

Dawn and Ike Thrash’s undefeated Turnerloose heads a list of 46 2-year-old fillies nominated to the 31st running of the $200,000 JPMorgan Chase Jessamine (G2) to be run Wednesday, Oct. 13.

The JPMorgan Chase Jessamine, run at 1 1/16 miles on the Keeneland turf course, is a “Win and You’re In” race for the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (G1) to be held Nov. 5 at Del Mar.

Trained by Brad Cox, Turnerloose won at first asking at Ellis Park in July and then romped to a 5-length victory in the 1-mile, $500,000 Aristocrat Juvenile Fillies (L) at Kentucky Downs on Sept. 6.

Also nominated is another Kentucky Downs stakes winner, Runnymede Farm, Peter Callahan and Chris Zinkhan’s Koala Princess. Trained by Arnaud Delacour, Koala Princess also is unbeaten in two starts and in her most recent outing won the $500,000 Ainsworth going 6½ furlongs.

CAMPANELLE (IRE) AND KIMARI HEADLINE
BUFFALO TRACE FRANKLIN COUNTY NOMINATIONS

Stonestreet Stables’ Campanelle (IRE) and Ten Broeck Farm’s Kimari, two Grade/Group 1 winners trained by Wesley Ward, headline a roster of 34 fillies and mares nominated to the 25th running of the $150,000 Buffalo Trace Franklin County (G3) to be run Friday, Oct. 15 at 5½ furlongs on the turf.

Campanelle has two Group 1 victories and a Group 2 score on grass in Europe on her resume, while Kimari notched her Grade 1 triumph on the dirt in the Madison here last spring in her most recent start. She is a two-time stakes winner on the grass.

GALLOPING OUT

Godolphin’s Althiqa (GB), winner of the Just a Game (G1) and Diana (G1) in her two previous U.S. ventures, galloped over Keeneland’s all-weather training track Monday morning after spending two days in quarantine at Churchill Downs. Trained by Charles Appleby, Althiqua is scheduled to test Keeneland’s turf course Tuesday morning in preparation for Saturday’s $400,000 First Lady (G1) Presented by UK HealthCare.

“She will have a 6-furlong canter on the grass tomorrow morning,” said Christopher Durham, who is overseeing the filly’s preparation here. …

A new face in the Keeneland barn area is Alan Sherman, son of trainer Art Sherman who guided the wildly popular California Chrome through his career from 2013-2017.

“I have shipped in a few horses to run here in the past, but this is the first time I have stabled here,” Sherman said. “I moved here in March 2020 and I’ve got five horses now.”

Sherman said his father, now 83, has seven horses in training at Los Alamitos and his brother Steve has 40 at Golden Gate in California.

FALL STARS WEEKEND STAKES FIELDS

Here are the prospective fields for Keeneland’s Oct. 8-10 Fall Stars Weekend, which opens the 17-day Fall Meet. Fall Stars Weekend will offer 10 stakes worth $3.65 million

Nine of the races are Breeders’ Cup Challenge tests, which award the winners fees-paid berths into corresponding races at the 38th World Championships to be held Nov. 5-6 at Del Mar.

The following is a list of probable and possible starters for the stakes from Keeneland Stakes Coordinator Allison DeLuca.

*Designates Breeders’ Cup Challenge races.

Fall Stars Friday races – entries taken Tuesday

*$400,000 Darley Alcibiades (G1) Probable: Diamond Wow (trainer Patrick Biancone), Distinctlypossible (Chad Brown), Dream Lith (Robertino Diodoro), Juju’s Map (Brad Cox) Mama Rina (Kenny McPeek), Matareya (Cox), Miss Interpret (Todd Pletcher), Myfavoritedaughter (Jeff Engler), Penny Saver (McPeek), Pipeline Girl (Tom Amoss), Runup (Laura Wohlers), Sequist (Dallas Stewart). Possible: Verylittlecents (Randy Morse).

*$250,000 Stoll Keenon Ogden Phoenix (G2) Probable: Aloha West (Wayne Catalano), Just Might (Michelle Lovell), Mucho (John Ortiz), Special Reserve (Mike Maker). Possible: Baby Yoda (Bill Mott), Bango (Greg Foley), Endorsed (Maker), Quick Tempo (Chris Davis).

Fall Stars Saturday races – entries taken Wednesday

*$750,000 Keeneland Turf Mile (G1) Probable: Diamond Oops (Patrick Biancone), Field Pass (Mike Maker), Front Run the Fed (Caio Caramori), In Love (BRZ) (Paulo Lobo), Ivar (BRZ) (Lobo), Lope Y Fernandez (IRE) (Aidan O’Brien), Monarchs Glen (GB) (Maker), Order of Australia (IRE) (O’Brien), Somelikeithotbrown (Maker), Space Traveller (GB) (Brendan Walsh), Tell Your Daddy (Tom Morley).

*$500,000 Claiborne Breeders’ Futurity (G1) Probable: Classic Causeway (Brian Lynch), Double Thunder (Todd Pletcher), Kevin’s Folly (Tom Amoss), King Curlin (Brittany Vanden Berg), Rattle N Roll (Kenny McPeek).

*$400,000 First Lady (G1) Presented by UK HealthCare Probable: Abscond (Eddie Kenneally), Althiqa (GB) (Charles Appleby), Blowout (GB) (Chad Brown), Daddy Is a Legend (George Weaver), Dalika (GER) (Al Stall Jr.), Empress Josephine (IRE) (Aidan O’Brien), Harvey’s Lil Goil (Bill Mott), Hendy Woods (Mark Casse), Regal Glory (Brown), Viadera (GB) (Brown).

*$250,000 Thoroughbred Club of America (G2) Probable: Club Car (Ben Colebrook), Estilo Talentoso (Juan Arriagada), Frank’s Rockette (Bill Mott).

$200,000 Woodford (G2) Presented by TVG Probable: Golden Pal (Wesley Ward), Inhalation (GB) (Edward Vaughan).

Fall Stars Sunday races – entries taken Thursday

*$500,000 Juddmonte Spinster (G1) Probable: Bajan Girl (Rohan Crichton), Bonny South (Brad Cox), Dunbar Road (Chad Brown), Envoutante (Kenny McPeek), Letruska (Fausto Gutierrez).

*$200,000 Castle & Key Bourbon (G2) Probable: Brit’s Wit (Andrew McKeever), Credibility (Mark Casse), Dowagiac Chief (Tom Amoss), Fast N Steady (Javier Gonzalez), Martini’nmoonshine (Tom Amoss), On Thin Ice (Casse), Play Action Pass (Robert Medina), Red Danger (Brian Lynch), Tiz the Bomb (Kenny McPeek), Vivar (Brad Cox).

*$200,000 Indian Summer (L) Presented by Keeneland Select Probable: Averly Jane (Wesley Ward), Kaufymaker (Ward), Roman Poet (Tom Amoss).

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