Keeneland Barn Notes — Saturday, April 1

By Amy Owens —-

Keeneland’s 15-day Spring Meet opens Friday, April 7
and runs through Friday, April 28.

Keeneland is closed for racing Easter Sunday, April 9
as well as Mondays and Tuesdays.

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BREEDERS’ CUP WINNER CARAVEL PREPS FOR 2023 DEBUT IN SHAKERTOWN
PROSPECTIVE STAKES FIELDS FOR OPENING WEEKEND

BREEDERS’ CUP WINNER CARAVEL PREPS FOR 2023 DEBUT IN SHAKERTOWN

Qatar Racing Limited, Marc Detampel and Madaket Stables’ Caravel had her final tuneup Saturday morning for her 2023 debut in next Saturday’s 27th running of the $350,000 Shakertown (G2) when she worked a half-mile in :48.20 on Keeneland’s all-weather training track with exercise rider Edgar Quinteros aboard.

“You can’t do it any better than that,” said Tessa Walden, assistant to trainer Brad Cox.

“We called an audible Friday and just galloped on the all-weather and pushed the work back a day,” Cox said Friday morning before heading to Oaklawn Park for this afternoon’s Arkansas Derby (G1).

Caravel, who was last seen defeating males in the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint (G1) here in November, is scheduled to face the boys again in the Shakertown.

“(The Shakertown) has been the plan for the comeback all along. I love the way she is training,” Cox said of the 6-year-old mare, who returned to the work tab Feb. 18 with the first of six works over the all-weather surface at Turfway Park prior to her work here Saturday morning.

A 10-time stakes winner with four victories in graded races, Caravel is undefeated in two Keeneland starts. She took the Franklin (G3) here during the 2022 Fall Meet prior to her victory in the Breeders’ Cup.

PROSPECTIVE STAKES FIELDS FOR OPENING WEEKEND

A total of eight stakes worth a combined $4.05 million will be run next Friday and Saturday during the first two days of Keeneland’s Spring Meet. The following is a list of prospective entrants in those races compiled by Stakes Coordinator Baley Hare.

April 7 races. Entries taken Tuesday.

$600,000 CENTRAL BANK ASHLAND (G1) – Defining Purpose (trainer Kenny McPeek), Guns n’ Graces (Chad Brown), Julia Shining (Todd Pletcher), Pride of the Nile (Doug O’Neill), Punchbowl (Brad Cox), Wonder Wheel (Mark Casse). Possible: Effortlesslyelgant (Norm Casse)

$400,000 KENTUCKY UTILITIES TRANSYLVANIA (G3) – Andthewinneris (Wayne Catalano), Freedom Trail (John Terranova II), Mi Hermano Ramon (Mark Glatt), Mo Stash (Vicki Oliver), Webslinger (Mark Casse) and Wonderful Justice (GB) (Brad Cox). Possible: Nagirroc (Graham Motion).

$400,000 LAFAYETTE – Corona Bolt (Cox), Determinedly (Mark Casse), Hurricane J (Paulo Lobo), Lugan Knight (Michael McCarthy). Possible: Damon’s Mound (Michelle Lovell), Invulnerable (Joe Sharp).

April 8 races. Entries taken Wednesday.

$1 MILLION TOYOTA BLUE GRASS (G1) – Blazing Sevens (Chad Brown), Classic Car Wash (Mark Casse), Hayes Strike (McPeek), Major Blue (D. Wayne Lukas), Mendelssohns March (McPeek), Tapit Trice (Pletcher), Verifying (Cox). Possible: Raise Cain (Ben Colebrook), Scoobie Quando (Colebrook), Sun Thunder (McPeek).

$600,000 MADISON (G1) – Maryquitecontrary (Shug McGaughey), Yuugiri (Rodolphe Brisset). Possible: Caramel Swirl (Bill Mott), Goodnight Olive (Brown).

$400,000 APPALACHIAN (G2) PRESENTED BY JAPAN RACING ASSOCIATION – Alluring Angel (GB) (Jorge Abreu), Be Your Best (IRE) (Horacio De Paz), Beautifulnavigator (IRE) (McPeek), Heavenly Sunday (Cox), Papilio (IRE) (Mark Casse), Pleasant Passage (McGaughey). Possible: Sabalenka (Whit Beckman).

$350,000 SHAKERTOWN (G2) – Caravel (Cox), Johnny Unleashed (Eric Foster), Mister Mmmmm (Catalano), Our Shot (Terranova). Possible: Oceanic (Jordan Blair), Stitched (Greg Foley).

$300,000 COMMONWEALTH (G3) – Heart Rhythm (John Ortiz), Hoist the Gold (Dallas Stewart), Long Range Toddy (Stewart), Nakatomi (Wesley Ward). Possible: Eastern Bay (Lynn Cash), Sir Alfred James (Cash).

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