Keeneland Barn Noites — Wednesday, Oct. 4

By Amy Owens —-

Corey Lanerie; Courier Journel Photo

WEDNESDAY, OCT. 4

LANERIE BIDS FOR 5,000TH CAREER VICTORY ON OPENING DAY

Corey Lanerie, Keeneland’s sixth leading rider of all time by wins, will secure his 5,000th career victory if Manny Wah wins the $350,000 Stoll Keenon Ogden Phoenix (G2) on Friday’s opening day of the Keeneland Fall Meet. The duo won the race last year.

A longtime regular on the Kentucky circuit, Lanerie rode his first winner at Keeneland during the 2000 Fall Meet and was the track’s leading jockey of the 2015 Fall Meet. He has won 13 stakes here, including three victories in the Central Bank Ashland (G1) – aboard Hooh Why (2009), Weep No More (2016) and Sailor’s Valentine (2017) – and the 2015 Claiborne Breeders’ Futurity (G1) on Brody’s Cause.

Lanerie, a Louisville resident, also has captured numerous Churchill Downs titles. In 2014, he won the prestigious George Woolf Memorial Jockey Award, which “honors riders whose careers and personal character earn esteem for the individual and the sport of Thoroughbred horse racing.”

Lanerie, 48, grew up in Lafayette, Louisiana, a region known for its horse racing culture and the starting point for some of the sport’s most successful riders. His grandfather was a trainer and his father was a jockey and trainer. Lanerie honed his riding skills at informal weekend race meets before launching his professional career in 1991 and winning his first race that year at Evangeline Downs in Louisiana.

Only 37 North American jockeys have won 5,000 races. Among jockeys listed as active, Lanerie is 12th behind Perry Ouzts (7,417 wins as of Oct. 3) and John Velazquez (6,537). The overall leader is Russell Baze (12,842) followed by Laffit Pincay Jr. (9,530), Bill Shoemaker (8,833), Pat Day (8,803) and Ouzts.

Lanerie is named on three mounts Sunday.

THE DOCTOR IS IN FOR FRIDAY’S STOLL KEENON OGDEN PHOENIX

Peter Mattson’s homebred Doctor Oscar is making a house call at Keeneland Friday.

After feasting on Minnesota-breds this summer at Canterbury Park, the 4-year-old son of Shackleford will go postward Friday afternoon in the 171st running of the Stoll Keenon Ogden Phoenix (G2) going 6 furlongs on the main track.

The race is a Breeders’ Cup Challenge race with the winner securing a fees-paid berth in the Qatar Racing Breeders’ Cup Sprint (G1) to be run Nov. 4 at Santa Anita.

“We have been pointing for this race for a while,” trainer Tim Padilla said. “We wanted to take on the good ones later on after he had some easy races.”

Doctor Oscar comes into the Stoll Keenon Ogden Phoenix off a 6-length victory as the 1-2 favorite in the Crocrock Minnesota Sprint Championship on Sept. 9. Since arriving at Keeneland, Doctor Oscar returned to the work tab with a half-mile breeze of :48 on Monday morning.

Regular rider Alonso Quinonez will be aboard Friday and exit post 9 in a field of 11. Doctor Oscar is the 7-2 second choice.

“I like the outside post,” Padilla said. “He likes to be on the lead or right up there with them. His numbers are right with the horses in there.”

A victory Friday would be the first at Keeneland for Padilla and possibly the first here by a Minnesota-bred in a stakes.

One question: Who is Doctor Oscar?

“He (Mattson) names a lot of his horses after his grandson,” Padilla said. “We’ve had Fisherman Oscar, Commissioner Oscar and before that he had Fireman Oscar.”

Fireman Oscar won the 2020 Minnesota Sprint Championship and earned more than $396,000; the other aforementioned Oscars are maidens. Commissioner Oscar worked a half-mile here this morning.

OPENING WEEKEND SPECIAL EVENTS

Year-round

Official Keeneland Tours. Visit keeneland.com/tours for availability and to purchase.

Now through Dec. 8

Keeneland Library Presents the Exhibit The Heart of the Turf: Racing’s Black Pioneers. This fascinating exhibit highlights the lives and careers of 80 African Americans working in the Thoroughbred industry from the mid-1800s to the present. Located on Keeneland’s campus, Keeneland Library is open Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. To reach the Library, enter Keeneland at Gate 1 on Keeneland Blvd. and take the first right on Entertainment Ct. The Library is to the left of the Keene Barn and Entertainment Center. The exhibit is free.

Every Friday, Saturday and Sunday

The Hill. No ticket or reservation is required for Keeneland’s free official tailgating area, which offers a unique way to experience the races. Watch and wager on Keeneland’s live races shown on a jumbo TV screen. Have a question about handicapping? BETologists, Keeneland’s wagering experts, are there to answer questions. Meanwhile, enjoy food trucks along with live music presented by The Burl. Those with tickets can take complimentary shuttles to the track. The Hill is located adjacent to the Keene Barn and Entertainment Center and is accessible via Gate 4. Amenities are available from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. For additional details, visit Keeneland.com/tailgating.

Saturday, Oct. 7

Sunrise Trackside. This free morning program is geared toward families with a unique view of Thoroughbreds during training hours. Coffee and light breakfast offerings are available at The Starting Gate concession stand. Children’s activities from 8-10 a.m. underneath the Grandstand include a visit with Keeneland mascot Buckles, face painting, games, jockey silks photos and more. From 8:30-9 a.m., pet a horse in the Paddock and visit the track apron to watch the John Deere Tractor Break as tractors groom the track. Learn more about the workings of Keeneland by joining a complimentary mini tour – visit the Tours Podium located near the Paddock for more information. Sunrise Trackside is open to the public and does not require a ticket to attend. A special Halloween edition of Sunrise Trackside will take place Oct. 28.

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