Keeneland Barn Notes — Monday, April 7

By Amy Owens —-

MONDAY, APRIL 7 – CENTRAL BANK ASHLAND DAY

Due to severe weather and significant rainfall in Central Kentucky, Keeneland rescheduled the opening race days of its 15-day Spring Meet.

The race card originally scheduled for Friday, April 4 – which includes the $750,000 Central Bank Ashland (G1) – will take place today. The Saturday, April 5 race card – which features the $1.25 million Toyota Blue Grass (G1) – has been rescheduled to Tuesday.

Sunday was opening day of the Spring Meet.

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First post during the Spring Meet is 1 p.m. ET except for the April 25 closing day,
when the first race is at 12:30 p.m. to accommodate
the Keeneland April Selected Horses of Racing Age Sale after the races.

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EIGHT BELLES COULD BE NEXT FOR MIDDLEGROUND CAPITAL BEAUMONT WINNER VERITY
“OLDER AND WISER” CHOISYA (GB) ARRIVES FOR JENNY WILEY
JOCKEY CURTIS RELISHES FIRST KEENELAND VICTORY

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EIGHT BELLES COULD BE NEXT
FOR MIDDLEGROUND CAPITAL BEAUMONT WINNER VERITY

Godolphin’s Verity did not hang around Keeneland long Sunday afternoon following her 5 ¼-length victory over a sloppy track in the $400,000 MiddleGround Capital Beaumont (G2) on opening day of the Spring Meet.

“She returned to Turfway Park last night,” said Michael Banahan, Director of Bloodstock for Godolphin.

Trained by Eoin Harty and ridden by Vincent Cheminaud, Verity ran her winning streak to three with Sunday’s daylight victory. Her lone loss in her four-race career came in her debut Dec. 1 at Churchill Downs, which is where she could head next.

“We want to see how she recovers from yesterday and then decide, but the Eight Belles will certainly be discussed,” Banahan said of the $600,000 Grade 2 race going 7 furlongs on May 2 at Churchill Downs. “Hopefully a long-term goal will be the Test (G1 this summer at Saratoga).”

“OLDER AND WISER” CHOISYA (GB) ARRIVES FOR JENNY WILEY RUN

Rabbah Bloodstock’s homebred Choisya (GB) arrived at Keeneland Sunday with some recent impressive credentials for Saturday’s 37th running of the $650,000 Jenny Wiley (G1) going
1 1/16 miles.

Trained by Simon Crisford, the 5-year-old Choisya posted two Group 2 victories in two starts over the winter in Dubai. The most recent was a head victory over Cinderella’s Dream (GB), the 2024 Maker’s Mark Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Turf (G1) runner-up, in the Balanchine Presented by DP World.

“She’s gotten older and wiser and learned how to relax,” said assistant John Clarke after taking Choisya out for a session on Keeneland’s all-weather training track. “This race (the Jenny Wiley) is a good opportunity. European form translates well here, and we figured we may as well strike while the iron is hot.”

A minor stakes winner at 3 and 4, Choisya came off a four-month layoff to open her 2025 campaign with a 5-length victory over Group 3 winner Romantic Style (IRE) in the Cape Verdi (G2) going a mile before she won the Balanchine at 1⅛ miles.

Choisya arrived at Churchill Downs last week and spent two days in quarantine before coming to Keeneland.

“She is very versatile and can adapt in the race,” Clarke said. “She is a filly on the rise. She is doing well and progressing.”

Luis Saez, who won two races on Sunday’s opening-day program, has the mount in the Jenny Wiley.

JOCKEY CURTIS RELISHING FIRST KEENELAND VICTORY

Ben Curtis was reacquainted with Keeneland in a big way Sunday when he guided Red Gate Racing’s Normandy Coast to 3½-length victory in the $300,000 Palisades and recorded his first Keeneland win.

A native of Ireland who has ridden extensively in Europe, Curtis has been based in North America since 2023. He had three mounts last year at Keeneland.

“I’ve watched a lot of racing from here, and I had a go around the track during one day of racing at the October meet,” Curtis said. “The track on Sunday was what you would expect after the weather.”

The Palisades, a 5½-furlong race for 3-year-olds, was scheduled for the turf but was switched to the sloppy main track after days-long rain.

“Normandy Coast is a big, lovely horse who was dropping back in distance, and he handled the conditions well,” Curtis said. “He (and I) won a very competitive race at Fair Grounds in January. We stretched him out on a much deeper track (in the Gotham [G3]) at Aqueduct.) He didn’t like the surface and the (1-mile) distance. Sunday was the ideal scenario, and I got the dream trip around.”

Eddie Kenneally, whose brother Eric is a partner in Red Gate, has no firm plans for Normandy Coast’s next start.

“We’ll look at the upcoming sprints for 3-year-olds; nothing etched in stone just yet,” the trainer said. “The fact that he can run in the mud is good. He is an improving horse with a bright future.”

Aside from his triumph, Curtis relished the Keeneland atmosphere of cheering fans despite the unseasonably chilly conditions.

“They get good crowds here, and a lot of them are interested in the horses,” he said. “Most people come here to watch the Thoroughbreds, and that is nice. There is a good vibe here. The track is lovely.”

This afternoon, Curtis will pursue Keeneland win No. 2 when he rides CJ Thoroughbreds and Mo Speed Racing’s Tom’s Magic in the Transylvania (G3) Presented by Keeneland Select.

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