Keeneland Barn Notes — Friday, April 11

By Amy Owens —-

FRIDAY, APRIL 11

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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CHAMPION JUST F Y I, CANDIED HEAD FIELD OF SEVEN FOR BAIRD DOUBLEDOGDARE
CONSISTENT SACRED WISH AIMS FOR SECOND GRADE 1 SUCCESS IN SATURDAY’S JENNY WILEY
GALLOPING OUT
PROSPECTIVE FIELDS FOR UPCOMING STAKES
SPRING MEET LEADERS
SECOND WEEK SPECIAL EVENTS

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CHAMPION JUST F Y I, CANDIED HEAD FIELD OF SEVEN
FOR BAIRD DOUBLEDOGDARE

George Krikorian’s Eclipse Award-winning Just F Y I and Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners and Bobby Flay’s Candied headline a field of seven fillies and mares entered Friday for the 30th running of the $350,000 Baird Doubledogdare (G3) to be held Friday, April 18.

The Baird Doubledogdare, contested at 1 1/16 miles on the main track, is the highlight of a 10-race program that begins at 1 p.m. ET. The Baird Doubledogdare is the afternoon’s ninth race with a 5:16 p.m. post time.

Trained by two-time Baird Doubledogdare winner Bill Mott, Just F Y I won the 2023 NetJets Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1) to cap a perfect 2-year-old campaign and earn division champion honors.

Second in the Central Bank Ashland (G1) in her lone Keeneland start, Just F Y I came off a nine-month layoff to finish second in her comeback race March 13 at Gulfstream Park. Regular rider Junior Alvarado has the mount from post 1.

Winner of the 2023 Darley Alcibiades (G1) here and fourth in last spring’s Central Bank Ashland, Candied will be making her 2025 debut after closing 2024 with a third-place finish at Del Mar in the Breeders’ Cup Distaff (G1). Irad Ortiz Jr. has the mount from post 6.

Candied is trained by Todd Pletcher, who has won this race five times, most recently in 2022 when Malathaat kicked off her Eclipse Award-winning campaign.

CONSISTENT SACRED WISH AIMS FOR SECOND GRADE 1 SUCCESS
IN SATURDAY’S JENNY WILEY

Black Type Thoroughbreds, Swinbank Stables, Steve Adkisson, Christopher Dunn and Anthony Spinazzola’s Sacred Wish goes after her second Grade 1 victory Saturday when she tackles a strong field in the 37th running of the $650,000 Jenny Wiley (G1) for fillies and mares going 1 1/16 miles on the Keeneland turf course.

“She shipped in great, Paddock-schooled well and keeps improving,” said Blair Golen, George Weaver’s assistant who accompanies Sacred Wish when she hits the road from Weaver’s main bases in Florida and New York.

The lone Grade 1 winner and millionaire in the field of nine, Sacred Wish comes into the Jenny Wiley off a strong runner-up effort to Saturday rival Be Your Best (IRE) in the TAA Pegasus World Cup Filly and Mare Turf Invitational (G2) presented by SirDavis American Whisky.

“She ran excellent in the Pegasus and closed well that day and just missed,” Golen said. “Johnny (jockey John Velazquez) and her are like a match made in heaven.”

Velazquez, who will be aboard Saturday, had the mount in the Pegasus and in Sacred Wish’s victory over three-time Keeneland Grade 1 winner Gina Romantica in the Matriarch (G1) at Del Mar in December to close her 2024 campaign.

Sacred Wish made her first seven starts on dirt and then made the move to the grass.

“That is a luxury at Saratoga that you can train on the turf,” Golen said. “She breezed excellent the first time on it.”

Less than three weeks after that initial breeze, Sacred Wish won the Winter Memories (L) at the Belmont At Aqueduct meet with Velazquez up.

She has stayed on the grass, where she has compiled an 11-3-4-2 record. On Saturday, she might contend with some soft going after a week of rain in Lexington.

“We are going to find out (if she can handle it),” Golen said. “She did OK on sloppy sealed tracks, but she is a much better horse now than she was then.”

GALLOPING OUT

In Thursday’s first race, David Flores rode his first Keeneland winner since 2021 when he guided Ice Wine Stable’s homebred Double Talker to a 3½-length victory. A winner of 3,616 races, Flores has been race-riding sparingly in recent years while working as an exercise rider for Double Talker’s trainer, Wesley Ward. One of the nation’s leading jockeys each year while based primarily in Southern California, Flores has had 25,614 mounts that have earned $154 million. Double Talker was making his career debut in the 4½-furlong race for 2-year-olds that was completed in :52.29.

PROSPECTIVE FIELDS FOR UPCOMING STAKES

Entries Saturday; races Saturday, April 19

$400,000 VISITLEX ELKHORN (G2) – Anglophile (Brian Lynch), Limited Liability (Shug McGaughey), Missed the Cut (Cherie DeVaux), Native Shaman (Arnold), Rebel Red (GB) (DeVaux), Utah Beach (Ignacio Correas IV). Possible: Balnikhov (IRE) (Phil D’Amato).

$350,000 BEN ALI (G3) – San Siro (Brendan Walsh). Possible: Duke of Love (Josie Carroll), Uno Mas Bourbon (Ian Wilkes).

SECOND WEEK SPECIAL EVENTS

Keeneland has been investing in the horse industry and the Central Kentucky community since it began racing in October 1936. Throughout the 2025 Spring Meet, special events at the track will benefit worthwhile organizations, while other activities are designed to educate and entertain racing fans.

Year-round

Through Aug.15

Keeneland Library. Located on Keeneland’s campus, Keeneland Library is presenting the free exhibit Of Turf and Stone: Keeneland Through the Ages to commemorate the 90th anniversary of the founding of the Keeneland Association. Enjoy photographs and memorabilia in the exhibit, which coincides with 250LEX celebrations of Lexington’s 250th anniversary this year. The 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 Court. The Library is to the left of the Keene Barn and Entertainment Center.

Friday, April 11

$400 Spring Challenge. Available only at the track, this handicapping contest offers one berth to the Breeders’ Cup Betting Challenge (BCBC) on Oct. 31 and Nov. 1 at Del Mar and as many as four spots to the 2026 National Horseplayers Championship (NHC) in Las Vegas. Players will wager a live bankroll of $250 on Keeneland races. Click here for more information.

College Scholarship Day Presented by Lane’s End. Keeneland invites college students to enjoy a day of racing, prizes, scholarship giveaways, behind-the-scenes racing experience, reserved seating and more. Students who pre-register receive a free general admission ticket good for April 11 and the opportunity to win one of 10 $2,000 scholarships provided by the Kentucky Thoroughbred Association and Keeneland. Students who attend the race day and have their tickets scanned day-of also will be eligible to win one of two additional $10,000 scholarships provided by Lane’s End Farm, as well as prize packages from local Kentucky businesses. Activities will take place at the North Terrace from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Friday, Saturday and Sunday, April 11-13

The Hill. No ticket or reservation is required for tailgating on The Hill, located adjacent to the Keene Barn & Entertainment Center and accessible via Gate 1 (at Man o’ War Blvd.) or Gate 4 (off Van Meter Road on the east side of Keeneland). Fans can watch the racing action via a jumbo TV and place their bets in a wagering tent while they enjoy live music presented by The Burl, food trucks and handicapping assistance from BETologists. Complimentary shuttles to the track are offered.

The Hill is open from 8 a.m. to 60 minutes after the final race. Amenities are available from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

For fans who want to elevate their experience, Keeneland again is partnering with RevelXP to offer tailgate packages for groups of any size. RevelXP will organize tailgates by furnishing a designated tent, catering, amenities and more.

New this meet is the Race Day Social at The Hill located in the RevelXP Village. This exclusive space offers guests a perfect blend of comfort and excitement to enjoy the race day in style. Relax under a covered tent with plush lounge seating, enjoy classic yard games and watch live race coverage while having a catered lunch featuring local cuisine. A full bar with signature cocktails and other alcoholic beverages is available for purchase. BETologists will be on hand to provide wagering insights throughout the day. Exclusive amenities include access to private restroom trailers, comfortable seating and a premium atmosphere. The space has a capacity of 250 guests per day. Visit Keeneland.com/tailgating for full details.

Saturday, April 12

Grade 1 Gamble. Keeneland hosts this signature handicapping contest of the Spring Meet with the cooperation of XpressBet, NYRABets, 4NJ Bets, HPI and TVG on the day of the Jenny Wiley (G1) and the Stonestreet Lexington (G3). Entry fee is $3,500 with $2,500 going to a live bankroll and $1,000 to the prize fund. Contestants may play at Keeneland or on one of the aforementioned ADW platforms. Prizes include an estimated $70,000 for first place (based on 300 entries), as many as six berths in the BCBC and 10 spots in the NHC. Click here for more information.

Sunday, April 13

Heroes Day. Event honors members of the military (active duty and veterans), first responders, health care workers and their families. Heroes and their families will receive free general admission, reserved Grandstand seating, access to the Family Zone on the North Terrace and a complimentary meal provided by Marriot Griffin Gate. The day will have special programming on the track, including a flag rollout.

A POW-MIA Chair of Honor will be displayed near the Paddock to bring awareness to past and current POW-MIA military members through a partnership with The Rolling Thunder Kentucky Chapter 5.

Each hero is eligible to receive up to four complimentary tickets. Click here to reserve.