Keeneland Spring Meet — April 6

By Amy Owens —-

OPENING DAY – FRIDAY, APRIL 6

Keeneland’s 16-day Spring Meet runs through Friday, April 27, with racing Wednesdays
through Sundays. Post time for the first race each day is 1:05 p.m. ET.

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· BROWN ARRIVES FOR ACTION-PACKED OPENING WEEKEND

· FREE DROP BILLY AND TIZ MISCHIEF ARE REACQUAINTED WITH KEENELAND; UPDATES ON OTHER TOYOTA BLUE GRASS HORSES

· LADY AURELIA WORKS IN PREPARATION FOR 2018 DEBUT

· TEQUILITA RETURNS TO KEENELAND FOR SATURDAY’S MADISON

· VEITCH RECALLS POIGNANT MOMENT OF BLUE GRASS 40 YEARS AGO

· PROSPECTIVE FIELDS FOR UPCOMING STAKES

· 2018 SPRING MEET SPECIAL EVENTS

BROWN ARRIVES FOR ACTION-PACKED OPENING WEEKEND

Chad Brown, coming off two consecutive years that earned him the Eclipse Award as outstanding trainer, was at Keeneland for the first time this season Friday morning to oversee the training of his stable that includes champion and Toyota Blue Grass (G2) 2-1 morning-line favorite Good Magic.

“The horse looks great,” Brown said about the Curlin colt, who races for e Five Racing Thoroughbreds and Stonestreet Stables. “He’s very healthy, traveling really well over the track. We feel he’s a fitter, stronger horse the second start of the year, so we’re cautiously optimistic that he’ll run a really good race tomorrow.”

The $1 million Toyota Blue Grass will be the second race of the year for Good Magic, who was third in the March 3 Fountain of Youth (G2) at Gulfstream Park. He drew post 11 in the 14-horse field for tomorrow’s 1 1/8-mile race.

“Not ideal, but it’s the luck of the draw,” Brown said about the post for the $1 million Keeneland September Yearling Sale purchase. “He’s a very talented horse; hopefully, he’ll overcome that and work out a good trip.”

On Friday about 9:15 a.m., Good Magic visited the Paddock and galloped on the main track for the second consecutive morning.

Good Magic is among the 10 horses Brown has entered this weekend at Keeneland. His stakes action begins today with William H. Lawrence’s Analyze It, who is making his 2018 debut in the Kentucky Utilities Transylvania (G3).

“He’s done nothing wrong up to this point in his career,” Brown said about the 3-year-old Point of Entry colt, who won the Cecil B. DeMille (G3) at Del Mar in November. “He’s training really, really well. He has another challenging post (11). Hopefully, he can break cleanly from the post and secure a good forward position early.”

On Saturday, two races before the Toyota Blue Grass, Brown will send out Alpha Delta Stables’ multiple graded stakes winner Lewis Bay in the Madison (G1). The 5-year-old Bernardini mare is coming off a runner-up finish in Gulfstream Park’s Royal Delta (G3) on Feb. 19.

“Really an evenly matched field,” Brown said. “There are some really talented fillies in the race. Several in there I could see on their best day winning – she’s one of them. Hopefully, she can work out a trip and run her best race.”

On Sunday, Brown will send out e Five’s undefeated Rushing Fall in the Appalachian (G2) Presented by Japan Racing Association. The race marks the 2018 debut for the 3-year-old More Than Ready filly, who last won the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (G1) at Del Mar.

“She drew a really good post (two),” Brown said. “She’s coming along well. We’re excited to get her started this year.”

FREE DROP BILLY AND TIZ MISCHIEF ARE REACQUAINTED
WITH KEENELAND; UPDATES ON OTHER TOYOTA BLUE GRASS HORSES

Trainer Dale Romans was at Keeneland Friday morning to oversee his two Toyota Blue Grass (G2) entrants – Albaugh Family Stables’ Free Drop Billy and Frank Jones Jr.’s Tiz Mischief – as each galloped 1½ miles after the renovation break. The stablemates shipped to Keeneland Thursday from their Churchill Downs base.

“They trained super, they’re feeling good and they love this race track,” Romans said of the colts, who were each ridden by exercise rider Faustino Aguiler.

Tiz Mischief drew post position nine for the Toyota Blue Grass with Free Drop Billy just to his outside in the 10 spot.

Both colts won at Keeneland on Oct. 7. Free Drop Billy took the Claiborne Breeders’ Futurity (G1) four races after Tiz Mischief earned his first career victory in a maiden race. Free Drop Billy is coming off a third-place finish in the Gotham (G3) at Aqueduct on March 10.

Tiz Mischief comes to the Toyota Blue Grass after finishing fifth in the Lambholm South Tampa Bay Derby (G2) on March 10.

“Free Drop Billy just has to be himself and he will be right there,” Romans said. “He’s won at all distances at all different tracks and he will run big this weekend. He’s a cool horse. He’s laid back and he takes care of business. In the last two weeks he has become very arrogant. He is starting to figure out he is the big man in the barn. When he goes to the track, he bounces and he might buck a little bit to let everyone know he is the boss.”

Romans attributed Free Drop Billy’s Gotham loss to interference he encountered in the race and said he expects Tiz Mischief to improve from his Tampa Bay Derby defeat.

In other activities of Toyota Blue Grass horses at Keeneland …

Three Diamonds Farm’s California Night galloped 1¼ miles before the break with Katie Clawson aboard for trainer Mike Maker. …

John C. Oxley’s Determinant, who galloped Friday morning, will run in the Blue Grass rather than today’s Kentucky Utilities Transylvania (G3), in which he also was entered.

Oxley’s other Toyota Blue Grass entrant, Flameaway, galloped just over a mile with Kim Carroll aboard for trainer Mark Casse. The race will mark the second Keeneland start for Flameaway, who won the Dixiana Bourbon (G3) in October.

“We’re going to have to hustle a little bit from our post (12),” Casse said. “He really doesn’t care about anything, so he doesn’t have to be on the lead. I just would like, turning for home, for him to be in the fight, because he’s our Rocky. He just gets the job done.”

Lothenbach Stables’ Gotta Go galloped 1½ miles before the renovation break with exercise rider Carlos Deyan aboard for trainer Ian Wilkes. …

West Point Thoroughbreds’ Kanthaka galloped 1½ miles before the break with Cecily Evans aboard for trainer Jerry Hollendorfer. Kanthaka is scheduled to school in the Paddock with horses in Friday afternoon’s fifth race.

Ron Paolucci, Ashley Quartarolo, Raquel Ritchie and Cristina Ritchie’s Machismo galloped 1½ miles under jockey Jake Radosevich for trainer Anthony Quartarolo. …

Making his initial appearance on the track was Michael Tabor, Bridlewood Farm, Mrs. John Magnier and Derrick Smith’s Marconi.

Trained by three-time Toyota Blue Grass winner Todd Pletcher, Marconi galloped 1¼ miles under Katherine Zwiesler after the break. …

Also on the track for the first time was Robert Baker and William Mack’s Sporting Chance.

Trained by two-time Toyota Blue Grass winner D. Wayne Lukas, Sporting Chance “went through the Paddock, jogged a mile and loped a mile” under exercise rider Allison Walker shortly after 6 a.m., according to Lukas, who is Keeneland’s all-time leader in victories with 293 and second all-time in stakes wins with 50.

Sporting Chance arrived at Keeneland Wednesday afternoon from Oaklawn Park, where he has made his two starts in 2018. Sporting Chance finished third in a muddy Southwest (G3) in his first start in five months and then was fifth in the Rebel (G2) on March 17.

Lukas opted to run in the Toyota Blue Grass as opposed to waiting a week for the Arkansas Derby (G1).

“There were many reasons (to run here),” Lukas said. “The timing here is better as it gives us four weeks to the next one (the Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve-G1) instead of three and we get Luis Saez, who was on him for his best races last year.”

Winner of the Hopeful (G1) at Saratoga in September, Sporting Chance has worked twice since the Rebel.

“He has had a good three weeks,” Lukas said. “His last two works were his best of the year (:48.40 for a half-mile on April 2 and :59.20 for 5 furlongs on March 27). He did those on his own with no company.”

Listed at 10-1 on the morning line, Sporting Chance will break from post position two. “That’s a real good spot,” Lukas said. …

Jackpot Farm’s Zing Zang galloped before the morning renovation break and visited the starting gate for trainer Steve Asmussen. Zing Zang is scheduled to school in the Paddock with horses in the fifth race. …

Expected to be scratched from the Toyota Blue Grass in favor of the April 14 Arkansas Derby (G1) at Oaklawn Park. WinStar Farm, China Horse Club International and SF Racing’s Quip went 4 furlongs in :48.60 before sunrise with trainer Rodolphe Brisset in the saddle.

“He worked great and galloped out really well,” WinStar General Manager David Hanley said about the Lambholm South Tampa Bay Derby (G2) winner.

Brisset said Quip is to depart Keeneland on a van this evening. Brisset is scheduled to fly to Arkansas this afternoon so he can unload the Distorted Humor colt when he arrives.

LADY AURELIA WORKS IN PREPARATION FOR 2018 DEBUT

On the first day of turf works at Keeneland, Stonestreet Stables and Peter Leidel’s European champion Lady Aurelia worked in preparation for her 2018 debut in the April 14 Giant’s Causeway (L) by covering 5 furlongs on a yielding turf course in 1:02.20 in company with Con Te Partiro (1:02.40).

“Great. Super,” trainer Wesley Ward said about the work by Lady Aurelia, a 4-year-old daughter of Scat Daddy. “She did everything we wanted. She’s worked each and every week (on the all-weather surface) at Turfway leading up to this. Before this, she had a couple of nice moves with Ian (Brennan) down at Stonestreet (Training Center in Florida). Looks like she’s fresh and ready to go.”

Ward said Lady Aurelia has been on the same schedule as last year, when she won the Giant’s Causeway and the King’s Stand (G1) at Royal Ascot. Following the Giant’s Causeway, the plan is for her to return to Royal Ascot and make a second consecutive start in the King’s Stand.

“We’re going right back in the same race if all’s in good order,” Ward said. “As far as everything I see, she’s bigger and stronger than she’s ever been.”

Other grass works of note Friday morning included Heart to Heart, who worked a half-mile in :52.20 in preparation for next Friday’s Maker’s 46 Mile (G1) for trainer Brian Lynch. …

Trainer Chad Brown worked a trio of possible starters for the April 14 Coolmore Jenny Wiley (G1): Fourstar Crook and Off Limits (IRE) worked a half-mile in :51.80 in company, and Sistercharlie (IRE) (:49.80 for a half-mile) in company with Santa Monica.

TEQUILITA RETURNS TO KEENELAND FOR SATURDAY’S MADISON

Dorothy Alexander Matz’s Tequilita has not been seen since running fourth in the Lexus Raven Run (G2) at Keeneland in October. However, trainer Michael Matz has chosen Saturday’s $300,000 Madison (G1) as the 2018 debut for the 4-year-old daughter of Union Rags.

“We’re bringing her back, and she’s run pretty well here at Keeneland.” Matz said. “She runs good fresh; she won the Forward Gal (G2) (in February 2017) off a long layoff. We’re going to throw her in off the deep end.”

Tequilita scored her first career win in 2016 at Keeneland. Her most recent victory was the Charles Town Oaks (G3) in September. Tequilita trained in Florida over the winter.

“She’s a class act, she does everything you ask her to do,” Matz said. “But we’ll see if she’s good enough; if we can get a placing in a Grade 1 that would be nice. She was Grade 1-placed in the Test (finishing third). The horse that won it (American Gal) and some other horses that have beaten her in that race are here (in the Madison). We’re 20-1 (in the Madison morning line), but stranger things have happened.”

Following the Madison, Matz said Tequilita will stretch out in distance.

“We think we’ll be able to do two turns with her, so that will open some things up (for the rest of the year),” he said. “We’ve run her two-turn races, but we thought seven-eighths (of the Madison) for just starting the year.”

VEITCH RECALLS POIGNANT MOMENT OF BLUE GRASS 40 YEARS AGO

The post parade of Keeneland’s 1978 Blue Grass left an indelible memory in Thoroughbred racing lore. As the field meandered to the starting gate, jockey Jorge Velasquez steered Calumet Farm’s homebred Alydar to the outside rail, where his owners Lucille and Admiral Gene Markey waited on the Clubhouse lawn (pictured at left).

Lucille Markey was 81 and in failing health but the sight of Calumet’s prized colt rejuvenated her as she got a close-up view. Alydar went on to win the Blue Grass as a prelude to his legendary runner-up finishes behind Affirmed in all three Triple Crown races.

In the days leading up to the 40th anniversary of Alydar’s Blue Grass, trainer John Veitch, now a Keeneland racing official, vividly and slightly emotionally recalled the iconic moment.

“It worked out exceptionally well because Alydar seemed to respond to the Markeys and he sort of bowed,” he said. “Mrs. Markey had gradually lost her eyesight and could only recognize what was very close to her. That was the last time the Markeys saw a race in person and the only time they saw Alydar in a live race. Of course they watched on television but seeing him in the Blue Grass was a big thrill for them.”

Adjacent to Keeneland, the white-fenced Calumet Farm is famous for producing decades of champion Thoroughbreds, including Triple Crown winners Citation and Whirlaway and six other Kentucky Derby winners. Lucille Markey’s first husband, Warren Wright, who died in 1950, had inherited the farm from his father in 1932. She married Gene Markey in 1952 and together they kept the Calumet Farm name among the sport’s most acclaimed operations.

Lucille Markey died in 1982, but the Calumet Farm legacy continues under current owner Brad Kelley.

“Calumet Farm was extremely significant to racing and Mrs. Markey was exceptionally dedicated to carrying on that tradition after her first husband died,” Veitch said. “Alydar’s Blue Grass was a big deal to Mrs. Markey. She talked about it until the day she died – both how wonderful Alydar was and how the fans really recognized who she was at Keeneland.”

PROSPECTIVE FIELDS FOR UPCOMING STAKES

Here are the prospective fields for Keeneland’s April 13-14 stakes compiled by Keeneland Stakes Coordinator Tiffany Bourque. Click here for a link to the lists of nominations and past performances.

$300,000 MAKER’S 46 MILE (G1) (Entries taken Sunday; race Friday, April 13) – Probable: Ballagh Rocks (trainer Bill Mott), Heart to Heart (Brian Lynch), Hogy (Mike Maker), Hollywood Hideaway (Barbara Minshall), Mr. Misunderstood (Brad Cox), Next Shares (Richard Baltas), World Approval (Mark Casse). Possible: Om (Dan Hendricks).

$350,000 COOLMORE JENNY WILEY (G1) (Entries taken Wednesday; race Saturday, April 14) – Probable: Cambodia (Tom Proctor), Dona Bruja (ARG) (Ignacio Correas IV), Fourstar Crook (Chad Brown), La Coronel (Mark Casse), Lovely Bernadette (James DiVito), Off Limits (IRE) (Chad Brown), Sistercharlie (IRE) (Chad Brown), Ultra Brat (Graham Motion). Possible: Hawksmoor (IRE) (Arnaud Delacour), Kitten’s Roar (Mike Maker), Proctor’s Ledge (Brendan Walsh).

$200,000 BEN ALI (G3) (Entries taken Wednesday; race Saturday, April 14) – Probable: Aurora Way (Stuart Simon), Giuseppe the Great (Nick Zito), Rated R Superstar (Kenny McPeek).

$200,000 STONESTREET LEXINGTON (G3) (Entries taken Wednesday; race Saturday, April 14) – Probable: City Plan (Eoin Harty), Greyvitos (Adam Kitchingman), Pony Up (Todd Pletcher), Telekinesis (Mark Casse).

$100,000 GIANT’S CAUSEWAY (L) (Entries taken Wednesday; race Saturday, April 14) – Probable: Brave Daisey (Tina Hurley), Contributing (Tom Proctor), Lady Aurelia (Wesley Ward), Morticia (Rusty Arnold), Smiling Causeway (Arnaud Delacour), Triple Chelsea (Joe Sharp).

2018 SPRING MEET SPECIAL EVENTS

Through the summer, The Keeneland Library is paying tribute to Pierre Bellocq, the internationally celebrated artist better known as “Peb,” with the exhibit “Artistry of Peb: Fifty Years of Features” and a virtual exhibit on Keeneland.com titled “The Artistry of Peb.” “Artistry of Peb” showcases 18 of Bellocq’s features from The Morning Telegraph and Daily Racing Form spanning the mid-1950s to the mid-2000s. This work solidified Peb’s renown as an artistic commentator of the Thoroughbred racing industry. The Keeneland Library is free and open to the public from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. ET Monday through Friday.

Official Keeneland Tours – Keeneland offers a selection of guided tours, including Behind-the-Scenes Racing Tours and a Backstretch Tour, throughout the year. On Saturdays during Sunrise Trackside, free guided tours begin every 20 minutes from the Paddock and Walking Ring from 7:30-10 a.m.

Saturday, April 7

The Keeneland Shop’s Milliners Corner presents Christine A. Moore Millinery and Forme Millinery adjacent to the Walking Ring.

$400,000 All-Stakes Pick 4 Presented by TVG. Features races 7-10: Shakertown (G2), Madison (G1), Central Bank Ashland (G1) and Toyota Blue Grass (G2).

$300,000 All-Stakes Pick 5 Presented by TVG. Features races 6-10: Commonwealth (G3), Shakertown, Madison, Central Bank Ashland and Toyota Blue Grass.

Sunday, April 8

The Keeneland Shop’s Milliners Corner presents Christine A. Moore Millinery and Forme Millinery adjacent to the Walking Ring.

Jockey Autograph Signing. 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. adjacent to the Paddock. Racing fans can meet jockeys currently competing at Keeneland as well as retired jockeys – from Hall of Famers to history makers and Keeneland favorites – and participate in an autograph signing to benefit the Permanently Disabled Jockeys Fund. Retired jockeys scheduled to take part in the event include James Bruin, PJ Cooksey, Jean Cruguet, Tony D’Amico, Pat Day, Rafael Estrella, Carl Faulconer, Sandy Hawley, Michael Heath, Mike Manganello, Chris McCarron, Larry Melancon, John Oldham, Suzie Picou Oldham, Joe Steiner and Kaoru Tsuchiya. Fans can buy these items to have signed: Keeneland Spring Meet poster ($25), Keeneland hat ($15) and Keeneland program ($10).