Keeneland Barn Notes — April 24

By Amy Owens —-

TUESDAY, APRIL 24

This is closing week of Keeneland’s 16-day Spring Meet with racing
Wednesday through Friday. Post time for the first race each day is 1:05 p.m ET.

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• TRAINER BRAD COX, JOCKEY FLORENT GEROUX VIE FOR FIRST MEET LEADER TITLES
• THOROUGHBREDS COMPETE AT PRESTIGIOUS KENTUCKY HORSE PARK EVENT
• CLOSING WEEK SPECIAL EVENTS
• SPRING MEET LEADERS

TRAINER BRAD COX, JOCKEY FLORENT GEROUX VIE
FOR FIRST MEET LEADER TITLES

With three days remaining in the 2018 Spring Meet, trainer Brad Cox has 12 wins and jockey Florent Geroux has 18 wins to lead their respective standings as they take aim on their first Keeneland titles. The two have teamed to win nine races this season.

Cox has 12 wins, putting him one win ahead of Chad Brown and two wins in front of Wesley Ward. Cox’s victories include the Central Bank Ashland (G1) with Monomoy Girl, an early favorite for the Kentucky Oaks (G1). The Central Bank Ashland marks Cox’s first stakes win here.

Cox has six horses entered during Keeneland’s closing week: three Wednesday, one Thursday and two Friday.

Brown’s 10 wins include a record-tying four stakes, accomplished six other times in Keeneland history. He has two horses entered Friday in his bid for his first Keeneland training title.

Brown won the Coolmore Jenny Wiley G1) with Sistercharlie (IRE), Toyota Blue Grass (G2) with Good Magic, Appalachian (G2) Presented by Japan Racing Association with Rushing Fall and Kentucky Utilities Transylvania (G3) with Analyze It.

Ward, whose 10 wins include the Shakertown (G2) with Bound for Nowhere, has three Keeneland training titles: Spring 2012 with nine wins, Fall 2012 (12 wins) and Spring 2017 (11 wins).

He has two horses entered Wednesday and has entries in four races Thursday.

Geroux, who won the Central Bank Ashland on Monomoy Girl, is four wins in front of Jose Ortiz. Winner of four races Sunday, Geroux is named on horses in five races Wednesday, five Thursday and eight Friday.

Jose Ortiz, who won the Kentucky Utilities Transylvania and Toyota Blue Grass for Brown, is named to ride in three races Wednesday, four races Thursday and six races Friday.

Through 13 days of the Spring Meet, the race for leading owner has Marc Detampel tied with G. Watts Humphrey Jr. with four wins apiece.

Detampel has one runner entered Thursday.

Humphrey has two entrants Wednesday, one Thursday and one Friday.

THOROUGHBREDS COMPETE
AT PRESTIGIOUS KENTUCKY HORSE PARK EVENT

Fifteen Thoroughbreds are among the 53 entrants for the Land Rover Kentucky Three-Day Event this Thursday through Sunday at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington. The prestigious competition is based on a combined score of each horse and rider in three disciplines: dressage, cross-country and show jumping.
Eleven of the 15 Thoroughbreds had track careers before their owners channeled their athletic ability to a different sport. The line-up includes A.P. Prime, a 13-year-old Kentucky-bred gelding by Aptitude who was a two-time winner in 31 starts before leaving the track in 2010.
Two Land Rover participants are sons of Kentucky Derby (G1) winners. Heir Pegasus, who is renamed Kelecyn Cognac, is a 15-year-old gelding by 2000 Derby winner Fusaichi Pegasus. Shykee’s Thunder, now known as Tactical Maneuver, is a 13-year-old gelding by 1995 Derby winner Thunder Gulch.
Click here for more information about the Thoroughbreds participating in the event provided by the Retired Racehorse Project, a nonprofit dedicated to increasing demand for Thoroughbreds off the track.
On Wednesday, during the Post Parade for the fourth race, Keeneland will recognize the Retired Racehorse Project in the Winner’s Circle.

CLOSING WEEK SPECIAL EVENTS
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 a Backstretch Tour and Behind-the-Scenes Tour.
Wednesday, April 25
WINS-Day Challenge Sponsored by Malone’s. An inexpensive way for beginning handicappers to test their skills and give handicapping contests a try, the WINS-Day Challenge has a $2,500-guaranteed pool. Enter for $10 at Wagering Central and place a mythical $2 win and place wager – no actual money required – on Keeneland races 3-8. Limit three entries per person. The first 200 participants receive a free Malone’s appetizer card.
Thursday, April 26
10th Anniversary Horses and Hope Pink Day. Fans are encouraged to wear pink to Keeneland. Horses and Hope was established in 2008 by the Kentucky Cancer Program with former first lady Jane Beshear and the Pink Stable, made up of members of the racing community, to increase breast cancer awareness, education and treatment referral, along with providing lifesaving screenings to members of Kentucky’s signature horse industry workers and others across the Commonwealth. Horses and Hope’s cancer screening van travels across Kentucky, screening men and women for seven types of cancer. The program has provided more than 7,000 mammograms.
Friday, April 27 – Closing Day
Tailgating on The Hill. Keeneland’s popular tailgate lot, located adjacent to the Keene Barn & Entertainment Center, features local food trucks, a jumbo television screen, wireless wagering and wagering terminals, race-day programs, The Keeneland Shop kiosk and free shuttles to the track. BETologists will be available to answer fans’ questions.

SPRING MEET LEADERS
Through April 22 (13 days of 16-day season)
Jockey Starts Wins 2nd 3rd Purses

Florent Geroux 72 18 10 4 $903,724
Jose Ortiz 81 14 12 14 $1,480,011
Joel Rosario 53 12 12 11 $778,109
Corey Lanerie 73 12 10 8 $707,331
Brian J. Hernandez Jr. 63 9 7 7 $705,657
Gabriel Saez 33 7 2 5 $331,557
Adam Beschizza 40 6 7 3 $343,293

Trainer Starts Wins 2nd 3rd Purses

Brad Cox 23 12 1 1 $646,971
Chad Brown 21 11 3 2 $1,491,910
Wesley Ward 34 10 8 3 $571,064
Bret Calhoun 12 5 1 2 $401,820
Kenny McPeek 33 4 8 3 $401,784
Tom Amoss 14 4 2 2 $93,630
Larry Jones 12 4 1 3 $148,177

Owners Wins

Mark Detampel 4
G. Watts Humphrey Jr.* 4
Peter M. Brant* 3
Michael Dubb* 3
Calumet Farm (Brad Kelley) 2
Cobra Cooper Racing (Ted Cooper) 2
Tom Durant 2
e Five Racing Thoroughbreds (Robert J. Edwards Jr.)* 2
Fern Circle Stables (Paul Fireman) 2
Charles E. Fipke 2
Stonestreet Stables (Barbara Banke) 2

*Includes partnerships.
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