Keeneland Barn Notes: Wednesday, Oct. 23

By Amy Owens —-

WEDNESDAY, OCT. 23

Keeneland’s 17-day Fall Meet concludes Saturday.
Post time for the first race each day is 1:05 p.m. ET.

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• CORE BELIEFS, MOCITO ROJO AMONG 10 ENTERED IN CLOSING-DAY HAGYARD FAYETTE
• TRAILBLAZER KAYE BELL AT KEENELAND AS PART OF DOCUMENTARY
• BREEDERS’ CUP PRE-ENTRANTS STABLED AT KEENELAND
• FALL MEET SPECIAL EVENTS
• FALL MEET LEADERS

CORE BELIEFS, MOCITO ROJO AMONG 10 ENTERED
IN CLOSING-DAY HAGYARD FAYETTE

Gary Broad’s California-based Core Beliefs and Wayne T. Davis’ Louisiana-based Mocito Rojo are the 123-pound highweights for Saturday’s 62nd running of the $200,000 Hagyard Fayette (G2) on closing day of the Fall Meet. They lead a field of 10 horses entered Wednesday for the 1 1/8-mile dirt race for 3-year-olds and up.
The Hagyard Fayette will go as the ninth race on closing day’s 11-race program with a 5:30 p.m. ET post time. First post is 1:05 p.m.
Trained by Peter Eurton, Core Beliefs won the New Orleans Handicap (G2) at Fair Grounds in March. In his past two starts, the 4-year-old Quality Road colt was sixth in the Gold Cup at Santa Anita (G1) and fourth in the San Diego (G2). In those races, he faced the likes of Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1) pre-entrants Catalina Cruiser, Higher Power, Mongolian Groom and Vino Rosso.
Joe Talamo, who is nearing 2,000 career wins, has the mount on Core Beliefs, who will break from post seven.
Shane Wilson trains Mocito Rojo, who has won his past five races. Winner of the Lukas Classic (G3) on Sept. 28 at Churchill Downs, Mocito Rojo also captured the Steve Sexton Mile (G3) at Lone Star and stakes at Delta Downs, Evangeline Downs and Remington Park.
Filemon Rodriguez will ride the 5-year-old son of Mutadda, who will start from post five. Rodriguez never has ridden at Keeneland.

The field for the Hagyard Fayette, with riders and weights from the inside, is: The Great Day (ARG) (Corey Lanerie, 121 pounds), Mr Freeze (Robby Albarado, 121), Tom’s d’Etat (Joel Rosario, 121), Everfast (Miguel Mena, 118), Mocito Rojo (Filemon Rodriguez, 123), Tenfold (Ricardo Santana Jr., 121), Core Beliefs (Joe Talamo, 123), Bal Harbour (Tyler Gaffalione, 121), Own Agenda (Brian Hernandez Jr., 121), Big Dollar Bill (Chris Landeros, 121),

TRAILBLAZER KAYE BELL AT KEENELAND AS PART OF DOCUMENTARY

Kaye Bell, the first female jockey to win at Keeneland when she accomplished the feat in 1972, was back at the track this past week to film parts of a documentary of her life. Filming will include an interview with former Keeneland President James E. “Ted Bassett III, whom Bell credits as an exceptional supporter during her jockey and training careers.

“I love coming to Lexington to reunite with all my childhood friends,” she said.

While in the Lexington area, Bell mingled with those longtime buddies and newer friends, including Sophie Doyle, the most recent woman jockey to win at Keeneland when she was victorious on Oct. 19.

Growing up in Lexington, Bell participated in horse shows, some of which were held at Keeneland. She rode a variety of horses, including one that became the gateway to the race track. The mare was a retired racer, and Bell transitioned her into a show ring jumper. The Thoroughbred’s former trainer, Doug Davis – a leading Keeneland trainer at the time – was so impressed that he recruited Bell to ride Thoroughbreds at his farm.

In an era when women were not welcomed in race track barn areas, Bell ventured at age 19 to Aiken, South Carolina, to ride for eventual Hall of Famer Mack Miller. Bell migrated with the Miller crew when they returned to Belmont Park, where her main role was breezing stakes runners. Her mounts included a nearly undefeated South African-born colt imported to tackle America’s top turf races named *Hawaii (the asterisk was used to denote him as foreign-bred.) Thanks in part to Bell’s skills, *Hawaii was named America’s champion grass horse of 1969.

Speedy workouts aboard *Hawaii and his stablemates sparked Bell’s interest to become a jockey. She returned to Keeneland and started riding races for Davis, who trained her historic first winner: 17-1 longshot Nashota in the fourth race on April 14, 1972. Bell used Keeneland’s first aid room as her dressing room.

Bell was a jockey sparingly for only about 1½ years partly because her petite muscular build made her too heavy. She turned to training Thoroughbreds in 1973 and traveled the country to various tracks. In 1990, she took up residence in Southern California for about 20 years. She worked in the movie industry, including gigs as a stunt rider, and in race track publicity. She settled back in the Lexington area for a decade before returning to California two years ago.

“The fact that I am the first woman to win a race at Keeneland as a jockey makes it a special place in my heart,” she said. “One of my favorite spots is the quarter pole (at the top of the stretch) because that is where I learned I could win or lose a race.”

Despite changing her lifestyle, Bell said she never really left the track.

“You can take the woman out of the race track but you can’t take the race track out of the woman,” she said.

BREEDERS’ CUP PRE-ENTRANTS STABLED AT KEENELAND

Keeneland is home to these horses who have been pre-entered for the Breeders’ Cup World Championships at Santa Anita on Nov. 1-2:

Trainer (Barn) Horse BC Race Last Race Latest Work

Rusty Arnold (60) Gear Jockey Juvenile Turf (G1) 3rd 10/6 Dixiana Bourbon (G3) at KEE 10/18: 4f in :49.60 (dirt)
Leinster Turf Sprint (G1) 2nd 10/5 Woodford (G2) at KEE 10/20: 4f in :52.80 (turf)
Totally Boss Turf Sprint Won 9/7 Runhappy Turf Sprint (G3) at KD 10/20: 4f in :47.80 (dirt)
Ignacio Correas IV (41, 70) Blue Prize (ARG) Distaff (G1) Won 10/6 Juddmonte Spinster (G1) at KEE 10/18: 4f in :49.40
Walk In Marrakesh (IRE) Juvenile Fillies Turf (G1) 2nd 9/15 Natalma (G1) at WO 10/20: 4f in :50.40 (turf)
Bob Hess (1) Heavenhasmynikki Filly and Mare Sprint (G1) Won 10/5 Diana at TDN 10/17: 5f in 1:00.20
Eddie Kenneally (34, 72) Abscond Juvenile Fillies Turf Won 9/15 Natalma at WO 10/18: 4f in :48.80 (dirt)
Girls Know Best Turf Sprint 3rd 10/11: Buffalo Trace Franklin County (G3) at KEE
Kiaran McLaughlin (33) Dawn the Destroyer Filly and Mare Sprint 2nd 10/5 Thoroughbred Club of America (G2) at KEE 10/18: 4f in :48.20
Henri-Alex Pantall (quarantine barn) Castle Lady (IRE) Filly and Mare Turf (G1) 2nd 10/12 Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup Presented by Lane’s End (G1) at KEE
Todd Pletcher (6) Sweet Melania Juvenile Fillies Turf Won 10/9 JPMorgan Chase Jessamine (G2) at KEE
Jack Sisterson (Calumet Farm barn on Rice Road) Bandua Turf (G1) 8th 10/5 Shadwell Turf Mile (G1) at KEE 10/21: 4f in :49 (dirt)
Brendan Walsh (24) Maxfield TVG Juvenile (G1) Won 10/5 Claiborne Breeders’ Futurity (G1) at KEE 10/18: 4f in :48.60
Vitalogy (GB) Juvenile Turf 2nd 10/6 Dixiana Bourbon (G3) at KEE 10/20: 4f in :50.20 (turf)
Wesley Ward (47, 68) Cambria Juvenile Turf Sprint (G2) Won 9/7 Kentucky Downs Juvenile Sprint at KD 10/20: 4f in :49.80 (turf)
Four Wheel Drive Juvenile Turf Sprint Won 10/6 Futurity (G3) at BEL 10/20: 4f in :50 (turf)
Karak Juvenile Turf Sprint 4th in 10/5 Matron (G3) at BEL 10/20: 4f in :50 (turf)
Kimari Juvenile Turf Sprint Won 10/6 Indian Summer at KEE 10/20: 4f in :48.80 (turf)

FALL MEET SPECIAL EVENTS
All Year

Official Keeneland Tours – A variety of guided walking tours showcase Keeneland’s racing and sales operations. Click here for more information.
Now through Nov. 1
Bud Light Getaway – Click here to enter to win a VIP day at the races during Keeneland’s 2020 Spring Meet.
 
Through March 2020
The Keeneland Library Presents “A Day in the Life: Volume I” – This new exhibit features the work of early Turf photographer John C. Hemment. The Keeneland Library is home to the largest known surviving body of work of Hemment, a photographer during the late 19th and early 20th century. A virtual counterpart of the Hemment exhibit is at keenelandlibrary.omeka.net/exhibits. Celebrating its 80th anniversary this year, the Library is free and open to the public Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. ET.
Wednesday, Oct. 23
WINS-Day Challenge Sponsored by Malone’s – Handicappers of all levels can test their skills through this contest, which has a guaranteed $2,500 pool. The entry fee is $10.
East Gate Shop special offer – The satellite location of The Keeneland Shop is offering a $5 off hat purchase on Wednesdays and Thursdays during the Fall Meet (offer not available at The Keeneland Shop and Milliners Corner or at satellite locations at Wagering Central and the finish line). Located on the first floor of the Saddling Paddock Chalet – in a corner near the East Gate Grandstand entrance – the East Gate Shop is open to the public on race days from 10 a.m. ET until 30 minutes after the final race. (Re-entry to the track is available through the East Gate entrance.)
The East Gate Shop, which has a selection of hats, T-shirts and other Keeneland souvenir items, has personalization and engraving options to give fans the opportunity to customize their purchases. A complimentary bag check enables fans to leave their purchases there during the races and pick them up when they leave.
Thursday, Oct. 24
East Gate Shop special offer – The satellite location of The Keeneland Shop is offering a $5 off hat purchase on Wednesdays and Thursdays during the Fall Meet (offer not available at The Keeneland Shop and Milliners Corner or at satellite locations at Wagering Central and the finish line). Located on the first floor of the Saddling Paddock Chalet – in a corner near the East Gate Grandstand entrance – the East Gate Shop is open to the public on race days from 10 a.m. ET until 30 minutes after the final race. (Re-entry to the track is available through the East Gate entrance.)
The East Gate Shop, which has a selection of hats, T-shirts and other Keeneland souvenir items, has personalization and engraving options to give fans the opportunity to customize their purchases. A complimentary bag check enables fans to leave their purchases there during the races and pick them up when they leave.
Friday, Oct. 25
The Hill – Keeneland’s official tailgate lot features a jumbo screen to watch live racing and football, wagering booths, live music, local food trucks and free shuttles to the Grandstand.
 
Saturday, Oct. 26 – Closing Day

Special Halloween Edition Sunrise Trackside – Families, out-of-town guests, longtime Keeneland fans and others will enjoy spending a morning at the track before the races begin. Watch racehorses train over the track and enjoy Breakfast With the Works and trackside commentary (7-8:30 a.m.); children’s activities in the Kids Club Corner (7:30-9:30 a.m.); free guided tours of the grounds (7:30-10 a.m.) and a demonstration by Locust Trace AgriScience Center.

Children are encouraged to wear Halloween costumes to the track. Buckles, the Keeneland Kids Club mascot, will award Kids Club prize packages to some of the best costumes. Children will enjoy special Halloween activities and have a chance to collect candy The Headless Horseman will appear in the Paddock at approximately 9:15 a.m. and on the track during the race day.

Jockey Q&A with Tyler Gaffalione in the Paddock at 12:05 p.m.

The Hill – Keeneland’s official tailgate lot features a jumbo screen to watch live racing and football, wagering booths, live music, local food trucks and free shuttles to the Grandstand.

 
FALL MEET LEADERS

Jockey Starts Wins 2nd 3rd Purses

Julien Leparoux 73 16 6 9 $900,180
Javier Castellano 54 12 11 7 $1,290,818
Jose Ortiz 74 11 11 8 $1,328,113
Corey Lanerie 82 10 13 9 $657,138
Tyler Gaffalione 68 8 9 11 $657,704
Florent Geroux 44 6 8 3 $465,168

Trainer Starts Wins 2nd 3rd Purses

Chad Brown 30 7 5 2 $986,358
Mike Maker 41 5 6 5 $394,682
Brad Cox 32 4 4 5 $529,205
Brendan Walsh 30 4 4 3 $530,440
Wesley Ward 22 4 2 4 $335,050

Owner Wins
Lothenbach Stables (Bob Lothenbach) 3
Ten Broeck Farm (David Mowat) 3

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