Fields Set for Thee Grade 1 Races on Saturday of Keeneland’s Prestigious Fall Stars Weekend

By Amy Owens —-

Defending champ Bowies Hero faces 10 rivals in Shadwell Turf Mile

LEXINGTON, KY (Sept. 30, 2020) – Agave Racing Stable, ERJ Racing, Madaket Stables and Rockin Robin Racing Stable’s Bowies Hero will attempt to become the third horse to win the Shadwell Turf Mile (G1) in consecutive years when he faces 10 rivals Saturday in the 35th running of the $750,000 race.

The Shadwell Turf Mile is one of five graded stakes on Saturday’s 11-race program that begins at 1:05 p.m. ET. The Shadwell Turf Mile is the afternoon’s third Grade 1 race and scheduled as the 10th race with a 5:57 p.m. post time.

The other Grade 1 races are the 23rd running of the $350,000 First Lady Presented by UK HealthCare for fillies and mares going a mile on the turf and the 107th running of the $400,000 Claiborne Breeders’ Futurity for 2-year-olds going 1 1/16 miles on the main track.

All three races are Breeders’ Cup Challenge races that offer the winners fees-paid berths into corresponding races at the 37th World Championships here Nov. 6-7.

Trained by Phil D’Amato, Bowies Hero will be trying to join Gio Ponti (2010-2011) and Dumaani (1995-1996) as the only repeat winners in the race that is a “Win and You’re In” test for the $2 million Breeders’ Cup FanDuel Mile (G1) Presented by PDJF to be run Nov. 7.

Bowies Hero will break from post position four and be ridden by Rafael Bejarano.

To repeat, Bowies Hero will have to get by a quartet of runners trained by Chad Brown headed by two-time Grade 1 winner Raging Bull (FR).

Owned by Peter Brant, Raging Bull returns to Keeneland where he was third beaten a neck in July in the Maker’s Mark Mile (G1). Winner of the Shoemaker Mile (G1) at Santa Anita in May to open his 2020 campaign, Raging Bull will be ridden Saturday by Joel Rosario and break from post position six.

Brown’s other entrants are William Lawrence’s Analyze It, winner of the Transylvania (G3) here in 2018 and fourth in the Shadwell last year; Juddmonte Farms’ Flavius, winner of the recent Tourist Mile at Kentucky Downs; and, John and Tanya Gunther’s Without Parole (GB) who was fourth in the Maker’s Mark Mile.

Tyler Gaffalione will ride Analyze It and break from post eight; Flavius will exit post seven and be ridden by Ricardo Santana Jr. while Julien Leparoux has the call on Without Parole who will break from post position three.

The field for the Shadwell Turf Mile, with riders from the inside, is: Casa Creed (Martin Garcia), Halladay (Luis Saez), Without Parole (GB) (Leparoux), Bowies Hero (Bejarano), Born Great (Corey Lanerie), Raging Bull (FR) (Rosario), Flavius (Santana Jr.), Analyze It (Gaffalione), Parlor (Umberto Rispoli), Spectacular Gem (James Graham) and Ivar (BRZ) (Joe Talamo). All starters will carry 126 pounds.

Brown duo of Uni and Newspaperofrecord headline
field of six for First Lady Presented by UK HealthCare

Brown also is well represented in the First Lady, a “Win and You’re In” race for the $2 million Maker’s Mark Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Turf (G1) to be run Nov. 7. The First Lady will go as the afternoon’s eighth race with a 4:51 p.m. post time.

Robert LaPenta, Michael Dubb, Head of Plains Partners and Bethlehem Stables’ Uni (GB), the champion grass mare of 2019, will try to become the first repeat winner of the First Lady as she headlines a field of six.

Uni used the First Lady last year as a springboard to victory over the boys in the Breeders’ Cup Mile (G1) at Santa Anita. She finished seventh as the favorite in her most start in the Fourstardave (G1) against males at Saratoga and prior to that was third in the Just a Game (G1) to stablemate and First Lady rival Newspaperofrecord (IRE).

Owned by Klaravich Stables, Newspaperofrecord will be making her Keeneland debut. Winner of the 2018 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (G1) at Churchill Downs, Newspaperofrecord finished second in the Distaff Turf Mile (G2) on Sept. 5 at Churchill Downs.

Joel Rosario will ride Uni and break from post five. Tyler Gaffalione has the mount on Newspaperofrecord and break from post four.

Slam Dunk Racing and Medallion Racing’s Beau Recall (IRE) turned the tables on Newspaperofrecord in the Distaff Turf Mile after finishing second to her in the Just a Game. Trained by Brad Cox, Beau Recall will break from post position one and be ridden by Julien Leparoux.

The field for the First Lady Presented by UK HealthCare, from the inside with riders, is: Beau Recall (IRE) (Leparoux), Dalika (GER) (Luis Saez), Daddy Is a Legend (James Graham), Newspaperofrecord (IRE) (Gaffalione), Uni (GB) (Rosario) and Crystal Lake (Joe Talamo). All starters will carry 124 pounds.

Essential Quality gives Godolphin shot at Claiborne Breeders’ Futurity repeat

Godolphin homebred Essential Quality, a flashy winner on Kentucky Derby Day at Churchill Downs, headlines a field of nine 2-year-olds for the Claiborne Breeders’ Futurity.

The Claiborne Breeders’ Futurity, slated as the ninth race with a 5:24 p.m. post time, is a “Win and You’re In” race for the $2 million Breeders’ Cup TVG Juvenile Presented by Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance (G1) to be run Nov. 6.

Essential Quality is on the same path for Godolphin that Maxfield was in 2019: win a one-turn race in September at Churchill and go straight into the Claiborne Breeders’ Futurity.

Trained by Brad Cox, Essential Quality won that debut by 4 lengths going 6 furlongs and since has come back to work twice at Churchill Downs with the most recent being a :59.80 move over 5 furlongs last Saturday.

Luis Saez has the mount and will break from post position four.

Another impressive debuting Derby Week winner at Churchill Downs was Fern Circle Stables and Three Chimney Farm’s King Fury.

Trained by two-time Breeders’ Futurity winner Kenny McPeek, King Fury won by 2 ¾ lengths going 1 1/16 miles. King Fury will break from post position nine and be ridden by Corey Lanerie.

The field for the Claiborne Breeders’ Futurity, with riders from the rail out, is: Super Stock (Tyler Gaffalione), Upstriker (Joe Talamo), Notary (Julien Leparoux), Essential Quality (Saez), Keepmeinmind (David Cohen), Dixie’s Two Stents (Rafael Bejarano), Calibrate (Ricardo Santana Jr.), Founder (Joel Rosario) and King Fury (Lanerie). All starters will carry 122 pounds.