Keeneland Barn Notes — Friday, April 14

By Amy Owens —-

Keeneland’s 15-day Spring Meet runs through Friday, April 28. First post is 1 p.m. ET.

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APPLEBY ON SITE AS GODOLPHIN GOES FOR GRADE 1 DOUBLE THIS WEEKEND
KENTUCKY DERBY WINNER RICH STRIKE WORKS BULLET 5 FURLONGS IN :59.80
OEUVRE SEEKS TO EXTEND WIN STREAK IN SATURDAY’S GIANT’S CAUSEWAY
FRIDAY WORK TAB
KEENELAND CONNECTIONS EARN CANADA’S HIGHEST HONOR
SUNDAY’S CROSS COUNTRY PICK 5 INCLUDES THREE KEENELAND RACES
PROSPECTIVE FIELDS FOR UPCOMING STAKES
SPRING MEET LEADERS
SPRING MEET WEEK 2 SPECIAL EVENTS

APPLEBY ON SITE AS GODOLPHIN GOES
FOR GRADE 1 DOUBLE THIS WEEKEND

When trainer Charlie Appleby was last seen at Keeneland, he was picking up his third piece of 2022 Breeders’ Cup World Championships’ hardware following the victory by Godolphin’s Rebel’s Romance (IRE) in the $4 million Turf (G1).

That victory came on the heels of wins for Godolphin and Appleby in the FanDuel Breeders’ Mile (G1) Presented by PDJF by eventual champion Modern Games (IRE) and in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint (G1) by Mischief Magic (IRE). They were Appleby’s first Keeneland winners.

“You learn what horses to bring over,” Appleby said Friday morning after watching Modern Games and With The Moonlight (IRE) train for engagements today and Saturday in the Maker’s Mark Mile (G1) and Jenny Wiley (G1), respectively.

Coming over from Europe was something Appleby did successfully with Modern Games and With The Moonlight. Modern Games took the Ricoh Woodbine Mile (G1) before his Breeders’ Cup victory and With The Moonlight ran at Belmont and Saratoga with a win and two seconds in graded stakes.

“I have no worries at all with my team,” Appleby said of the extensive travel. “The horses have adopted very well to their surroundings.”

With the blueprint in place, Appleby envisions a similar schedule for Godolphin runners this year.

“We are working back from the Breeders’ Cup (to be held at Santa Anita on Nov. 3-4),” said Appleby, who will return to Europe Saturday night. “The season in Europe is just getting started and these races (in North America) fit our schedule. I can see Belmont, Saratoga and Woodbine (in play).”

KENTUCKY DERBY WINNER RICH STRIKE WORKS
BULLET 5 FURLONGS IN :59.80

RED TR-Racing’s Rich Strike continued to prepare for his 2023 debut by working a bullet 5 furlongs in :59.80 early Friday morning over a fast track for trainer Eric Reed.

With Gabriel Lagunes aboard, the 2022 Kentucky Derby (G1) Presented by Woodford Reserve winner posted fractions of :23.80, :47.80, :59.80 and galloped out 6 furlongs in 1:13.40.

“Gabe said he was perfect this morning and worked the way he did before the Derby,” Reed said of Rich Strike, who is nominated to the 92nd running of Keeneland’s $300,000 Ben Ali (G3) to be run at 1 3/16 miles on April 22. “I want to get him as tight as I can before his first time out against horses that have been running. If all goes well, that will point him for the ($1 million) Stephen Foster (G1 on July 1 at Churchill Downs).”

Reed said the Ben Ali is in the mix for the 2023 debut along with next Saturday’s $1 million Oaklawn Handicap (G2) and the $600,000 Alysheba (G2) Presented by Sentient Jet at Churchill on May 5.

“I’ll talk it over with (owner) Rick (Dawson) the next couple of days,” Reed said. “The Alysheba is probably the most likely spot. He would work again in nine or 10 days, and it would be at Churchill Downs.”

OEUVRE SEEKS TO EXTEND WIN STREAK IN SATURDAY’S GIANT’S CAUSEWAY

Richard Perkins’ homebred filly Oeuvre will be seeking a sixth consecutive victory Saturday when she goes postward in the 26th running of the $250,000 Giant’s Causeway (L) going 5½ furlongs on the grass.

The 4-year-old Shackleford filly has won nine of her past 10 races for trainer Chris Block. She will be ridden Saturday by Jareth Loveberry, who never has lost on Oeuvre in eight races.

“Oeurve has talent and has been one of those that matured mentally through her 3-year-old season,” Block said via text. “That combination molded her into what she is. I believe she is a better filly on grass. She is solid on dirt as well, but I believe a little better on grass.”

Loveberry agrees with that assessment for Oeuvre, who has won four of six grass races.

“She will run on anything, but I like her better on grass although she does just fine on dirt,” Loveberry said. “She is special. She matured a lot the last six months starting at Colonial Downs (in Virginia). She started to get into it and relax more.”

Oeuvre, winner of the Mardi Gras (L) and the Nelson Menard Memorial Stakes on the turf in her two most recent starts at Fair Grounds, will attempt to turn the tables on Gayla Rankin’s Happy Soul in the Giant’s Causeway. Oeuvre finished just behind runner-up Happy Soul in the Nelson’s Green Brier Tennessee Whiskey Music City Stakes (L) at Kentucky Downs in September for her lone defeat since 2021.

Block will try to get the weekend off to a good start when he runs Town and Country Racing’s Knockyoursocksoff in this afternoon’s fifth race.

Second in the JPMorgan Chase Jessamine (G2) on turf here last fall and then runner-up in the Golden Rod (G2) at Churchill Downs on the dirt, Knockyoursocksoff makes her first start since being eased in the Rachel Alexandra (G2) at Fair Grounds on Feb. 18.

“We are hoping to get Knockyoursocksoff back on track today getting back to turf,” Block said. “She should enjoy the mile and an eighth as well. Never say never, but we will be looking to stay on turf.”

FRIDAY WORK TAB

Two candidates for next Friday’s $300,000 Baird Doubledogdare (G3) worked a half-mile.

Omar Aldabbagh and Jeff Ganje’s Shotgun Hottie covered the distance in :48 for trainer Cherie DeVaux. Brereton Jones’ Trobairitz was clocked in :51.40 for trainer Neil Pessin.

KEENELAND CONNECTIONS EARN CANADA’S HIGHEST HONOR

Horses who raced and/or sold at Keeneland were honored last night with Sovereign Awards to recognize Canada’s champions in 2022.

X-Men Racing, Madaket Stables and SF Racing’s Moira, who was named Horse of the Year and champion 3-year-old filly, is a graduate of Keeneland’s world-famous September Yearling Sale. In 2020, X-Men Racing purchased the daughter of Ghostzapper for $150,000 from the consignment of Hidden Brook, agent. Moira was bred in Ontario by Adena Springs.

At Keeneland, Moira ran in the Maker’s Mark Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Turf (G1) in her only race outside Canada.

Other Keeneland sales graduates who received Sovereign Awards are Raroma Stable’s Philip My Dear (2-year-old male), True North Stable’s Hazelbrook (female sprinter) and M Racing Group’s Who’s the Star (older main track male).

Charles Fipke’s Lady Speightspeare, who ran third in last year’s Jenny Wiley (G1) and the Maker’s Mark Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Turf (G1) here, claimed Sovereigns as champion female turf horse and champion older main track female.

“She got two,” a beaming trainer Roger Attfield said Friday from Keeneland the morning after arriving from South Florida. “I’ll be here through the rest of the meet and then the first week at Churchill Downs.”

Other Sovereign Award winners who raced at Keeneland were Cairo Consort (2-year-old female), Filo Di Arianna (BRZ) (male sprinter and male turf horse) and Who’s the Star.

Mark Casse, who has a string stabled at Keeneland, won his 12th consecutive Sovereign Award and 15th overall as champion trainer.

SUNDAY’S CROSS COUNTRY PICK 5 INCLUDES THREE KEENELAND RACES

Sunday’s Cross Country Pick 5 has three Keeneland races, including the Palisades (L) and Beaumont (G2) Presented by Keeneland Select. The minimum wager is 50 cents.

Click here for free Equibase past performances for the Cross Country Pick 5 available for download.

Saturday’s Cross Country Pick 5 features these races:

Leg A: Keeneland, Race 6 – maiden special weight at 3:40 p.m.

Leg B: Keeneland, Race 7 – Palisades (L) at 4:12 p.m.

Leg C: Aqueduct, Race 7 – starter allowance at 4:34 p.m.

Leg D: Keeneland, Race 8 – Beaumont (G2) Presented by Keeneland Select at 4:44 p.m.

Leg E: Aqueduct, Race 8 – allowance at 5:06 p.m.

PROSPECTIVE FIELDS FOR UPCOMING STAKES

Here are the prospective entries for upcoming stakes compiled by Stakes Coordinator Baley Hare.

Friday, April 21 race. Entries taken Sunday

$300,000 BAIRD DOUBLEDOGDARE (G3) – Hidden Connection (Bret Calhoun), Interstatedaydream (Brad Cox), She Can’t Sing (Chris Block), Shotgun Hottie (Cherie DeVaux), Trobairitz (Neil Pessin). Possible: Desert Dawn (Phil D’Amato).

Saturday, April 22 races. Entries taken Wednesday, April 19

$350,000 ELKHORN (G2) – Another Mystery (Block), Scarlet Fusion (Joe Sharp). Possible: Alex Joon (Lindsay Schultz), Camp Hope (Kenny McPeek), English Conqueror (Darwin Banach), Tiz the Bomb (McPeek).

$300,000 BEN ALI (G3) – Skippylongstocking (Saffie Joseph Jr.), Trademark (Vicki Oliver). Possible: Happy American (Pessin), Rich Strike (Eric Reed), Zozos (Brad Cox).