Peace and War to Return in Ashland

Qatar Racing’s Peace and War (War Front), last seen winning the Oct. 3 GI Darley Alcibiades S., will return to action in Saturday’s GI Central Bank Ashland S. at Keeneland. The bay filly missed an expected start in the GI Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies after sustaining a slight tear of the tiny XYZ ligament at the base of a fetlock, but trainer Olly Stevens is happy with her progress so far. She shipped in from Europe Sunday and is in quarantine at Keeneland. 

“Now we wait a long 48 hours,” Stevens said. “She will be in quarantine for two days and come out for a jog late Tuesday morning. She will gallop Wednesday and then blow out an eighth of a mile Thursday.” 

Of his filly’s preparation for her sophomore debut, Stevens added, “She has been breezing with stakes horses and handling them pretty easily. We have done a lot more work with her this time than last fall and I am very happy with her.” 

Stevens is looking ahead to a start at Churchill Downs. “Hopefully, we can get in the [May 1 GI Kentucky] Oaks,” Stevens said. “We are 22nd in points now. Under the old graded stakes earnings system, we would be in. If we don’t get in the Oaks, we may run against the boys on Derby Day [in the GII American Turf] or the Eight Belles [May 1 for fillies on dirt). There are a lot of races for her and the plan is to put her on turf this summer at Ascot.”