Keeneland

Bruce Lunsford homebred Art Collector (Bernardini) put his name in the hat for the Sept. 5 GI Kentucky Derby with a victory in the GII Toyota Blue Grass S. at Keeneland Saturday. Engaged in a three-way duel for control through the opening stages, the 2-1 shot ended up a close third just off MGSW filly Swiss Skydiver (Daredevil) and Shivaree (Awesome of Course) as the first quarter went in :23.25. Maintaining that position while running off the fence through a :46.61 half-mile, the dark bay ranged up menacingly outside of...

Already a Grade I winner at ages two, three and four, 'TDN Rising Star' Rushing Fall (More Than Ready) made it four straight seasons at the highest level with a record-setting victory in the GI Coolmore Jenny Wiley S. at Keeneland Saturday, which she also won last season. Away in good order, the 4-5 chalk was hot on pacesetting Jolie Olimpica (Brz)'s (Drosselmeyer) tail in second with Juliet Foxtrot (GB) (Dansili {GB}) to her inside through upbeat fractions of :23.42 and :46.94. Ranging up to look Jolie Olimpica in the...

Speech (Mr Speaker) became her young sire's first Grade I winner and earned enough points to land her a spot in the Sept. 4 GI Kentucky Oaks with a decisive score in the GI Central Bank Ashland S. at Keeneland Saturday afternoon. Speedy GII Las Virgenes S. romper Venetian Harbor (Munnings) shot out to the early lead, loping through an opening quarter in :24.04 with Speech stalking from second off the fence. Envoutante (Uncle Mo) slipped up the fence inside of Speech as the half went up in :47.14, but...

Keeneland's GI Madison S. was a battle between 'TDN Rising Stars' Guarana (Ghostzapper) and Mia Mischief (Into Mischief) from start to finish, but in the end it was Guarana who won the gutsy brawl. Favored at 1-2, Guarana went straight to the front and was hounded by Mia Mischief, who was let go at a surprising at 8-1, through early splits of :22.95 and :45.92. Mia Mischief drew even with Guarana at the top of the stretch and briefly headed her younger rival, but Guarana battled back in the final...

Saturday, Keeneland APPALACHIAN S. PRESENTED BY JAPAN RACING ASSOCIATION-GII, $150,000, Keeneland, 7-11, 3yo, f, 1mT, 1:33.97, fm. 1--ENOLA GAY, 118, f, 3, by Uncle Mo 1st Dam: Dakota Queen, by War Front 2nd Dam: Moon Queen (Ire), by Sadler's Wells 3rd Dam: Infamy (Ire), by Shirley Heights (GB) 1ST BLACK TYPE WIN, 1ST GRADED STAKES WIN. ($90,000  RNA Ylg '18 KEESEP). O-Allen Stable Inc; B-Mr Joseph Allen LLC (KY); T-Claude R McGaughey III; J-Julien R Leparoux. $90,000. Lifetime Record: 3-2-0-0, $174,000. Werk Nick Rating: F. Click for the eNicks report &...

Therideofalifetime (Candy Ride {Arg}) built on a promising debut with a sharp wire-to-wire score early on the blockbuster Saturday card at Keeneland to become the latest 'TDN Rising Star'. Rallying to be runner-up behind the sharp Jackie's Warrior (Maclean's Music) when unveiled June 19 at Churchill, the chestnut was backed down to 3-2 favoritism here and easily outbroke the field. Showing the way in the clear through splits of :22.45 and :46.02, Therideofalifetime faced a brief challenge to his outside from second choice Swill (Munnings) in early stretch, but made...

OXO Equine's $1.8-million Keeneland September yearling Vintage Print (Curlin) returns to Lexington for Sunday's GIII Kentucky Utilities Transylvania S. The Chad Brown trainee didn't show much in a pair of main-track efforts in New York last fall, but looked like a different horse when trying turf to graduate at Gulfstream Feb. 22. The son of GISW Molly Morgan (Ghostzapper) ran down speedy Mike Maker pupil Fancy Liquor (Lookin At Lucky) to clear his first-level allowance condition at Churchill June 11. Another Transylvania pair who made up a Churchill exacta last...

There is paying your dues and then there is the story of Tom Drury, Jr. Thirty-eight years after he started his training career at age 18, Drury will go into Saturday's GII Toyota Blue Grass S. at Keeneland with an outstanding chance of winning a prestigious $600,000 race that could be a gateway to the GI Kentucky Derby. His Art Collector (Bernardini) is the co-second choice on the morning line at 5-1 and is coming off a 6 1/2-length win in an allowance race at Churchill Downs. A win would...

Looking for his first trip to the winner's circle since annexing the GI Preakness S. some 14 months ago, Gary Barber's War of Will (War Front) did it toughest, but called on all his class and determination to scratch out a short-head success in the GI Maker's Mark Mile as the Keeneland summer meeting reached its mid-point Friday. Drawn widest in the field of 10, the handsome blaze-faced bay raced three off the fence leaving the stretch for the first time and punched the breeze from up close as High...

Hammered into heavy favoritism with a recency edge over the come-backing 'TDN Rising Star' Wicked Whisper (Liam's Map), Whitham Thoroughbreds's Four Graces proved the easy winner of Friday's GIII Beaumont S., stopping the clock in a stakes and track-record clocking of 1:24.90 for the extended seven-furlong distance. Ridden for speed by Julien Leparoux over a track that had been playing kindly to front-end types, the homebred half-sister to McCraken (Ghostzapper) set a pressured pace from last year's GI Frizette S. winner Wicked Whisper, as they whistled through an opening half-mile...

Ed DeRosa of Brisnet.com takes on TDN's Steve Sherack and Brian DiDonato as they handicap Triple Crown prep races plus the big three races themselves. The three will make $100 Win/Place bets in the preps and $200 Win/Place bets in the Kentucky Derby, Preakness and Belmont. Highest bankroll at the end wins. DeRosa - Indiana Derby Result - Earner was fourth. Bankroll: $3680. GII Blue Grass S. - Art Collector and Swiss Skydiver are the most likely winners. Not sure if they'll be as far apart in the wagering as...

After riding the second race at Keeneland today, where he finished second aboard Fortuna (Medaglia d'Oro), jockey Luis Saez received a positive result back from a COVID-19 test he took on Thursday at Keeneland, and was removed from the remainder of his mounts. The news was confirmed by Keeneland's Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Vince Gabbert. Since July 4, Saez has ridden at four different tracks--Keeneland, Belmont, Indiana Grand, and Los Alamitos. "Based on the protocols we set up, we had him and several others isolated based on the...