Keeneland
Tracy Farmer's homebred La Cara (f, 3, Street Sense--Cara Caterina, by Bernardini) closed out the Road to the Kentucky Oaks the same way she started it: with a win. Victorious in the first GI Kentucky Oaks points race of the season--the GIII Pocahontas Stakes at Churchill Downs last September--and the last, Monday's rescheduled GI Central Bank Ashland Stakes at Keeneland, La Cara heads to the Oaks with 151.75 points, second on the leaderboard behind Mar. 29 GII Fantasy Stakes winner Quietside (Malibu Moon). The Ashland awarded Oaks points on a...
In the first race of the Keeneland meet to stay on the grass after torrential rains throughout Kentucky, Amerman homebred Test Score (c, 3, Lookin At Lucky--Joy of Learning, by Kitten's Joy) captured Monday's rescheduled $600,000 GIII Transylvania Stakes and gave rider Manny Franco two consecutive black-type victories on the day after winning the Lafayette Stakes one race prior with 'TDN Rising Star' Colloquial (Vekoma). Test Score broke forwardly in the Transylvania, settling into an unbothered fifth on the outside as three-straight stakes winner Mi Bago (Vekoma) showed the way...
LAFAYETTE S., $380,000, Keeneland, 4-7, 3yo, 7f, 1:23.92, ft. 1--COLLOQUIAL, 118, c, 3, by Vekoma 1st Dam: Terminology, by Bernardini 2nd Dam: Her Own Terms, by Storm Cat 3rd Dam: Gal in a Ruckus, by Bold Ruckus ($240,000 Ylg '23 KEESEP). 1ST BLACK TYPE WIN. O-Harrell Ventures, LLC and Starlight Racing; B-Michael & J.B. Orem (KY); T-George Weaver; J-Manuel Franco. $248,000. Lifetime Record: 3-2-1-0, $310,000. 2--Smoken Wicked, 118, c, 3, Bobby's Wicked One--Street Smoke, by Street Boss. ($38,000 Ylg '23 BSLY&M). O-Valene Farms LLC; B-Tom Curtis &...
1st-Keeneland, $82,854, Msw, 4-7, 2yo, 4 1/2f, :52.56, gd, 7 1/2 lengths. PINKY FINGER (f, 2, Army Mule--Bird Map, by Liam's Map), the lone filly in the field, was sent off at even money and never gave her backers any doubts. The bay shot out to the early lead and had a clear advantage in a matter of strides. She was some three lengths in front at the top of the stretch after a quarter in :22.10 and, with jockey Joel Rosario glancing back for challengers more than once, extended...
It's exceedingly rare to see a Kentucky Derby point race run on a Tuesday, but thanks to a week of catastrophic weather in the Commonwealth, that's what is happening at Keeneland as a field of seven line up to contest the last of the major Derby preps--the GI Toyota Blue Grass Stakes. On the rail, and fortuitously drawn to the inside of a closer, is 'TDN Rising Star' River Thames (Maclean's Music). With the small field, the speedster will likely encounter considerably less traffic trouble than that post position would...
Multiple Grade I-placed 'TDN Rising Star' Ferocious (Flatter) has succumbed to laminitis after being sidelined with a foreleg injury, the connections announced Monday afternoon on X. Twice a runner-up at the highest level in the GI Hopeful Stakes at Saratoga and the GI Claiborne Breeders' Futurity at Keeneland in 2024, the son of Flatter emerged from his fourth place in the GIII Holy Bull Stakes Feb. 1 with a muscle tear. When first reported, the connections said it was a minor injury that just required time to heal, but also...
3rd-KEE, $120k, OC125k/NW1, 3yo, 6f, 2:04 p.m. ET. Jim Bakke and Gerry Isbister's Tip Top Thomas (Volatile), who was tabbed a 'TDN Rising Star' following his debut win at Saratoga last August, returns to the races for the first time since finishing second behind Chancer McPatrick (McKinzie) in the GI Champagne Stakes last October. Trained by Todd Pletcher, the $160,000 FTKOCT yearling is a half-brother to multiple stakes winner Gray Attempt (Graydar) and to multiple graded placed Dua (Arrogate). CHC Inc. and WinStar Farm's Gunmetal (Gun Runner), who scratched out...
On a day which traditionally served as the 'after party' to the opening Friday and Saturday of Keeneland's April meet, Verity (Nyquist) claimed the honor of being the graded action opener this year, bounding home in those royal blue silks to take the GII Beaumont Stakes. With torrential rain and catastrophic flooding across Kentucky, the racing world did not escape the bad weather unscathed, as Keeneland was forced to abandon Friday and Saturday racing--now rescheduled for Monday and Tuesday--after Gov. Andy Beshear declared a state of emergency for the entire...
Normandy Coast, cutting back in distance after being eased in the one-mile GIII Gotham Stakes last time out and missing out on his turf debut when this came off the lawn, skipped home a convincing winner of the Palisades Stakes at Keeneland Sunday. The 5-2 shot tracked favored Long Neck Paula, cut the corner to take the lead into the stretch and strode home 3 1/2 lengths in front. "We were actually praying for rain this week, so that happened for us. We wanted to run him on the dirt...
5th-KEE, $110K, Msw, 3yo, f, 6f, 3:08 p.m. ET. Sprinting over the main track is first timer MIDNIGHT MYTH (More Than Ready). The filly was taken home by Kerri Radcliffe for $550,000 at the Keeneland September Sale. Out of GII Thoroughbred Club of America Stakes heroine Fioretti (Bernardini), the Jose D'Angelo trainee hails from an extended female family which includes GISW Fault (Blame). TJCIS PPS 1st-KEE, $90K, Msw, 2yo, 4 1/2f, 1:00 p.m. ET. More first-crop sires will have their initial runners exit the Keeneland chute, as the 'baby races'...
1st-Keeneland, $72,968, Msw, 4-6, 2yo, f, 4 1/2f, :52.32, sy, 1 length. LENNILU (f, 2, Leinster--Lulu's Pom Pom, by Pomeroy) got her freshman sire off to a rapid start with a debut victory at Keeneland Sunday. Sent off at 5-2, the gray filly was hustled out of the gate before sitting a stalking trip under energetic handling from Luis Saez as Kadabra (Good Magic) set the pace. Lennilu tipped out a path at the top of the lane, closed determinedly to overtake Kadabra late and pulled away to score by...
7th-KEE, 110K, Msw, 3yo, f, 1 1/16m, 4:12 p.m. The second-highest priced yearling sold at Keeneland September in 2023, LADY SCUDERIA (Uncle Mo) went the way of John Stewart's Resolute Racing for $2,500,000. A daughter of Starship Warpspeed, the filly is a half-sister to GI Kentucky Derby winner (amongst other Grade I's) Shedaresthedevil (Daredevil) who last sold to Whisper Hill Farm for $5,000,000 at FTKNOV in 2022. The mare has also produced GSP Mojovation (Quality Road) and strikes a perfect six-for-six record of runners to winners. TJCIS PPS