Keeneland

Expectations were high for the three Grade I preps for the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile run Saturday as the GI Claiborne Breeders' Futurity, the GI Champagne Stakes and the GI American Pharoah Stakes all included horses who seemed to have vast potential. And most came through. Chancer McPatrick (McKinzie) was the star performer in the Champagne, staying undefeated and adding a second Grade I to win to his resume. In the American Pharoah it all came down, as it so often does, to which Bob Baffert would win, and the...

Never before in his nine-race career had 'TDN Rising Star' Carl Spackler (Ire) (Lope de Vega {Ire}) led at the first or second call of any of his races. Never before, even more remarkably, had Chad Brown unsaddled a winner of the GI Coolmore Turf Mile at Keeneland. But, drawn widest in a field of nine for Saturday's 'Win and You're In' qualifier for the GI Breeders' Cup Mile the flashy chestnut was ridden for speed from out there by Tyler Gaffalione and found extra in the final furlong to...

Godolphin homebred East Avenue (Medaglia d'Oro), tabbed as a 'TDN Rising Star' following a runaway debut victory sprinting with an 86 Beyer Speed Figure at Ellis Park Aug. 24, romped in front-running fashion by a geared-down 5 1/2 lengths while making his two-turn debut in Saturday's 'Win and You're In' GI Claiborne Breeders' Futurity at Keeneland. Favored 'Rising Star' Ferocious (Flatter), a $1.3-million OBS March breezer and runner-up behind unbeaten GI Champagne Stakes winner Chancer McPatrick (McKinzie) in the GI Hopeful Stakes at Saratoga Sept. 2, was second-best after an...

Returning to the site of her previous victories in the 2022 GI QE II Challenge Cup and last year's GI First Lady Stakes, Peter Brant's Gina Romantica (Into Mischief) sat an ideal trip from a close-up third in defense of her title in the latter over a fast turf course, came after pacesetting favorite Ag Bullet (Twirling Candy) just inside the eighth pole and easily held sway for the victory. Sent off the 33-10 second choice behind Ag Bullet, the surprising 5-2 market leader off a potentially anomalous victory in...

With a racing move as ageless as the racetrack itself, it was Zeitlos (Curlin--Thyme For Roses {Aus}, by Redoute's Choice {Aus}) who made a timeless move to the rail and got up for the win in the GII Thoroughbred Club of American Stakes at Keeneland on Saturday afternoon. The score meant that the 4-year-old not only earned her first graded stakes victory, but she took home a prized ticket to enter the starting gate in the GI PNC Bank Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint at Del Mar next month....

3rd-SA, $54K, Msw, 2yo, f, 6f, 5:00 p.m. ET. Joey Peacock's productive New Mexico mare Rose's Desert (Desert God) can already claim several stakes winners, including G1 Saudi Cup champ Senor Buscador (Mineshaft). Her latest homebred to hit the track is ROSE A (Hard Spun) and just like all the others she is trained by Todd Fincher. Rose's Desert, who is also responsible for GIII Sunland Derby hero Runaway Ghost (Ghostzapper), has a current yearling colt named The Hell We Did (Authentic) and a weanling filly by Into Mischief. Set...

WinStar Farm homebred Impulse Buy (f, 2, Speightstown--Jojo Warrior, by Pioneerof the Nile), a debut second behind her Rodolphe Brisset-trained stablemate Liam in the Dust (Liam's Map) at Ellis Park Aug. 11, graduated in style with a 'TDN Rising Star' performance at second asking at Keeneland Saturday. The 5-2 chance shot out to the front and sped through an opening quarter in :22.11. She traveled nicely around the far turn, kicked for home as the one to catch and dropped the hammer from there to win by an eye-catching 11...

Continuing an important weekend as next month's Breeders' Cup World Championships rapidly approach, Keeneland's GI Juddmonte Spinster Stakes headlines Sunday's graded stakes action spanning from coast to coast. A 'Win and You're In' for the GI Longines Breeders' Cup Distaff, the Spinster has six contenders signed on, including last season's champion older mare Idiomatic (Curlin), who draws the rail under regular pilot Florent Geroux. The winner of a trio of Grade I stakes in 2023--capped off by the Breeders' Cup Distaff at Santa Anita--the Juddmonte homebred has proven consistent at...

KatieRich Stables LLC's May Day Ready (Tapit), who proved narrowly best in a three-way photo in Friday's 'Win and You're In' GII Jessamine Stakes at Keeneland, will return to the Belmont Park base of trainer Joe Lee to prepare for the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf. "I guess we will go back to New York; she trains well over that track," Lee said. "Probably ship in the next few days. She lost the right front shoe, so we are going to take a good look at it here. She...

It was a three-way go at the end of 8 1/2 furlongs of Friday's GII Jessamine Stakes at Keeneland, a 'Win and You're In' challenge race for the Nov. 1 GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf at Del Mar, and when the dust had settled, it was KatieRich Stable LLC's May Day Ready (Tapit) who got her nose down on the wire first over Totally Justified (Justify) to her inner and favored Destino d'Oro (Bolt d'Oro) to her outside. Snatched up just after the break, May Day Ready was tough...

In a division lacking the star power of previous years, another contender threw his hat in the ring Friday as Federal Judge (Army Mule) wired the field in the GII Stoll Keenon Ogden Phoenix at Keeneland to earn his spot into the GI Breeders' Cup Sprint. Making his third start of the form cycle off over a year-long layoff, the 4-year-old gelding picked up his second straight win having also taken a field of Saratoga allowance runners gate to wire over nearly this distance Aug. 31. Clearly the speed of...

Montalcino (c, 3, Take Charge Indy--Upstager, by Distorted Humor), a big-figure debut winner at Saratoga Sept. 1, backed up that effort with a 'TDN Rising Star' performance in a first-level allowance for trainer Cherie DeVaux on the opening day of the Keeneland meeting Friday. Favored at even-money while receiving first-time Lasix here, the $410,000 OBS April breezer was hustled to the front from his inside draw and traveled nicely beneath Jose Ortiz while pressed through an opening quarter in :21.61. He began to give them the slip entering the far...