By Brian DiDonato
Despite temperatures in the 20s expected over the weekend, the true start to spring for many takes place Friday with the opening of Keeneland Race Course, and a field of nine sophomore turfers kick things off in the featured GIII Transylvania S. Trainer Chad Brown won this race 12 months ago with Paul Pompa Jr.'s Night Prowler (Giant's Causeway), and holds a very strong hand this time around. Pompa's Converge (Sidney's Candy), a debut winner against New York-breds at Belmont in September who was second with trouble in that venue's Awad S. the following month, ran to favoritism to get past the speedy Giant Run (Giant's Causeway) in Gulfstream's GIII Palm Beach S. Feb. 27. Giant Run returned to take the Cutler Bay S. by daylight Mar. 26. Brown's other representative Catapult (Kitten's Joy) also defeated Giant Run in his last outing. Woodford Racing's $350,000 KEESEP yearling ran down that foe to earn a solid 93 debut Beyer Speed Figure in Elmont Oct. 18. Shug McGaughey pupil Inspector Lynley (Lemon Drop Kid) also has form through Giant Run. The son of MGSW Criminologist (Maria's Mon) finished fourth in the slower maiden affair run on the same card as Catapult's debut, and improved his Beyer by 27 points to 88 when second by a neck at the Big A Nov. 28. Second again to the aforementioned Giant Run at Gulfstream Jan. 2, he broke through after a very wide journey to don cap and gown by a neck Feb. 6. Shakhimat (Lonhro {Aus}) won right out of the box going seven panels on the Woodbine synthetic Sept. 19, and was third trying the grass in the restricted Cup and Saucer S. Oct. 11. He controlled the pace over a speed-friendly main surface in Etobicoke Nov. 8, and thrashed fellow Canada-breds in the nine-panel Coronation Futurity S. by 9 3/4 lengths.
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