Sycamore Stakes 2015 at Keeneland Race Course

Dave Bond | OTB Writer

Las Vegas, NV - Keeneland Race Course in Lexington, Kentucky will be the scene of the Grade 3 Sycamore Stakes this Thursday, October 15. Horses three years old and upward will take to Keeneland's turf track and race 1 1/2 miles searching for the winner's share of the $100,000 purse.

A field of 11 will give it a go in the Sycamore Stakes - race 8 on Keeneland's Thursday schedule. Post time is 4:57 PM. Here is a peek into the past performances of all 11 combatants for this mid-week Grade 3 stakes.

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2015 Sycamore Stakes Race Favorite Entries

Da Big Hoss - has seven wins, a second and two third place finishes in 13 career starts for trainer Michael Maker and enters on a nice four race win streak - last time out in his graded stakes debut - the Grade 3 Kentucky Turf Cup at this distance September 14 followed wins in his stakes debut - the restricted John's Call Stakes at Saratoga August 26, an Allowance Optional Claiming on July 31 and a Claiming win in June. Da Big Hoss hasn't been touched in the last four months, has placed in his last nine starts overall including six wins over that span and will have Joe Rocco in the reins from post 7.

Holiday Star - defending champion in this race has been just OK in five starts since. He enters off a second place finish behind Da Big Hoss in the minor John's Call Stakes at Saratoga August 26 and a win in the minor Cape Henlopen Stakes at this distance at Delaware Park in July. Before that were three straight off-the-board finishes - a sixth in an Allowance in May followed consecutive eighth place finishes - the Grade 2 Dixiana Elkhorn Stakes in April and the Grade 2 Hollywood Turf Cup in November. Holiday Star has five wins, three seconds and two third place finishes in 18 career starts and enters in decent form. Edgar Prado gets the call from gate 8.

Sycamore Stakes 2015 | Remaining Contenders

Divine Oath - Graham Motion trained colt has five wins, two seconds and a third place finish in 15 career starts but has failed to place in five of his last six overall. Last time out was a second in the minor PTHA President's Cup Stakes at Parx September 12 after a ninth in the Grade 1 United Nations Stakes July 5 and three straight fourth place finishes - the Grade 2 Charles Whittingham Stakes May 24, the Grade 3 Fort Marcy Stakes at Belmont Park May 2 and the Grade 2 Mervin H. Muniz Jr. Handicap March 28. He won the Grade 3 WL McKnight Handicap December 27 at this distance and the Grade 3 Kent Stakes in September at Hollywood Park - so we know he can run. He also posted a good third in the Grade 2 Twilight Derby last October and a nice win in the Grade 3 American Derby at Arlington last July 12. Divine Oath has been impressive at times - all five of his career wins have come on turf (three Grade 3 scores) but he hasn't been sparkling in his last six starts overall. Drayden Van Dyke will be in charge hoping to get Divine Oath back on track- from gate 6.

Aldous Snow - Malcolm Pierce trainee enters off an ugly eighth in the Grade 1 Northern Dancer Turf Stakes at Woodbine September 13 and a disappointing sixth in the Grade 2 Sky Classic August 16. Before that was a career best effort - a win in the 1 1/2 mile Grade 3 Singspiel Stakes at Woodbine July 5 -a race that he won two years in a row. He didn't look great before that - a third in an Allowance Optional Claiming here in June followed a fifth in the Grade 2 Elkhorn Stakes in April, a disappointing eleventh in the Grade 3 River City Handicap at Churchill Downs November 8 and sixth place finishes in the 2014 Northern Dancer Turf in September and the 2014 Sky Classic Stakes last August 16. Aldous Snow has 28 career starts with five wins, five seconds and three third place finishes and looks for a bounce back Sunday. Eurico Rosa Da Silva gets the call from the gate 4.

Charming Kitten - Todd Pletcher colt raced to a ninth in the 2013 Kentucky Derby and has been inconsistent since. Career highlights include a win in the minor Belmont Gold Cup Invitational June 6, 2014 and seconds in the 2013 Grade2 Virginia Derby and the Grade 3 Hawthorne Derby in October, 2013. He had a pair of Allowance Optional Claiming scores last year as well. Charming Kitten enters off a seventh in the Grade 2 Bernard Baruch Handicap at Saratoga September 7, a second in the minor Lure Stakes in August, an Allowance Optional Claiming score in June and nearly a full year away from the track. He now has six wins, six seconds and two third place finishes in 23 career starts and looks for his first graded stakes win in his fifteenth try. John Velazquez will be aboard trying to accomplish that goal from the outside post 11.

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Xtra Luck - Neil Howard trained gelding has 22 career starts with three wins, four seconds and three third place finishes. His career highlight was a win three starts back in the Grade 3 Louisville Handicap at Churchill Downs May 23 but he has two off-the-board finishes since- a sixth last time out in the Grade 3 American St. Leger Stakes at Arlington August 15 followed a fourth in the Grade 3 Stars and Stripes Stakes July 11. Xtra Luck has three wins, four seconds and three third place finishes in 22 career starts and had two wins, a second and a third place finish in six starts this year. Robby Albarado has been tabbed with snapping Xtra Luck's two race losing streak - from post 9.

Patrioticandproud - Mark Casse trainee won placed in three straight graded stakes starts at the end of 2015/beginning of 2015 including seconds in the Grade 2 San Gabriel Stakes and the Grade 2 Hollywood Turf Cup but has been up and down since. He enters off a second in an Allowance Optional Claiming at Woodbine August 24, a fourth in the Grade 3 Dominion Day Stakes July 1 and an Allowance Optional Claiming score in June. He has just five wins, 12 seconds and three third place finishes in 15 career starts and looks for his first stakes win since the minor Toronto Cup in July, 2012. Shawn Bridgmohan gets the call from post 3 Thursday.

St. Albans Boy - has three wins and two third place finishes in 18 career starts and enters this week having placed in just one of his last nine starts - that being a third two starts back in an Allowance Optional Claiming at Saratoga August 8. Before that was a fourth in the minor Cape Henlopen Stakes in July and an eighth in the Grade 2 Monmouth Stakes in June. Last time out was a fourth in the Grade 3 Kentucky Turf Cup Stakes September 14. St. Albans Boy looks to place in graded stakes company for the first time in his fifth attempt - from post with Paco Lopez guiding him.

Kalamos - will make his graded stakes debut for trainer Edward Boerjan. He won the minor Old Friends Stakes at Kentucky Downs September 16 and had a second last time out in an Allowance October 2. He has placed in five of his last six starts overall and will make his seventh start in the last three months. Abel Lezcano has been tabbed with keeping the roll going in Kalamos's step up in competition - from gate 10.

Thatcher Street - Ian Wilkes trained gelding has two wins, five seconds and five third place finishes in 16 career starts. He makes his graded stakes debut off consecutive runner up finishes in minor stakes action - the Old Friends Stakes September 16 at Kentucky Downs and the Warrior Veteran Stakes in July. Before that were two straight wins - an Allowance in June and a maiden score in May - both results at Churchill Downs. Thatcher Street has placed in six straight races ahead of this weekend and looks for his first stakes score Thursday when he leaves from gate 2 with Brian Joseph Hernandez aboard.

Market Outlook - Ian Wilkes trained gelding makes his stakes debut Thursday having posted two wins, a second and a third place finish in nine career starts. He enters off a fourth in an Allowance Optional Claiming at Belmont Park September 19, a third in a Claiming September 2 and a fourth in an Allowance Optional Claiming August 22. Market Outlook takes a huge step up in competition in so-so form from post 7 with Julien Leparoux in the irons.


2015 Sycamore Stakes Entries & Odds

Race 8 on Keeneland's Thursday card with a Post Time of 4:57 PM.

Entry Horse Jockey Trainer ML Odds
1 Da Big Hoss Joseph Rocco, Jr. Michael Maker
2-1
2 Thatcher Street Brian Hernandez, Jr. Ian Wilkes
20-1
3 Patrioticandproud Shaun Bridgmohan Mark Casse
6-1
4 Aldous Snow Eurico Da Silva Malcolm Pierce
10-1
5 St. Albans Boy Paco Lopez Kelly Rubley
20-1
6 Divine Oath Drayden Van Dyke H. Motion
6-1
7 Market Outlook Julien Leparoux Ian Wilkes
20-1
8 Holiday Star Edgar Prado H. Motion
4-1
9 Xtra Luck Robby Albarado Neil Howard
10-1
10 Kalamos Abel Lezcano Edward Boerjan
30-1
11 Charming Kitten John Velazquez Todd Pletcher
6-1