Keeneland Barn Notes for April 9

December 10, 2019

• LADY ELI AND SUNSET GLOW IN BREEDERS’ CUP REMATCH IN SUNDAY’S APPALACHIAN PRESENTED BY JAPAN RACING ASSOCIATION • WEST COAST INVADER FANTASTIC STYLE HEADLINES SUNDAY’S ADENA SPRINGS BEAUMONT

Horse Racing Rebates
• GRADE 3 WINNER LEGENDARY BEGINS SEASON IN FRIDAY’S MAKER’S 46 MILE • DONWORTH STEPS UP TO COOLMORE LEXINGTON OFF DEBUT MAIDEN WIN • DIVINE DAWN LOOKS TO CONTINUE JONES’ ROLL IN SUNDAY’S ADENA SPRINGS BEAUMONT • GALLOPING OUT • SPRING MEET LEADERS



ELI AND SUNSET GLOW IN BREEDERS’ CUP REMATCH IN SUNDAY’S APPALACHIAN PRESENTED BY JAPAN RACING ASSOCIATION

Sheep Pond Partners’ Lady Eli, and Ten Broeck Farm’s Sunset Glow, the 1-2 finishers in last fall’s Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (G1), top a field of seven 3-year-old fillies entered today for Sunday’s 27th running of the $125,000 Appalachian (G3) Presented by Japan Racing Association. The Appalachian, run at a mile on the turf, is scheduled as the fifth race Sunday with a 3:09 p.m. post time. First post time Sunday is 1:05 p.m.

Trained by Chad Brown, who saddled Dayatthespa to win the 2012 Appalachian, Lady Eli is undefeated in three starts. In addition to the Breeders’ Cup triumph, Lady Eli won the Miss Grillo (G3) in September at Belmont Park.

Irad Ortiz Jr., who has ridden Lady Eli in all of her races, has the call Sunday and will break from post position six in her 2015 debut.

Joel Rosario will be aboard Sunset Glow for the first time when she tries to reverse the 2¾-length setback in the Breeders’ Cup. She will break from post position four.

Trained by Wesley Ward, Sunset Glow won the Del Mar Debutante (G1) and Sorrento (G2) last summer on Polytrack, broke her maiden on grass at Belmont Park in her second start and finished second in a field of 21 in the Albany (G3) at Ascot last June.

The field for the Appalachian, from the inside out, is as follows: Tiger Ride (Javier Castellano, 118 pounds), Miss Temple City (John Velazquez, 118), Urtheoneeyelove (Julien Leparoux, 118), Sunset Glow (Rosario, 118), Late Spring (Joe Bravo, 118), Lady Eli (Ortiz Jr., 123) and Mizz Money (Francisco Torres, 118).

WEST COAST INVADER FANTASTIC STYLE HEADLINES SUNDAY’S ADENA SPRINGS BEAUMONT

Kaleem Shah’s Fantastic Style, riding a two-race win streak at Santa Anita, heads a field of seven 3-year-old fillies entered Thursday for Sunday’s 30th running of the $250,000 Adena Springs Beaumont (G2).

The Adena Springs Beaumont, run over the Beard Course of seven furlongs, 184 feet on the main track, will go as the eighth race on Sunday’s nine-race program with a 4:42 p.m. ET post time.

The Adena Springs Beaumont is the final race on the Road to the Kentucky Oaks, offering 17 points on a 10-4-2-1 scale to the top four finishers. The $1 million Longines Kentucky Oaks (G1) is limited to the top 14 point earners that pass the entry box, but none of the Beaumont starters will have enough points to crack the current top 14.

Trained by Bob Baffert, Fantastic Style has won two of three starts and was the 1-2 favorite when she won her most recent start on Feb. 26. John Velazquez has the mount and will break from post position two.

Returning to the dirt for Sunday’s race after second- and fourth-place finishes respectively in the Bourbonette Oaks (G3) over Turfway’s Polytrack surface are Sweet Success and Harlan’s Destiny.

Trained by Rusty Arnold, Sweet Success is owned by G. Watts Humphrey Jr. and W.S. Farish. A maiden winner at Gulfstream before running in the Bourbonette, Sweet Success will be ridden by Corey Lanerie and break from post three.

Harlan’s Destiny, owned by James Miller, had a four-race win streak snapped in the Bourbonette in her 2015 debut. Channing Hill has the mount and will break from post four.

The field for the Adena Springs Beaumont, from the rail out, is as follows: Divine Dawn (Kerwin Clark, 118 pounds), Fantastic Style (Velazquez, 118), Sweet Success (Lanerie, 118), Harlan’s Destiny (Hill, 118), Zeven (Javier Castellano, 118), Miss Ella (Rajiv Maragh, 118) and Delightful Joy (Paco Lopez, 118).

GRADE 3 WINNER LEGENDARY BEGINS SEASON IN FRIDAY’S MAKER’S 46 MILE

Walter R. Swinburn’s Grade 3 winner Legendary (GB) will make his 2015 debut in Friday’s $300,000 Maker’s 46 Mile (G1).

“A Grade 1 is ambitious for his first start back,” said Rosella Saville, whose husband, Niall, trains Legendary. “We wanted to come down here and try the track out. The race looked like a good spot for him.”

A 6-year-old gelding by Exceed And Excel bred by the Swinburn family’s Genesis Green Stud, Legendary began his career in England. A year ago, he made his North American debut in a Keeneland allowance race on the turf and was second under jockey Rosie Napravnik. Saville recalled that performance.

“He ran a mile and a half and the owners thought, ‘You guys crazy? That horse won’t get the trip.’ ” she said. “But it was really just to school him, teach him to settle because he had struggled with that in England. Rosie did a great job with him. He’s gotten better and better.

“We like Keeneland, so why not come back? The horse seemed to like the (course) and with Breeders’ Cup here this year, it’ll be interesting to see what he does throughout the year and if he has the opportunity to come back.”

After his Keeneland debut, Legendary went on to win four of six races, all on turf, including the 1 1/16-mile Japan Racing Association Stakes at Laurel and the 1 1/8-mile Knickerbocker (G3) at Belmont in consecutive starts. The Knickerbocker was run on a yielding turf course, an experience that could be useful tomorrow if predicted rains arrive.

Legendary and Cranky, a former racehorse turned stable pony for the Savilles, arrived from their base at Fair Hill Training Center in Maryland about 5 p.m. Wednesday. This morning, Cranky and Rosella Saville accompanied Legendary and exercise rider Joanne Robinson to the main track, where the Maker’s 46 Mile hopeful jogged and stood in the starting gate.

Back in his stall, Legendary showed off some of the behavior that has endeared him to Rosella Saville. After being untacked, the gelding immediately sank to his knees and rolled in the straw. “He’s very special,” she said while holding the shank as Legendary received a bath. “He’s a really cool horse, and we’re lucky to have him.”

Niall Saville is to arrive here mid-afternoon. Maryland-based jockey Sheldon Russell, who rode Legendary to his stakes wins, will be aboard in the Maker’s 46 Mile. They will break from post five in the field of seven and are 8-1 in the morning line.

Owner Swinburn, a former leading jockey in Ireland, is the father of noted former jockey and trainer Walter Swinburn. The younger Swinburn rode such horses as 1983 Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe (G1) winner and North American Horse of the Year All Along (FR); 1996 Breeders’ Cup Turf (G1) winner Pilsudski (IRE); and 1981 Epsom Derby (G1) winner Shergar.

DONWORTH STEPS UP TO COOLMORE LEXINGTON OFF DEBUT MAIDEN WIN

Trainer Graham Motion had a choice to make with Regis Racing’s Donworth: run in a Thursday allowance race or wait two days for the Coolmore Lexington (G3).

“There are very capable horses in both races, but I would rather run for $250,000 than $60,000,” Motion said regarding Donworth’s second start. “Both races have experienced horses in them and that will be against him in either spot.”

Donworth is a son of Tiznow and the first foal to race for Grade 1-placed mare Temple Street, a daughter of Street Cry (IRE). He did not make his debut until March 14 at Gulfstream Park in which he prevailed by a neck in a hard-fought race.

“He is a great big horse and he just had some baby stuff going on, nothing exceptional,” Motion said of the colt’s late start to the races.

Donworth was no secret to the bettors when he debuted, eventually going off as the 8-5 favorite in a field of 13.

“I was always pleased with his works and was looking forward to having him run like that,” Motion said.

DIVINE DAWN LOOKS TO CONTINUE JONES’ ROLL IN SUNDAY’S ADENA SPRINGS BEAUMONT

With the Grade 1 Central Bank Ashland in his pocket compliments of Lovely Maria, trainer Larry Jones will attempt to nab a Grade 2 on Sunday when he sends out Divine Dawn in the 30th running of the $250,000 Adena Springs Beaumont.

Divine Dawn broke her maiden here last fall in her debut on the main track and followed that with a victory on the grass at Fair Grounds.

“I was trying to get a race in her before the Silverbulletday and the turf was the only race that would fill,” Jones said.

Divine Dawn finished fifth in the mile and 70 yards Silverbulletday behind stablemate I’m a Chatterbox.

“After that we thought that maybe she is not as good as I’m a Chatterbox and Lovely Maria, so that’s why we are trying the Beaumont,” Jones said. “She does not mind the turf; she has won on it, but Bernie Flint kept beating me (with Mizz Money, who is entered in Sunday’s Appalachian (G3) Presented by Japan Racing Association).

“We are thinking that one turn might be her game. With a little luck Sunday, we will look at the ($200,000) Eight Belles (G3 on May 1), which is a race I’d like to win for some reason.”

Former Kentucky Gov. Brereton C. Jones owns Lovely Maria. He also is the owner and breeder of How About Him, who romped to a 7¼-length maiden win Wednesday.

“He’s a pretty neat little horse,” Larry Jones said of the half-brother to 2012 Kentucky Oaks (G1) winner Believe You Can. “We will look for a next-level allowance race for him.”

Larry Jones plans to keep Lovely Maria and I’m a Chatterbox, winner of the Rachel Alexandra (G3) and Fair Grounds Oaks (G2), at Keeneland for another two weeks before going to Churchill Downs for the $1 million Longines Kentucky Oaks (G1).

“I would say the latest we’d go would be the Friday (April 24) before the Oaks,” Jones said. “I’m a Chatterbox will work once here and both of them will have their final works for the Oaks on the Sunday before.”

GALLOPING OUT With Bruised Orange’s three-length victory in the first race Wednesday, trainer Wesley Ward has won the first 2-year-old race of Keeneland’s Spring Meet in six of the past nine years. Ward co-owns Bruised Orange with Gatewood Bell and races her in the name of Hat Creek Racing. The City Zip filly, ridden by Rafael Hernandez, covered 4½ furlongs on a good track in :51.92. Trainer Anne P. Smith earned her first Keeneland victory when Windy Hill Farm’s Whyruawesome captured the second race Wednesday by 3½ lengths. Rafael Mojica Jr. rode the 4-year-old Whywhywhy gelding, who covered seven furlongs in 1:24.82.

  SPRING MEET LEADERS Through April 8 (three days of racing) Jockey Starts Wins 2nd 3rd Purses Shaun Bridgmohan 9 3 1 0 $180,214 John Velazquez 12 2 3 2 $844,680 Julien Leparoux 13 2 2 2 $336,520 Corey Lanerie 12 2 1 2 $100,659 Jose Lezcano 11 2 1 2 $119,819 Brian Hernandez Jr. 9 2 1 1 $124,571 Kerwin Clark 5 2 1 0 $347,387

Trainer Starts Wins 2nd 3rd Purses Kiaran McLaughlin 6 3 0 0 $150,958 Todd Pletcher 9 2 4 1 $838,446 Mark Casse 7 2 3 0 $298,839 Neil Howard 4 2 1 1 $70,800 J. Larry Jones 5 2 1 0 $347,387