• SUNSET GLOW, OSAILA TOP STRONG PIN OAK VALLEY VIEW FIELD OF 14 • BEHOLDER DOING BETTER DAY AFTER SPIKING A FEVER
SUNSET GLOW, OSAILA TOP STRONG PIN OAK VALLEY VIEW FIELD OF 14
Ten Broeck Farm’s Sunset Glow and Al Shaqab Racing’s Osaila (IRE), the 2-3 finishers behind the undefeated Lady Eli in last year’s Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (G1) at Santa Anita, headline a field of 14 3-year-old fillies and two also-eligibles entered Wednesday for Saturday’s 25th running of the $150,000 Pin Oak Valley View (G3).
Run at 1 1/16 miles on the turf, the Pin Oak Valley View will go as the ninth race on Saturday’s 10-race program with a 5:30 p.m. ET post time.
Saturday is closing day of Keeneland’s 17-day Fall Meet.
Trained by Wesley Ward, Sunset Glow is seeking her first victory of 2015. Third in her most recent start against older fillies and mares in the Ladies Turf at Kentucky Downs Sept. 19, Sunset Glow was third in the Appalachian (G3) here this spring and in the summer at Del Mar was second in the San Clemente (G2) and fourth in the Del Mar Oaks (G1).
Rafael Hernandez has the mount Saturday and will break from post position 10.
Now in the barn of Todd Pletcher, Osaila returned to the U.S. from England in September and finished fifth in the Sands Point (G2). A Group 3 winner at Newmarket this spring, Osaila will be ridden Saturday by Florent Geroux and break from post position seven.
Adding depth to the field are Include Betty, owned by Brereton Jones and Timothy Thornton, and William K. Warren Jr.’s Mrs McDougal.
Trained by Tom Proctor, Include Betty returns to the turf for the first time since the Florida Oaks (G3) at Tampa Bay Downs in March. In her most recent start, Include Betty won the Remington Park Oaks and this summer won the Mother Goose (G1). Drayden Van Dyke has the mount and will break from post position three.
Mrs McDougal won the Lake George (G2) at Saratoga in July and most recently was sixth in the Sands Point. Trained by Chad Brown, Mrs McDougal will be ridden by Julien Leparoux and break from post position 13.
The field for the Pin Oak Valley View, from the inside out with riders and weight, is: Calypso Beat (Fergal Lynch, 118 pounds), Prado’s Sweet Ride (Jose Valdivia Jr., 120), Include Betty (Van Dyke, 118), Miss Double d’Oro (Paco Lopez, 118), Gap Year (Joel Rosario, 118), Stormy Regatta (Joe Bravo, 120), Osaila (IRE) (Geroux, 120), America Mon Amie (Albin Jimenez, 118), Tiger Ride (Edgar Prado, 120), Sunset Glow (Hernandez, 118), Cara Marie (Robby Albarado, 118), Rainha Da Bateria (Trevor McCarthy, 118), Mrs McDougal (Leparoux, 120) and Don’t Leave Me (Corey Lanerie, 120). Also-eligibles: Emmajestic (Brian Hernandez Jr., 118) and Strumming (Jack Gilligan, 118).
BEHOLDER DOING BETTER DAY AFTER SPIKING A FEVER
Trainer Richard Mandella could have been talking about himself when he reported Wednesday morning that Spendthrift Farm’s brilliant mare Beholder was “eating good and feeling good.” She was pre-entered in the $5 million Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1) and $2 million Longines Breeders’ Cup Distaff (G1) with first preference in the Classic.
Beholder, who arrived at Keeneland from Southern California Monday afternoon, had an elevated temperature Tuesday morning.
“Sometimes horses get a fever from shipping,” Mandella said. “It was stress related. She got too wound up and stressed from shipping. That caused the slight spike in temperature.” Beholder’s temperature was back to normal Wednesday morning, and Mandella’s spirits were much higher.
“She was depressed (yesterday morning),” Mandella said. “I thought we were out of the game. When I first looked at her, head down, temperature rising, I thought ‘Oh, we’re dead.’ Today, we’re back in the game.
RUNHAPPY IS JUST THAT IN BREEDERS’ CUP WORK
Working at Keeneland for the second consecutive Wednesday, James McIngvale’s Runhappy became the talk of nearly everyone watching him when he breezed six furlongs in 1:09.80.
The move came after the 3-year-old Super Saver colt, expected to make his next start in the $1.5 million TwinSpires Breeders’ Cup Sprint (G1) on Oct. 31, was vanned to Keeneland from The Thoroughbred Center in north Lexington, where he is stabled with trainer Maria Borell. Regular exercise rider Omar Torres was aboard Runhappy, who jogged a little more than once around the track before his work.
Clockers caught Runhappy in fractions of :11.80, :23.40, :34.60, :46.40, :58, 1:09.80 and out in 1:23 and 1:36.80. (Click here for a video of the work.)
“It was pretty explosive at the beginning,” Borell said. “I was like, ‘Easy boy.’ He definitely really wanted to go in the beginning. I had guessed he was going to do 1:10. That’s just how this horse is. Omar was asking him to slow down.”
Among the onlookers was McIngvale’s daughter Laura and his racing manager, Laura Wohlers. Runhappy, a graduate of Keeneland’s September Yearling Sale, has won his past four races, including the Aug. 29 NYRA.com King’s Bishop (G1) at Saratoga and the Oct. 2 Stoll Keenon Ogden Phoenix (G3) at Keeneland.
“He came out of the Phoenix really excellent; we couldn’t ask him to be training any better,” Borell said. “He’s training better for this race than he was before the King’s Bishop and the Phoenix, so he’s really coming into himself. He wants to run. He wants to be in front of everybody, even the pony at home.”
Borell said Runhappy would return to the track on Thursday back home at The Thoroughbred Center, adding he probably would “jog a mile with him and let him stretch. He’ll get turned out and next week, probably Wednesday when we come back, we might just blow him out a little eighth – we’ll see. We’ll see how he comes out of (today’s breeze). Looks like he came out pretty well so far.”
FIORETTI WORKS FIVE FURLONGS AT THE THOROUGHBRED CENTER
Two Hearts Farm and Don Janes’ Fioretti, winner of Keeneland’s Thoroughbred Club of America (G2) on Oct. 3 in her most recent start, worked five furlongs Wednesday morning at The Thoroughbred Center north of Lexington.
“It was an awesome work,” said jockey Sophie Doyle, who notched her first career graded stakes victory in the TCA. “She worked in company and (trainer) Anthony (Hamilton) got her in 1:02 and 2. I was confident before her last race and I am more confident now.”
Hamilton said the work was similar to the one prior to the TCA in which Fioretti earned a berth in the $1 million Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Sprint (G1) on Oct. 31.
“I was really happy with it,” said Hamilton, who never has had a Breeders’ Cup starter. “We plan to come over to Keeneland Tuesday night and be on the track there Wednesday morning.”
GALLOPING OUT
Jockeys Corey Lanerie and Julien Leparoux enter the final four days of Keeneland’s Fall Meet tied atop the rider standings with 15 victories each, eight more than their closest pursuers, Florent Geroux and Brian Hernandez Jr. Leparoux, who has won 10 riding titles here, has five mounts today and Lanerie, who is seeking his first, has four mounts on today’s eight-race card. … Geroux has picked up the mount on Qatar Racing and Newsells Park Stud’s Secret Gesture (GB) for the $2 million Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf (G1) to be run Oct. 31, according to Geroux’s agent, Doug Bredar. Secret Gesture was disqualified from first and placed third in the Beverly D. (G1) at Arlington in her most recent start. …
Trainer Greg Burchell said that Sticksstatelydude, fourth in the Claiborne Breeders’ Futurity (G1), would be ridden in the $2 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (G1) by Joel Rosario on Oct. 31. … Activity on Rice Road, where all Breeders’ Cup horses will be stabled, has picked up. Trainer Jim Cassidy’s two World Championships hopefuls, Yahilwa (Longines Distaff, G1) and Holy Lute (Turf Sprint, G1), relocated from the stakes barn to Barn 68 Tuesday afternoon.
Trainer Steve Asmussen’s quartet of Untapable (Distaff), Tapiture (Dirt Mile, G1), Nickname (Juvenile Fillies, G1) and Holy Boss (Sprint, G1) moved there this morning. Arriving mid-morning was Whisper Hill Farm’s Spinaway (G1) runner-up Tap to It (Juvenile Fillies-G1) for trainer Ralph Nicks.
WORK TAB
Conquest Stables’ Conquest Daddyo, with jockey Joe Bravo up, worked five furlongs in 1:00.80 after the morning renovation break for trainer Mark Casse. Working in company with the 3-year-old maiden Sky Fire, Conquest Daddyo started two lengths back and finished a length in front in producing fractions of :37, 1:00.80 and out six furlongs in 1:14.80. (Click here for a video of the work.)
“I got his last three-eighth in :35 and 3,” Casse said. “I think he is getting to like the dirt and I didn’t think he would.”
Conquest Daddyo is headed to the $1 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf (G1) on Oct. 30. Casse has three other Breeders’ Cup pre-entrants stabled at Churchill Downs, Tepin (Mile-G1), Airoforce (Juvenile Turf-G1) and Siding Spring (Juvenile Turf) with all scheduled to work at the Louisville track Friday. …
Susan and Jim Hill’s Sharp Sensation (Turf Sprint-G1) eft the Keeneland grounds briefly Monday morning to put in a grass work at nearby Margaux Farm. “We left here at 6:15 and the work was at 8,” said Martine Pare, assistant to trainer Reade Baker. “He had a nice half-mile work going uphill.” Clockers timed Sharp Sensation for three-eighths in :38.40.
STAKES PROBABLES
Here are the probable starters for Keeneland stakes to be run during Prelude to the Cup on Oct. 29 and as undercard races of the Breeders’ Cup World Championships on Oct. 30-31 as compiled by Racing Secretary Ben Huffman and Stakes Coordinator Allison DeLuca: THURSDAY, Oct. 29 (Entries taken Saturday, Oct. 24) $100,000 LAFAYETTE PRESENTED BY KEENELAND SELECT Probable: A. P. Indian, Bagg O’Day, Doubledown Again, Jimmy Bouncer, Midnight Cello. Here are probable starters for the stakes on the undercard of the first day of the Breeders’ Cup World Championships. FRIDAY, Oct. 30 (Entries taken Monday, Oct. 26) $200,000 HAGYARD FAYETTE (G2) Probable: Code West, Commissioner, Encryption, Imperative, Protonico, Race Day, Smack, V. E. Day. $200,000 MARATHON (G2) Probable: Bailoutbobby, Crucero, Divine Oath, Hoppertunity, Looks to Spare, Majestic Harbor, Neck ‘n Neck. $100,000 BRYAN STATION Probable: Billy’s Star, Chapter Two, King of New York, One Go All Go, Paid Admission, Tale of Life (JPN), Tale of Verve. Here are probable starters for the stakes on the undercard of the second day of the Breeders’ Cup World Championships. SATURDAY, Oct. 31 (Entries taken Monday, Oct. 26) $100,000 PERRYVILLE Probable: Lewys Vaporizer, Prime Engine, Ready for Rye. $100,000 JUVENILE DIRT SPRINT Probable: D. Shifflett, Noholdingback Bear, Spikes Shirl, Twirling Tiger, Uncle Vinny. Possible: Richie the Bull. $100,000 FORT SPRINGS Probable: Coco’s Wildcat, Fusaichi Red, Meshell, Natural Wonder, Promise Me Silver.
FALL MEET LEADERS Through Oct. 18 (13 days of racing)
Jockey Starts Wins 2nd 3rd Purses Julien Leparoux 72 15 12 7 $1,040,618 Corey Lanerie 87 15 11 14 $904,865 Florent Geroux 73 7 7 13 $974,755 Brian J. Hernandez Jr. 65 7 4 7 $320,079 Ricardo Santana Jr. 44 6 5 6 $327,107 Paco Lopez 22 5 4 4 $243,557 Shaun Bridgmohan 38 5 3 4 $208,075 Mitchell Murrill 26 5 3 3 $135,269
Trainer Starts Wins 2nd 3rd Purses Mark Casse 26 9 2 4 $682,241 Wesley Ward 19 6 4 3 $182,178 Kenny McPeek 31 6 3 5 $349,937 Steve Asmussen 20 4 3 3 $293,103 Dale Romans 23 4 2 6 $496,205 Wayne Catalano 23 4 2 3 $140,463 Chris Richard 14 4 1 3 $79,199 Joe Sharp 21 4 1 1 $113,159 Kiaran McLaughlin 7 4 0 1 $191,115
