Miss Temple City Bids for Shadwell Turf Mile Repeat Dickinson Heads Field of Seven for First Lady
LEXINGTON, KY (Oct. 4, 2017) – The Club Racing, Needle in a Haystack and Sagamore Farm’s Miss Temple City, who last year became the first filly to win the Maker’s 46 Mile (G1) and Shadwell Turf Mile (G1), will attempt to become the third horse to repeat in the Shadwell when she faces 13 rivals in the 32nd running of the $1 million race.
The Shadwell Turf Mile is the centerpiece of a star-studded 10-race program Saturday that features five graded stakes of which three are Grade 1s. Other Grade 1 races are the 20th running of the $400,000 First Lady for fillies and mares going a mile on the grass and the 104th running of the $500,000 Claiborne Breeders’ Futurity for 2-year-olds going 1 1/16 miles on the main track. Saturday’s 10-race program begins at 1:05 p.m. ET.
The Shadwell Turf Mile, which goes as Saturday’s ninth race with a 5:45 p.m. post time, is a “Win and You’re In” race for the $2 million Breeders’ Cup Mile (G1) to be run Nov. 4 at Del Mar.
A three-time Grade 1 winner, Miss Temple City enters the Shadwell Turf Mile off a victory in the Ladies Turf (G3) at Kentucky Downs on Sept. 9. Trained by Graham Motion, Miss Temple City will be ridden by Edgar Prado and break from post position eight.
The previous repeat winners of the Shadwell Turf Mile were Gio Ponti (2010-2011) and Dumaani (1995-1996).
Also shooting for a piece of Keeneland history in the race is WinStar Farm’s American Patriot. Trained by Todd Pletcher, American Patriot will attempt to join Wise Dan (2014) and Miss Temple City (2016) as the only horses to win the Maker’s 46 Mile (G1) and Shadwell Turf Mile (G1) in the same year.
Joe Bravo will ride American Patriot and break from post position 14.
Back to challenge Miss Temple City and American Patriot is Terry Hamilton’s Heart to Heart, runner-up in the Maker’s 46 Mile the past two years. A two-time Grade 2 winner and seven-time Grade 3 winner, Heart to Heart is trained by Brian Lynch and will be ridden by Florent Geroux and break from post position 10.
Other Grade 1 winners in the field are Gunpowder Farms’ Divisidero, a two-time victor of the Woodford Reserve Turf Classic at Churchill Downs, and Geoff and Sandra Turnbull’s Mondialiste (IRE), winner of the 2016 Arlington Million and fourth-place finisher in last year’s Shadwell Turf Mile. Julien Leparoux will ride Divisidero from post two. Feargal Lynch has the mount on Mondialiste and break from post position seven.
The field for the Shadwell Turf Mile, with riders and weights, is: Tyler U (Robby Albarado, 123 pounds), Divisidero (Leparoux, 126), Suedois (FR) (Danny Tudhope, 126), Le Ken (ARG) (Corey Lanerie, 126), Dimension (GB) (Chris Landeros, 126), Ballagh Rocks (Jose Lezcano, 126), Mondialiste (IRE) (Lynch, 126), Miss Temple City (Prado, 123), Flatlined (Joe Rocco, 126), Heart to Heart (Geroux, 126), Christian C (Jose Valdivia Jr., 126), Offering Plan (Javier Castellano, 126), Applicator (Shaun Bridgmohan, 126) and American Patriot (Bravo, 126).
First Lady
Godolphin LLC’s Dickinson , winner of this spring’s Jenny Wiley (G1) here, headlines a field of seven fillies and mares entered Wednesday for Saturday’s 20th running of the $400,000 First Lady to be run at a mile on the Keeneland Turf Course.
Run for the first time as a Breeders’ Cup Challenge race, the First Lady will award the winner a fees-paid trip to the $2 million Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Turf (G1) to be run Nov. 4 at Del Mar. The First Lady will go as Saturday afternoon’s seventh race with a 4:35 p.m. post time.
Trained by Kiaran McLaughlin, Dickinson will attempt to join Never Retreat (2011) and Intercontinental (GB) (2005) as the only horses to sweep the Jenny Wiley and First Lady in the same year.
A winner of three graded stakes this year, Dickinson enters the First Lady off a runner-up finish in the Ballston Spa (G2) at Saratoga Aug. 26.
Paco Lopez has the mount on Dickinson and will break from post position six.
Among the top rivals to Dickinson are Dona Bruja (ARG), Roca Rojo (IRE) and Hawksmoor (IRE). Dom Felipe LLC’s Dona Bruja never has been worse than second in 13 career starts. Trained by Ignacio Correas IV, Dona Bruja finished second in the Beverly D. (G1) in her most recent start. Declan Cannon has the mount and will break from post position three.
Sheep Pond Partners, Newport Stables and Bradley Thoroughbreds’ Roca Rojo won the Distaff Turf Mile (G2) at Churchill Downs and in her most recent start finished third in the Ballston Spa, a neck behind Dickinson. Trained by Chad Brown, Roca Rojo will break from post position four and be ridden by Javier Castellano.
Lael Stables’ Hawksmoor returns to Keeneland where she finished third in the Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup Presented by Lane’s End (G1) last year in her U.S. debut. A two-time graded stakes winner this year for trainer Arnaud Delacour, Hawksmoor will break from post position seven and be ridden by Julien Leparoux.
The field for the First Lady, with riders and weights, is: One Liz (Jose Valdivia Jr., 124 pounds), Delectation (GB) (Eduardo Pedroza, 121), Dona Bruja (ARG) (Cannon, 124), Roca Rojo (IRE) (Castellano, 124), Zipessa (Joe Bravo, 124), Dickinson (Lopez, 124) and Hawksmoor (IRE) (Leparoux, 124).
Claiborne Breeders’ Futurity
The third Grade 1 race on Saturday is the 104th running of the $500,000 Claiborne Breeders’ Futurity for 2-year-olds going 1 1/16 miles on the main track. The race will be the eighth of the afternoon with a 5:10 p.m. post time.
The Claiborne Breeders’ Futurity is a “Win and You’re In” race for the $2 million Sentient Jet Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (G1) to be run Nov. 4 at Del Mar.
Heading the field of 13 is Albaugh Family Stable’s Free Drop Billy. Trained by Dale Romans, Free Drop Billy finished second in the Hopeful (G1) in his most recent start and he will attempt to give his human connections a second victory in the race to go with the score by Brody’s Cause in 2015. Robby Albarado, who has ridden Free Drop Billy in all three of his starts, has the mount Saturday and will break from post position nine.
Also coming out of the Hopeful for Saturday’s race is Valene Farms’ Givemeaminit who finished a head behind Free Drop Billy. Trained by Dallas Stewart, Givemeaminit will break from post position seven and be ridden by Brian Hernandez Jr.
Another Claiborne Breeders’ Futurity entrant is Tommie Lewis and Magdalena Racing’s Ten City. Trained by Kenny McPeek, Ten City won the Bashford Manor (G3) at Churchill Downs in June and enters Saturday’s race off a third-place finish in the Iroquois (G3) at Churchill. Ten City will be ridden by Corey Lanerie and break from post position four.
The field for the Claiborne Breeders’ Futurity, with riders, is: Lionite (Ricardo Santana Jr.), Ezmosh (Javier Castellano), Lone Sailor (Florent Geroux), Ten City (Lanerie), Bravazo (Jon Court), Lone Rock (Joe Bravo), Givemeaminit (Hernandez Jr.), Bourbon Resolution (Julien Leparoux), Free Drop Billy (Albarado), Crea’s Bklyn Law (Joe Rocco Jr.), Captivating Moon (Jose Valdivia, Jr.), Ready Prospector (Miguel Mena) and Enticed (Jose Lezcano). All starters will carry 121 pounds. **********
Keeneland will offer several special wagers Saturday: • $350,000 guaranteed All-Stakes Pick Four Presented by TVG on Saturday, Oct. 7, on races 6-9: Thoroughbred Club of America (G2), First Lady (G1), Claiborne Breeders’ Futurity (G1) and Shadwell Turf Mile (G1). • $250,000-guaranteed All-Stakes Pick Five Presented by TVG on races 5-9: Woodford (G2) Presented by Keeneland Select, Thoroughbred Club of America, First Lady, Claiborne Breeders’ Futurity and Shadwell Turf Mile. • Belmont-Keeneland Pick Four offers fans an opportunity to wager on premier stakes from Belmont and Keeneland, including the Shadwell Turf Mile, Claiborne Breeders’ Futurity and Jockey Club Gold Cup (G1).
********** The Shadwell Turf Mile and Claiborne Breeders’ Futurity will air on NBC along with the Jockey Club Gold Cup at Belmont Park from 5-6 p.m. as part of its “Breeders’ Cup Challenge Series: Win and You’re In, presented by Lane’s End Farm and America’s Best Racing.”
