The opening for the 15-day Keeneland meeting means spring has arrived and with the Lexington track’s Friday, April 7 opening comes a cornucopia of major stakes races. Also, a tradition is an introduction to possible stars of the future with a two-year-old race, race 1 on Friday. You can expect the Wesley Ward owned, trained and bred gelding BLEDSOE (#3) to be heavily bet but watch out for EARLY MUNNY (#6), a John Hancock-trained beginner who has a strong ‘win early’ pedigree.
You can get a free digital program each day from Keeneland here.
On Friday, Champion two-year-old filly of 2022 WONDER WHEEL, trained by Mark Casse, Woodbine’s perennial leading conditioner, heads a field of seven in the $600,000 Ashland Stakes at 1 1/16 miles. Wonder Wheel was a strong second in her season debut at Tampa Bay Downs, just a neck from winning the Suncoast Stakes. The daughter of Into Mischief won the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1) at Keeneland last fall and will be tough to beat as she makes her final run before the Kentucky Oaks on May 5.
Saturday’s card at Keeneland includes the $1,000,000 TOYOTA BLUE GRASS STAKES at 1 1/8 miles. one of three big stepping-stone races for the Kentucky Derby that take place on Saturday.
WHO TO WATCH FOR IN THE BLUE GRASS STAKES: Trainer TODD PLETCHER already has Florida Derby (G1) winner FORTE in the barn, currently the early favourite for the Kentucky Derby, but his trainee TAPIT TRICE, a great son of Tapit, could be just as good, maybe better.
Tapit Trice, a $1.3 million Keeneland September yearling purchase, is owned by Whisper Hill Farm and Gainesway Stable and this colt has won three straight races including the Grade 3 Tampa Bay Derby. Luis Seaz rides Tapit Trice, who drew post 1 in the 11-horse field.
Trainer BRAD COX, also loaded with good three-year-olds, will send out VERIFYING, a son of Triple Crown winner Justify, in the Blue Grass. The $775,ooo Keeenland yearling Verifying is a two-time winner who was second in the Grade 1 Champagne stakes at two and recently a troubled fourth in the Grade 2 Rebel Stakes in the slop at Oaklawn.
Those two colts are very strong contenders in the Blue Grass but you could also consider Gotham Stakes (G3) winner RAISE CAIN (Violence) and BLAZING SEVENS, who gets blinkers on for trainer Chad Brown (22% win rate with ‘blinkers on’ in the last two years).
Saturday, Keeneland #9, post time: 5:15 p.m. EDT
TOYOTA BLUE GRASS S.-GI, $1,000,000, 3yo, 1 1/8m
PP HORSE SIRE OWNER TRAINER JOCKEY WT
1 Tapit Trice K Tapit Whisper Hill Farm, LLC and Gainesway Stable Pletcher Saez 123
2 Clear the Air K Ransom the Moon Cypress Creek Equine Walden Santana, Jr. 123
3 Verifying K Justify Westerberg, Mrs. John Magnier, Jonathan Poulin, Derrick Smith, Cox and Michael B. Tabor Gaffalione 123
4 Classic Car Wash Noble Bird Gary Barber Casse Castellano 123
5 Hayes Strike Connect Dixiana Farms LLC McPeek Graham 123
6 Scoobie Quando K Uncle Mo Andrew N. Warren and Rania Warren Colebrook Machado 123
7 Sun Thunder Into Mischief R.T Racing Stable and Cypress Creek Equine McPeek Geroux 123
8 Blazing Sevens K Good Magic Rodeo Creek Racing, LLC Brown Ortiz, Jr. 123
9 Major Blue K Flatter Bob Ghent, Ann Ghent, Laurie Lukas, and D. Wayne Lukas Lukas Cabrera 123
10 Raise Cain K Violence Andrew N. Warren and Rania Warren Colebrook Rosario 123
11 Mendelssohns March K Mendelssohn Harold Lerner LLC, Nehoc Stables, AWC Stables McPeek Hernandez, Jr. and Team Stallion Racing Stable 123
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