The Keeneland fall meet came to an end on Halloween, and the Grade 2 Fayette went to Blame.
Blame was my Super Derby top, and he ran a big race to land the place behind lone speedster Regal Ransom that day. He was facing quality older horses in Lexington, including multiple graded winner Parading. The latter had the lead in the lane on Oct 31st, but Blame wore him down for his first graded tally. Hats off winning trainer Al Stall Jr. and jockey Jamie Theriot.
Churchill Downs kicks off their fall meet on Nov. 1st, and the …read more

Keeneland Recap – Oct 11th
The Polytrack was fast as always. Turf was listed as yielding. Seven races run on synthetic, and only one wire job as stalkers and closers scored six times. Late runners nabbed all three turf races.
Kent Desormeaux booted home both stakes winners on the day.
Grade 3 Bourbon: Todd Pletcher’s flashy fav Interactif did not disappoint in a good looking off the pace tally. He looms a formidable presence in the upcoming Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf.
Grade 1 Spinster: Pace fell apart in this one, and overseas transplant Proviso was the major beneficiary…please hold all …read more

Keeneland Recap – Oct 10th
The Polytrack was fast as always. Back on the turf, and the condition was listed as soft. Seven races run on synthetic, and only one wire job as off the pace types scored six times. Stalkers and closers best on the sod.
Albarado, Graham, and Leparoux each booted home a pair.
Grade 3 Woodford:  Silver Timber wore down a game Mr. Nightlinger in this prep for the BC Turf Sprint. Leparoux booted home the winner for Chad Brown.
Grade 2 Thoroughbred Club of America: SoCal invader Carlsbad looked home free in the stretch, but heavy …read more

Keeneland Recap – Oct 9th
The Polytrack was fast as always. The two turf races were transferred to the synthetic surface. The two 6f races favored speed. Stalkers best in the three 7f races carded. Patient runners best in the five route races on the afternoon.
Hat trick for Rajiv Maragh. Albarado also pulled off the hat trick, and he booted home a pair for trainer Ken McPeek.
Grade 3 Phoenix: Synthetic lover Fatal Bullet, the ‘08 Breeders’ Cup sprint runner-up, probably punched his ticket to Santa Anita with a game prominent throughout half-length tally. He looms a pace factor on …read more

Wednesday (April 8th)
Extended sprint synthetic specialist Evita Argentina beat the gents last time, and she’s back with female friends in the featured Beaumont (G2). She’ll be rolling late under Garrett Gomez.
Selva is the one to catch, and Consequence needed her last and looms the value play.

Thursday (April 9th)
BC Filly & Mare Sprint winner Ventura figures an odds-on choice in the Vinery Madison (G1). Frankel trainee is deadly around one turn and won this race last year.
Informed Decision, Bear Now, and Bsharsonata are the logical alternatives should the aforementioned fav stub her toe.
Friday (April 10th)
Possible …read more

SATURDAY RECAP
A pair of Polytrack wire jobs on Saturday, with stalking types taking the bulk of the other synthetic races carded. Nothing wrong with outer lanes. Two of the three turf races were taken in wire-to-wire fashion.
Rafael Bejarano rode four winners on Saturday afternoon, including two stakes, and Robby Albarado also booted home a pair of stakes winners. Dale Romans saddled two winners on the card.
Sing Baby Sing stalked the pace and upset the apple cart in the 156th running of the Grade 3 Phoenix. 3-2 fav Talent Search saved the place by a neck over Keeneland …read more

Dream Empress punched her ticket to the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies with a sharp off the pace tally in Friday’s Darley Alcibiades at Keeneland, and D Wayne Lucas 2nd timer Be Smart was a clear 2nd and is a likely Santa Anita participant as well. Below is the replay, courtesy of YouTube.

Forever Together powerfully mowed down Precious Kitten in Friday’s other BC prep, the flat mile First Lady for grassy fillies and mares. Below is the replay, courtesy of YouTube.

Now, let’s glance at Saturday’s Cup preps…
Grade 3 Phoenix – six furlongs (polytrack)
Six of the 12 entrants are multiple …read more

The Breeders’ Cup is just three weeks away, and a couple of preps will be run on Keeneland’s opening day Friday (10-3-08) card. The First Lady for fillies and mares will be run at a mile on the turf, and the Alcibiades is a mile and a sixteenth Polytrack affair for two-year-old fillies.
The Grade 1 $400k First Lady – One Mile (turf)
There seems to be plenty of pace present with Dreaming of Anna, Roshani, Bayou’s Lassie, and Rosinka. 2-1 favorite Precious Kitten projects a nice ground saving stalking trip, but this race might boil down to a couple of …read more

The last major Kentucky Derby prep takes place on Saturday, April 19th in Keeneland’s Grade 2 Coolmore Lexington, and eleven three-year-olds are taking one final shot at glory.
Todd Pletcher finally qualified for the Derby with a Monba/Cowboy Cal 1-2 Blue Grass finish last Saturday, and he has two more entered in the Lexington, including race favorite Atoned.
The consistent Dogwood Stable colt raced seven times as a juvenile, and he was part of the exacta on six occasions. He came back better than ever in a close-up place finish in the Tampa Bay Derby, then got no pace help …read more

Handicappers have been blanked in the Pick Six at the current meet, and the carryover now stands at $307,049. It looks like yet another tough Polytrack card, and maybe we can find a few winners later in the day.
The sixth race is an allowance turf route for three-year-olds, and Texas Fever has a shot from the outside post. His grass bow in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf was not bad. He did not try the sod again until his last, and he was a close-up 3rd in a better effort. Gomez rode him in the ‘Cup, and it is …read more