KEENELAND DAILY NOTEBOOK
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 28, 2006
by Brian P. Turner
As October draws to a close, so comes to an end the fall meet at Keeneland.
There have been several stories unfold over the course of the last three weeks,
as many promising horses took their next step toward Breeders’ Cup glory, but
the biggest story of the meet was undoubtedly the Polytrack. Keeneland’s
expensive gamble aimed toward their commitment to the safety of the horse came
to fruition with tremendous success. Coming into the meet, it was a bit of an
unknown as to how trainers and owners who have run at Keeneland for years, as
well as the betting public itself, would respond to the revolutionary new
surface, but the full, competitive fields and record handle have laid those
concerns to rest.
Those that suffered most with the change in surface are longtime bettors of
Keeneland races who suddenly found their world turned completely upside down.
For years, many serious horseplayers have salivated for the arrival of the meet
and waited patiently for the long perceived speed bias to rear its head. Those
days appear to be gone for good.
In times past at Keeneland, if one held a ticket that included the horse on
the lead when the field hit the stretch, their heart would begin to beat a bit
faster as the chances were good that the runner would still be leading the way
once he or she hit the finish line. With the introduction of the Polytrack
though, that horse’s chances of being in front at the end have been greatly
diminished. In sprint races, horses on the lead early were, in most cases,
caught and passed at some point during the stretch drive.
The lone exception to this rule was, surprisingly, at seven furlongs where
the speed actually held up very well and, in many cases, it actually proved
advantageous to have the lead. Of the sprints contested at the meet, one would
typically think that this would be the distance where speed failed miserably, but
this proved not to be the case.
Horses pressing the pace or within three lengths of the leader at the first
call won a respectable number of races at all sprint distances, but horses
closing from the middle of the field or even further back undoubtedly held the
advantage except, once more, at seven furlongs.
As for the route races, horses running on or near the pace early were doomed
to fail an inordinate amount of the time, as closers dominated the routes at all
distances.
Even the main change to turf racing at Keeneland can be attributed to the
addition of the Polytrack. In the past, one could handicap turf races without
fear of the race being moved to the main track. Because of the tremendously
effective drainage system in place underneath the turf course, it was only under
the rarest of circumstances that the race would not be run on its intended
surface. This was not the case for the fall meet as Keeneland moved the turf
races to the Polytrack on four different occasions, including today. This
definitely came as a huge surprise due to the fact that it was the last day of
the meet, thereby ending the need to preserve the course.
While moving races to the main track during the meet did cause aggravation
among many horseplayers, Keeneland racing officials felt that, unlike in the
past, a horse was not hampered or handicapped by the surface switch due to the
fact that the two surfaces play so similarly. This can be backed up to a certain
extent, as most of the races moved to the Polytrack suffered few defections due
to the surface switch, while in the past this would have certainly meant total
decimation of the number of starters entering the gate.
As for the races actually contested on the lawn, horses coming from off the
pace, as usual, held a solid advantage.
The impressive line-up of graded stakes races at Keeneland this fall has
definitely produced a number of solid contenders who are scheduled to make their
next start in the Breeders’ Cup. The biggest contribution undoubtedly comes from
the Alcibiades S. (G2) where a total of seven members of the field are
guaranteed a spot in the starting gate for the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies
(G1). BEL AIR BEAUTY (Smart Strike) earned her spot in the gate by pulling off
the upset in only her second career start after finishing second in a maiden
special weight event at Turfway. The bay rallied from just off the pace in the
Alcibiades to take the victory. UNTOUCHED TALENT
(Storm Cat), who was sent off as the favorite in that event, is also scheduled
to enter the starting gate for the Juvenile Fillies in an attempt to turn the
tables, as is third-place finisher HER MAJESTY (Giant’s Causeway). Also-rans
COTTON BLOSSOM (Broken Vow), APPEALING ZOPHIE (Successful Appeal), GATORIZE
(Exploit) and SHE’S INCLUDED (Include) are also scheduled to start. In addition, PRO PINK (Touch Gold), who
finished a well beaten 12th in the Alcibiades, and BARONESS THATCHER
(Johannesburg), an impressive five-length maiden winner here on October 7, have
both pre-entered for the event, but due to the number of entrants for the race,
are currently on the outside looking in. Both are slated to run in Sunday’s
Pocahontas S. (G3) at Churchill instead.
As for the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (G1), four members of the field are exiting
the Breeders’ Futurity (G1). GREAT HUNTER (Aptitude) rallied from off the pace
in that event to pull off the mild upset by 1 3/4 lengths. Joining him in the
starting gate will be runner-up CIRCULAR QUAY (Thunder Gulch), third-place
finisher STREET SENSE (Street Cry [Ire]) and seventh-place finisher TEUFLESBERG
(Johannesburg), who returned to finally break his maiden here on October 22.
ZANJERO (Cherokee Run), who broke his maiden here on October 12, is also
pre-entered but will need a defection from the field to get into the starting
gate.
GORELLA (Fr) (Grape Tree Road [GB]) was her usual brilliant self when she
rallied from well off the pace to take the victory in the First Lady S. (G2)
here on October 14. Trainer Patrick Biancone has cross-entered her in both the
Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf (G1) and the Breeders’ Cup Mile (G1). In last
year’s running of the Mile, the chestnut put in a very impressive performance as
she was steadied repeatedly throughout the race but finished well late to cross
the wire in third, beaten by only three parts of a length. At this time, it
sounds like another try at the Mile is definitely in her future.
Biancone has also cross-entered MAURALAKANA (Fr) (Muhtathir [GB]) for the
Filly & Mare Turf and the Mile due to her impressive showing in the Queen
Elizabeth II Invitational Challenge Cup S. (G1) where she overcame a troubled
trip to finish second, beaten by only a half-length. Her trainer has indicated
that he will not be sending both her and Gorella out in the same race, so it
sounds like a try at the Filly & Mare Turf is her most likely destination.
Biancone’s third cross-entered runner is ASI SIEMPRE (El Prado [Ire]) who
moved from the turf to the Polytrack to take home the victory in the Spinster S.
(G1). She is scheduled to make her next start in the Breeders’ Cup Distaff (G1)
or Filly & Mare Turf.
Other Keeneland runners pre-entered in the Filly & Mare Turf are QUIET ROYAL
(Royal Academy), third in the QEII, GERMANCE (Silver Hawk), fourth as the
favorite in the QEII,
and MY TYPHOON (Ire) (Giant’s Causeway) who finished third in the First Lady.
There will be at least two starters in the Breeders’ Cup Sprint (G1)
exiting stakes races at Keeneland, as both KELLY’S LANDING (Patton), winner of
the Phoenix Breeders’ Cup S. (G3), and filly MALIBU MINT (Malibu Moon), winner
of the Thoroughbred Club of America S. (G3), are both in the main body of the
Sprint field. AREYOUTALKINTOME (Smokester), second in the Phoenix, and LEWIS MICHAEL (Rahy),
second in the Perryville S. (G3), are both pre-entered but will need defections
from the field to make it in.
Lewis Michael is also on the outside looking in for the Breeders’ Cup Mile,
but the Shadwell Turf Mile S. (G1) has produced three definite starters for the
event. AUSSIE RULES (Danehill) put in a very nice performance in his North
American debut in this event as he rallied from off the pace for a 1 3/4-length
victory. This was exactly the prep trainer Aidan O’Brien needed to see to send
him on to compete in the Mile. Joining him will be MIESQUE’S APPROVAL (Miesque’s
Son), who finished in a dead-heat for fourth, and seventh-place finisher
SILENT NAME (Jpn) (Sunday Silence).
Four horses that finished behind Asi Siempre in the Spinster are all definite
for the Distaff, including fourth-place finisher SHARP LISA (Dixieland Band),
fifth-place finisher LEMONS FOREVER (Lemon Drop Kid), sixth-place finisher HAPPY
TICKET (Anet) and eighth-place finisher SPUN SUGAR (Awesome Again). SUMMERLY
(Summer Squall), seventh in the Spinster, is also pre-entered but will need a
defection to draw in.
RUSH BAY (Cozzene) is the final member of the Keeneland contingent scheduled
to make a start in the Breeders’ Cup. The bay is headed to the Breeders’ Cup
Turf (G1) off a solid second-place effort in the Sycamore Breeders’ Cup S. (G3)
on the opening day of the meet.
Keeneland concluded the fall meet Saturday with one final stakes offering as
a field of 12 went to the gate for the Fayette S. (G3) for three-year-olds and
up going nine furlongs on the main track. There were several in the field that
appeared to have a solid chance of pulling off the victory, including ECCENTRIC
(GB) (Most Welcome [GB]), who made the trip down from Canada to pull off the
impressive victory. The chestnut was making only his second start in North
America after competing against top flight company all around the world. In his
last effort, which came at Woodbine, the gelding finished third against
allowance company while running on the grass. This appears to have been little
more than a tune-up for better things, setting him up to beat a very nice field
of stakes horses in this event.
When the gates sprang open, Eccentric was content to lie just off the pace
early through opening fractions of :24 3/5 and :49 1/5. Once the field
approached the final turn, he began to gain ground along the rail and was ready
to pounce once a hole opened entering the stretch. From there, Eccentric dug in
gamely to take command and held on determinedly to the end to cross the finish
line three parts of a length in front.
Ball Four (Grand Slam), who pulled off the upset last out in the Kentucky Cup
Classic S. (G2) by leading the field from gate to wire, crossed the finish line
in second. The bay attempted to repeat his performance in the Classic by guiding
the field into the stretch but could not hold off the late charge of Eccentric.
It was another 1 1/2 lengths back to third-placer Good Reward (Storm Cat), who
had also finished third behind Ball Four in the Classic last out.
Just as in the spring, the riding title came down to a battle between Julien
Leparoux and Rafael Bejarano. In April, the pair ended the meet in a tie but
this time around the title went to Leparoux, who beat Bejarano by a score of 30
to 25. Robby Albarado ended the meet in third with 15.
Patrick Biancone was unable to add to his total today but had already sewn up
the training title on Friday. He saddled 11 winners for the meet. Graham Motion
saddled two winners on the day to finish second in the standings with seven.
Christophe Clement, Eddie Kenneally, Todd Pletcher and Dale Romans ended the
meet in a tie for the third spot with six winners each.
I would like to thank everyone who has followed the Keeneland Daily Notebook
this fall and wish you nothing but winners until April when it is time once more
to return to Keeneland Race Course.
Horses to Watch
3RD – SARAH’S PRIZE (Pure Prize) pressed the pace early in this 1 1/16-mile
maiden special weight event through opening fractions of :24 1/5 and :48 3/5
before entering the stretch with the lead. The two-year-old filly dug in gamely
but could not hold off the late charge of Silence Dogood (Grand Slam) and was
beaten by a head-bob at the wire. All in all, this was a game performance by
Sarah’s Prize and she should be able to clear this condition in her next start.
5TH – SUCCEED (Coronado’s Quest) had a very nice career debut for Victoria
Oliver in this seven-furlong maiden special weight event. The three-year-old
filly was content to lie off the pace early through opening fractions of :22 2/5
and :45 before making a six-wide move off the turn. The chestnut closed well
through the stretch but ran out of ground as she was forced to settle for
second, but beaten by only a head.