Contentious field drawn for Jenny Wiley; Shakertown, Commonweath also featured

Eclair de Lune will try to return to the winner’s circle in the Jenny Wiley (Four Footed Fotos)

ECLAIR DE LUNE (Ger) (Marchand de Sable), winner of the Beverly D. (G1) last
summer, and GYPSY’S WARNING (SAf) (Mogok), queen of last fall’s Matriarch S.
(G1), headline an overflow field of 12 fillies and mares and two also-eligibles
for Saturday’s 23rd running of the $200,000
Jenny
Wiley S. (G2) at Keeneland.

Trained by Ron McAnally, Eclair de Lune will be making her Keeneland debut
Saturday following a fifth-place run in the Santa Ana S. (G2) in her most recent
start. The bay mare closed out her five-year-old season with a dead-heat sixth,
just two lengths back of the winner, in the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf (G1)
last year, and will be reunited with jockey Junior Alvarado, who was aboard for
the Beverly D. victory and Breeders’ Cup run.

Graham Motion will saddle Gypsy’s Warning in her return from a near
five-month break. Last seen taking the Matriarch, the multiple Group 1 winner
has finished worse than third only once since coming to the United States. That
came when she ran fifth, beaten just 1 1/2 lengths, in the Desert Stormer H.
(Can-G2) at Woodbine last July. Prior to that one the bay six-year-old recorded
a nose victory in the Eatontown H. (G3) and followed the Desert Stormer with
thirds in the Beverly D. and Yellow Ribbon S. (G1). She finally returned to the
winner’s circle in the Matriarch when teaming up with Joel Rosario, who keeps
the mount here.

Zagora couldn’t quite catch Denomination in the Hillsborough last out (Tom Cooley Photography)

Leading the quintet are MISS KELLER (Ire) (Montjeu [Ire]) and NEVER RETREAT
(Smart Strike), who will break from the respective innermost posts on Saturday.
The Roger Attfield-trained Miss Keller was recently named champion turf female
in Canada following a pair of victories last year that included the Canadian S.
(Can-G2) at Woodbine. Never Retreat, conditioned by Chris Block, finally broke
through with a first graded score when taking the Honey Fox S. (G3) at
Gulfstream Park last out.

Dual French Group 3 heroine ZAGORA (Fr) (Green Tune) is no stranger to
Keeneland’s turf, having made her stateside debut a runner-up finish in last
October’s Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup S. (G1). Most recently the Chad Brown
pupil was seen missing by a neck in the Hillsborough S. (G3) at Tampa Bay Downs.
English Group 3 winners FANTASIA (GB) (Sadler’s Wells), who held Never Retreat
by a nose last out in the River Memories S., and AVIATE (GB) (Dansili [GB]),
third in the Honey Fox, are also entered.

Chamberlain Bridge is looking for his third straight stakes victory in the Shakertown (©Breeders’ Cup Ltd.)

The Bret Calhoun runner recorded three straight wins prior to a rallying
fourth in the Woodford S. (G3) over Keeneland’s turf last fall. He followed that
up in the Breeders’ Cup and the gelding opened his seven-year-old campaign with
a nice score in the Rail Splitter S. at Sam Houston in mid-February. Fourth in
last year’s Shakertown and third by a neck in the 2009 running, the bay earned
his first stakes triumph in the ungraded edition of the 2008 Woodford over
course and distance.

Chamberlain Bridge will have a tough task in Saturday’s Shakertown as he
takes on SILVER TIMBER (Prime Timber), undefeated in his three tries on
Keeneland’s turf. Those three races came in the 2009 Woodford and last year’s
Shakertown and Woodford. The eight-year-old veteran is seeking to retain his
title as Shakertown champion, but was fifth behind Chamberlain Bridge in the
Breeders’ Cup. Silver Timber was a close fourth to open the year in the Turf
Dash S. at Tampa Bay Downs, but could rebound over his favorite turf under
Julien Leparoux.

Wise Dan makes his seasonal bow in the Commonwealth (Keeneland/Coady Photography)

Trained by Charles Loprestri, Wise Dan has not run since taking a one-mile
allowance last November at Churchill Downs. Prior to that he suffered his worse
loss to date when finishing a non-threatening sixth in the Breeders’ Cup Sprint
(G1). The chestnut gelding has been working at Keeneland all winter, and
recently posted a bullet five-furlong move in :59 to prepare for his return.

Multiple Grade 3 victor LE GRAND CRU (Dynaformer) will do his best to spoil
Wise Dan’s return to the winner’s circle. The dark bay six-year-old has never
raced on a synthetic surface before, but on April 8 toured the Polytrack while
posting a half-mile work in :47 3/5.