Keeneland, Race 2 – Wednesday, April 10, 2024
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By The 2YO EdgeMan
KEE2:041024 – 4 1/2f on Dirt. The boys retake center stage as 11 colts and one gelding enter the full, main field, with one colt, one gelding, and one filly waiting in the wings on the AE list. Some of the trainers that caught my eye were Ward, Chapman, McEntee, John A. Hancock, and Jack L. Hancock. Regarding sires, I’ve circled Maclean’s Music, Runhappy, West Coast, Maximus Mischief, and Frosted. Additionally, two exciting First-Crop Sires each have one represented in this field – Complexity and Tiz The Law. Let’s focus on four of these combatants…
#1 – Raise The Bar (2/1) – Of course, the Morning Line Fav is trained by ‘The 2YO Maestro’, Wesley Ward. This colt is owned by Douglas Scharbauer who bred him in Texas and he is by Maclean’s Music (51 of 265 for his 2YO in $30,000+ MSW races on dirt – a solid 19.2%), out of a Bernardini mare who was winless in three tries. She’s thrown three other foals (ages four through six) – two won as 2YOs at Belterra and she also had a runner that is 0 for 17. From a ‘micking’ perspective, the Maclean’s Music / Bernardini cross has been responsible for three 2YOs to compete in MSW races with a purse of $30,000 or more (four total starts) and this combo has one winner. Ward has led him through some solid morning works (six); however, they’ve not been as rapid as you typically see from WW. His last three and also his first-ever breeze were here at Keeneland. His best two were probably on 3/22/24, when he zipped three panels at KEE in 36.2 from the gate (4/16) and then he went in 36 flat (5/10) for the same distance on 3/28/24. Johnny V will get the leg up.
#7 Tuxedo Park (5/1) – This colt is sired by one that I had on my recently released list of Top 5 Debut Sires – Complexity – at #4. His broodmare sire is Tale of the Cat and his mare only raced one time and did not win. She does boast one foal (from five others) that won at first asking during this Spring Meet at Keeneland while a two-year-old. This guy is a homebred and has trained under the tutelage of Paul McEntee who has sent him out five times at Blackwood Stables in Lexington. His fourth spin around that oval went in a dazzling 34.2 seconds (1/15) for 3f, handily from the gate. He was then vanned over to Keeneland for two works. His most recent was another bullet – 35 flat for the same distance (1/15).
#8 – Enduring Spirit (8/1) – Another exciting First-Crop Sire will send his first runner out in this one – Tiz The Law. He comes by way of an Into Mischief mare who has two other foals who have not been overly successful on the track. Today’s runner hammered down for $100K as a yearling (21/77). Rafeal Ramos is his conditioner and he’s overseen his four workouts, with his most recent three coming over today’s strip. His last tune-up was impressive when he went a ½ mile in 47 flat from the gate (1/28).
#10 – Tapirs Valor (4/1) – John A. Hancock trains this colt who is by Tapwrit (11 of 106 for his 2YO in $30,000+ MSW races – only 10.4%). His mare was by Alternation and she won two small races from 12 tries, only cashing in for $20,000 on the track. This is her first foal. Today’s runner went through the sales ring as a yearling and sold for $15,000 (12/26). He’s put in five total morning drills and his first and most recent have been bullets. Back on 2/24/24 at Turfway Park, he zipped three panels in 36.8 seconds (1/26), and then on 4/4/24, he quickly covered the same distance in 35.8 (1/15) from the gate here at Keeneland.
Pick – #7 Tuxedo Park – I always like to try to beat Ward, it is just too easy to pick him – but it is definitely an uphill battle to beat him. As I alluded to above, I really like Complexity and think that he’s going to do some really good things with his babies in 2024. McEntee focuses on these two-year-olds and always does pretty well. The work of 34.2 at Blackwood suggests that he has some speed, I like his post position and am encouraged that he’s felt the Keeneland surface twice and that last work was also impressive.
We’ve got another good one on Thursday here at Keeneland, so stay tuned to this column on www.PastTheWire.com. Best of luck – take care!
