Keeneland, Race 1 – Wednesday, April 19, 2023
Brought to you by Game of Silks
By 2YO EdgeMan
KEE1:041923 – 4 1/2f on the Dirt. 14 fillies are entered in this one (two relegated to the AE list). It should be a dandy as The Maestro throws another one-two punch entering two horses in an effort to try to go four for four to start the meet. However, just as a reminder, we do not pick Ward in these Keeneland Spring Meet races as that would be just too simplistic and he is almost always overbet. Let’s analyze five fillies in this field…
#6 – Baraye (3/1) – The first of WW’s two fillies, this gal is by Midshipman and was a $230K yearling purchase making her the second highest-priced yearling by her sire last year from 42 sold. Her mom was 3/9 on track and earned $170K, including a win second time out in a MSW race at BEL in June of her 2YO campaign earning an 82 Equibase Speed Fig. She also has a full brother who was 6/31 and earned $154K. This filly has been to work five times in the morning with the last two coming at KEE. Her most impressive effort was two back going 35.8 seconds for three furlongs from the gate (sixth best from 47 at the distance at KEE on that day). Joel Rosario gets tapped to ride.
#9 – Youalmosthadme (6/1) – Calumet Farm’s Oxbow ($10,000 fee listed for 2023) is the sire of this filly who was picked up by his trainer – John A. Hancock – for $12,000 last year and was the only yearling sold by her sire in 2022. Her dam, by Good and Tough, didn’t do a whole lot of running in her days, only winning twice from 20 starts, earning $59,000. TrueNicks was not a fan of the mating only giving it a ‘D’ rating. Hancock has also had her out in the morning a total of five times – her last three being 4f moves at KEE, including her most recent sizzling 46.0 from the gate, which earned her a bullet from the 41 others. Jockey duties have been assigned to Tyler Gaffalione.
#10 – Too Fast For You (12/1) – Trainer Eddie Kenneally sends out his first juvenile of the meet with this filly who was sold for $65,000 as a Twirling Candy weanling (10/11). This filly is the first from her dam who was a fine race mare earning $231K going 4/22, including a black type victory along with a second and third place finish in G3 events. This mating is lauded by TrueNicks with a rating of “A”. Five solid works for this filly, all at KEE (her last three covered 4f) with one bullet four back on 3/22 breezing from the gate in 34.4 for 3f (1/6). Luis Saez is scheduled to handle the reins.
#11 – Late Nite Mistress (3/1) – The second of two in here for Wesley Ward, this gal is a Breeze Easy, LLC homebred by Into Mischief. Her dam was a fabulous runner going an incredible 12 for 15 and bankrolling $700K. She started running right away scoring as a FTS at age two at Charles Town and went on to be a multiple graded stakes winner, however even when bred to Into Mischief, TrueNicks only said ‘C+’. Once again, five total works for this filly (last two at KEE), all solid efforts at three panels, but none spectacular. Don’t look now, but Irad Ortiz, Jr. is expected to be the pilot.
#12 – Sapphire Nights (9/2) – Spendthrift Farm’s exciting First-Crop sire Mitole sends this filly out as his first ever runner. She is another homebred, this time from William and Corinne Heiligbrodt who bred Mitole to their Into Mischief mare (‘A’ rated TrueNick) who earned $80,000 going 3/7 on the track. Steve Asmussen will saddle this filly who has the fewest number of works under her belt (three morning moves) from the five that we’ve looked at in this article, but they all did come at KEE with the most recent covering ½ mile. She’ll get the fine services of Florent Geroux in the saddle.
Play – #12 – Sapphire Nights – We are huge fans of Mitole, Asmussen and the Heiligbrodts and believe this one is going to come out running from her outside gate. We are going a bit against the flow as Asmussen has only had two juvenile winners in April at Keeneland going back through 2015 (from 13 starters). No doubt she’s drawn some stiff competition in this affair, but that should only help her odds. Cannot wait to see this filly as we think she’s gonna be spectacular.
Note: We’ve marked #12 as our ‘Play’ as opposed to our typical ‘Pick’ as we’re more excited about her than most.
Set an alarm for 1pm EST on Wednesday as you do not want to miss this one, my Edgie friends! And then, back at it on Thursday with Race #2 carded for juveniles again at Keeneland. My PP&Ps up on this site soon for that one, too. Best of luck to all.
