Keeneland, Race 11 – Saturday, October 7, 2023
By 2YO EdgeMan
KEE11:100723 – Six furlongs on the dirt. Fifteen male juveniles (14 colts and a lone gelding) have been entered to do battle in this competitive affair. However, only twelve fit on the track, so we’ve got three that are hoping to get in off the Also Eligible’s list. Only one of the dozen expected to go to the gate has ever raced previously – he’s been out twice. Let’s dig in and find the winner…
#1 – Nash (3/1) – The morning line favorite is a Darley Stable homebred trained by Brad Cox and is sired by Medaglia d’Oro. His Malibu Moon dam was quite successful as a race mare, going 4 for 11 and bringing home $400K. She won her second start as a two-year-old at Belmont posting a fancy 86 Equibase Speed Figure and she also scored in a G3 event as a juvenile. In addition, she’s thrown a filly that earned $216K and a gelding that banked $445K. To prep for today’s debut, Brad has sent this colt out for eight total works – the first three at Turfway Park and the most recent five at Churchill. His last four breezes have covered 5/8th of a mile. He’s shown some speed by posting two sub 48 second half mile works back in August at TP (one earned a bullet – 1/44 – and was from the gate). Two works back, on 9/23/23, he was paired with recent first out winner, Awesome Road.
#4 – Rapoport (9/2) – This FTS colt is a son of Constitution and was a $300K yearling pickup by Siena Farm and Winstar Farm last September at Keeneland (21/105). Mama won three of her five races as a 2YO, all at Woodbine, including her first outing and also scored in a Grade 3 event. This is her first foal. Trainer TAP started his workout regime at Winstar’s training facility back in May, before moving him under the Twin Spires and sending him out on 13 occasions there. His last effort, on 9/30/23, was probably his best – 47.8 breezing from the gate over four furlongs – as he slowly drew clear of an unraced Speightster 2YO, however it appears that the rider was engaging him for speed.
#5 – Miyagi (6/1) – Another firster, this gelding hails from Not This Time. $150K was the hammer price when he went through the Fasig Tipton Kentucky July Yearling Sale last summer. Interestingly, however, his owners put him back up for sale at the FT KY October Yearling Sale, but he RNAed for $85,000. His dam, who is by Shanghai Bobby, was unraced and this is her first foal. This guy should know the Keeneland oval well, as conditioner Wayne Catalano has put him through his morning paces there 11 times. His workout times have been impressive – two back he went four furlongs in 59 seconds flat from the gate (2/16) and then his most recent, on 9/30/23, he zipped a half mile in 46.4 seconds (1/94). Tyler gets the mount.
#7 – Booth (4/1) – The Asmussen barn will send out this colt by the excellent First-Crop Sire from Spendthrift Farm – Mitole. He sold as a two-year-old down at Ocala in March for $225K (15/55), after selling last year as a yearling for $120K at KEE Sept (32/116). Mom was 3 for 8 with earnings of $155K, including a victory as a 2YO in her second start at Woodbine. She’s thrown a 4YO colt who’s already banked $716K, with 4 wins in 7 starts – one of those scores coming in G1 competition. She also has three other $100K+ earners to her credit. Steve sent today’s runner out for a work at KEE back on 4/2/23, but he apparently got hurt, as he didn’t work again until 8/1/23 at CD, but has logged nine works under the Twin Spires. His last spin was a dandy – a half mile in 47 seconds flat from the gate (4/107).
#9 – Who’s the King (20/1) – This colt is another Not This Time firster and he’s trained by Mark Casse. Initially, this guy sold for $70K as a short yearling back in January of 2022 (51/76), but then went through the sales ring at Keeneland September later that year as a yearling and brought $160K (29/76). His dam won 10 races from 31 tries and brought down $865K in purse money. Mark started with three works for him at his training center back in June and early July, but then shipped him to CD where he’s been out on 12 mornings.
#12 – Corso’s Pick (10/1) – Starting from the extreme outside is a grey or roan Donald Dizney homebred colt by Creative Cause and he’s trained by Doug O’Neill. Mom only won twice, but that was from limited starts – seven. She did earn $337K and one of her two wins came at first asking down at GP in September of her 2YO campaign when she clicked off a nifty EBSF of 88. Eleven works at Keeneland should make today’s runner quite familiar with today’s oval and he’s been working fast. His last two works have finished in 47.2 seconds over four furlongs (2/11 on 9/30/23 and 5/94 from the gate on 9/19/23).
Pick – #1 Nash – Although this is a very competitive field, I kept coming back to #1 Nash. I know that he’s he M/L fav, but I would certainly be happy with odds of 3/1 on him. Darley only keeps the good ones and this one did not get sent to the auction ring. Cox is tough – and this colt has worked well. I really like the fact that Brad matched him up against Awesome Road two back and he actually outworked that classy colt who went on to score on 8/27/23 at ELP with a sparkling 93 EBSF. Mama was very precocious and an over all a fine runner who’s produced two very nice offspring. Let’s give him a shot!
