Keeneland, Race 5 – Saturday, October 21, 2023
By 2YO EdgeMan
KEE5:102123 – Six and one half furlongs on the dirt. Fifteen fillies have been dropped into the entry box, but we’ll only get twelve that start. Eight of these gals will be going into battle for the first time today and four have been out once. Let’s talk a closer look at six of these…
#1 – Bedazzle ‘Em (12/1) – This FTS filly was the highest selling yearling by American Pharoah last year when she hammered for $750K (1/56). Her dam won half of the eight races that she competed in and banked $173K. She’s thrown one other foal of racing age – a fine three-year-old filly by the name of Just Cindy, by Justify. She won her first two races last year as a 2YO, first a MSW at Churchill in June and posted an 86 Equibase Speed Fig and then she captured a Grade 3 event with an 84 EBSF. Trainer Jeff Engler has been prepping her over at Turfway Park where she’s been out for ten morning spins (43 total furlongs – including a six furlong work, two back). She’s shown good speed, flashing bullets on four occasions, including – 9/1/23, she went a half mile in 47.2 seconds (1/31) and on 9/28/23 she zipped 5/8th of a mile in 59.6 seconds (1/14).
#2 – Best of All (6/1) – Candy Ride is the proud papa to this filly who is a homebred from Three Chimneys Farm. Her dam – by Broken Vow – only won one race in the ten that she ran, but that was her first out in June of her 2YO campaign at Belmont. Even with only one victory, she brought home a total of $398K in purse money, as she came second in the 2017 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf when she clocked a 107 EBSF. She’s had one other foal of racing age, but that one is 0 for 7. Today’s filly started her work tab back in late June at Saratoga where she worked twice before conditioner Chad Brown shipped her to Long Island for ten drills at Belmont Park. In late September or early October, he sent her down here to Keeneland where she’s tested the dirt oval twice, going a half mile each time. Tyler gets the assignment to ride.
#3 – Irina’s Charm (10/1) – Phil D’Amato trains this Justify filly who has raced one time prior to today. Her dam was a terrific runner having won $624K and fashioned a 6 for 24 record, including multiple wins in graded events. Today’s gal has competed one time, back on 9/16/23 she ran six furlongs at Churchill Downs when she ran a wide trip, but gained ground on the leaders nicely, ultimately finishing fourth, only two lengths shy of the winner. Phil kept her in Louisville for a work and then vanned her to Keeneland for two more breezes, one at a half mile and one was 5/8th. Joe Talamo gets the return engagement in the saddle.
#6 – Aunt Fannie (7/2) – The Morning Line fav is a homebred from Whitham Thoroughbreds and is a First-Time starter. Her stallion is Uncle Mo and her dam won $189K by going 3 for 20 on the track. Mom did her best work in the breeding shed however, as she’s produced a winner of $290K who won his second time out at age two in October here at Keeneland and posted a fantastic 95 EBSF and also one that earned nearly a $1/2 million. Her best foal though was McCraken (now a sire) who won $869K with a record of 6 for 14, including a win in his first three races (MSW, ALW and G2) while a two-year-old. Ian Wilkes – who also prepped McCraken – trains today’s filly who has put in eight total works – the first at the Skylight Training Center and the last seven at Churchill Downs, where her last four have been five panel breezes.
#8 – Denim and Pearls (6/1) – This gal is by Into Mischief and hails from a Majestic Warrior mare who threw Newgate – a 3YO colt who won first time out last year as a two-year-old in July at DMR with an 89 EBSF. He’s won one additional race (it sure seems like more) in six total starts and has pulled down $241K in prize money. Today’s runner was a $1/2 million yearling pickup (31/77) and she’ll be making her debut performance today. Trainer Brad Cox has found time for eleven morning preps for her, starting with one at WinStar’s Training Center, then seven at Turfway Park, with her most recent three coming here at Keeneland. Her last two have been brisk – both at five panels – on 10/7/23 she went in 59.4 seconds (3/49) while working with an unraced Godolphin 2YO filly and on 10/15/23 she earned a bullet by going in 1:00.4 (1/25) when she went in company with Oy Vey, who races here on Friday.
#9 – Sweet Gal of Mine (4/1) – Comes out of the same race that #3 Irina’s Charm ran in last time out. Sweet Gal of Mine led for most of that one, but got nailed late, only coming up a ¼ length short. She’s trained by Mike McCarthy, is a homebred by Dialed In and is out of a mare who was 4 for 10 with $180K in earnings. She stayed in Louisville after her last race and worked three times at Churchill – 4f, 4f and 5f. Her second to last work on 10/7/23 was swift – 47.4 seconds for a half mile (3/137). Flavien Prat takes over the reins.
Pick – #1 Bedazzle ‘Em – This is a very competitive race with a few that have a big chance, but I really like this filly. As you sharp Edgies know, a favorite angle of mine is when a runner is at the top of his/her sire’s class (highest sales price at their age by their sire in that particular year) – especially when it’s a filly. I also like her half sis and the precociousness that she showed. Lastly, her works have been impressive (love that six furlong breeze) and has been initially posted at M/L odds of 12/1. Yes sir-ree, sign me up, please! My only reservation is that I see just one start for her trainer in 2YO MSW races here at Keeneland in the fall dating back to 2018. That was a 10th place performance on 10/12/23 – but I still think that this gal may be special. Let’s do this.
