For the Week of 10/16/2023 through 10/22/2023
By 2YO EdgeMan
KEE5:101823 – #1 Nyquist Frequency and #3 Special Element moved up early along the inside to grab the lead going down the backstretch in this seven furlong affair on the dirt. #11 Air of Defiance stayed in close contact with the leading pair while he and pilot Luis Saez tracked three wide. As they spun into the lane, Air of Defiance boldly seized the lead and motored off impressively to win by six easy lengths. Brad Cox was the winning trainer of this colt who saw fractions clicked off in 22.62 and 46.85 seconds, before the final time of 1:23.29 was posted. This equated to a superb 99 Equibase Speed Figure and the victor paid $3.38 for $2W tickets as the race time favorite. This dude was also our pick.
Learnings – You’ve got to stick with the best horse, even if they are the Morning Line favorite and you expect short odds. Running second to Fierceness in his debut race was no disgrace and he was a sold yearling from an excellent sire and terrific race mare. And his trainer ain’t too shabby with these babies here at Keeneland in the fall.
KEE9:101923 – Long shot #6 Caberneigh broke quickly and forged to the front as she ran down the back straight in this five and a half furlong affair that was competed over the grassy oval rated as ‘good’. She traveled through honest fractions of 22.47 and 45.31 seconds before being collared in the last 1/16th of a mile by the winner – #10 Cloudwalker. Flavien Prat gave her a great, patient ride, allowing her to settle several lengths behind early, while not running too wide before unleashing a wicked turn of foot in the stretch to win by three widening lengths. Her final time came in at 1:03.37, which gave her a 77 EBSF. Going off at odds of 4/1, she returned $10.68 to the holders of $2W tickets on this filly. Our pick – #7 Copperdrop – 10/1 on the M/L and off at odds of 6/1, actually drew even with Caberneigh deep in the lane, but was no match in the end for the winnah. My filly ended third, ¾ of a length shy of the runner up spot.
Learnings – The winning filly’s last work on the All-Weather surface at Turfway Park signaled that she had some speed. Winning trainer – Brendan Walsh – was only 1 for 11 (9.1%) with firsters at Keeneland in the fall over the prior five year period (2018 thru 2022), but sire More Than Ready’s juveniles can win on any surface at any time.
KEE5:102023 – As soon as #11 Spirit’s Mischief garnered the lead shortly before moving into the turn, this race was all but over. Gerardo Corrales turned this colt by Into Mischief loose down the stretch to storm off to win by 4 ¼ lengths on the wire in a time of 1:05.10 over the sloppy (sealed) going, after the five and a half furlong race was taken off the turf. His fractions were 22.64 and 46.00 seconds flat and he was awarded an EBSF. The victor was also our pick.
Learnings – As mentioned above, it doesn’t do any good fingering a long shot, if he/she is not the best horse in the race. Obviously, this dude’s sire is first class and trainer Wesley Ward absolutely makes a killing with these baby races at Keeneland, even in the fall. Having been out one time previously gave this fella all the experience that he needed for his performance today.
KEE5:102123 – This one turned out to be an epic battle of two wonderful juveniles. #9 Sweet Gal of Mine made an impressive move late to nearly catch #8 Denim and Pearls who ran on or very near the lead throughout. In the end, however, it was the later filly that scored the victory by a short nose to break her maiden in her debut for conditioner Brad Cox. Her backers bit their nails, but when the tote board confirmed that she was victorious, it showed $5.50 in the $2W column. Her overall time was considered marginal, as the EBSF was only 69. After fractions of 22.62 and 46.23, her final time for the six and a half furlongs over the dirt was 1:19.58. Our pick – #1 Bedazzle ‘Em – ran a very bizarre race. It appeared that jockey Ricardo Santana, Jr. waited for the entire field to clear before steering to the outside to start running. This unusual move cost her at least 6-8 lengths on the field.
Learnings – The winner had some very brisk five furlong workouts here at Keeneland and her daddy – Into Mischief – is certainly a beast. Add to that the fact that mom won in August of her 2YO year in her second start ever with an 84 EBSF and you have a very powerful favorite, trained by Cox. But the big learning is that Bedazzle ‘Em clearly hates the inside and should be a formidable foe next out if she draws away from the rail, as she only was beaten by less than four lengths in this one.
Get ready for the last week of racing in 2023 here at Keeneland. We’ve got a number of great, unrestricted two-year-old MSW races and as always, we’ll be all over them! Thank your support and readership, my Edgie Fanatics.
