American Apple winning the Matron at Belmont at the Big A last October. (Joe Labozzetta)
• Kentucky Derby Winner Rich Strike Among Ben Ali Nominations
• Prospective Fields For April 15-16 Stakes; Spring Meet Leaders
• Spring Meet Week 2 Special Events
Keeneland Press Release
LEXINGTON, Ky.—The apple of trainer Daniel Leitch’s eye is KatieRich Stables’ homebred American Apple, who is scheduled to open her 2023 campaign in Friday’s fourth running of the $250,000 FanDuel Limestone (L) going 5½ furlongs on the turf.
American Apple gave the 28-year-old Leitch his first stakes win when she won the Matron (G3) last October. From there, American Apple led the field nearing the far turn in the $1 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint (G1) against the boys before fading to sixth.
“I couldn’t believe it,” Leitch said of the Breeders’ Cup experience. “I don’t know if I’ll ever get back there. I still go back and watch the replay.”
A daughter of American Pharoah out of the graded stakes-placed Miss Mary Apples who was co-owned by KatieRich, American Apple received a vacation following the Breeders’ Cup.
“She came out of the Breeders’ Cup in wonderful shape,” Leitch said. “I gave her two months off and she came back better than I could have hoped for. (Owner) Larry Doyle said she left a little girl and came back a woman.”
American Apple had her final Limestone drill Friday going a half-mile on the main track in :50.40, her eighth work since returning to the work tab and third on the main track following five works on Keeneland’s all-weather training track.
“I never work her on turf. She does fine on the dirt,” Leitch said.
Kentucky Derby Winner Rich Strike Among Ben Ali Nominations
RED TR-Racing’s 2022 Kentucky Derby (G1) Presented by Woodford Reserve winner Rich Strike headlines a roster of 25 runners nominated to the 92nd running of the $300,000 Ben Ali (G3) to be run here Saturday, April 22 going 1 3/16 miles on the main track.
Trained by Eric Reed, Rich Strike is one of five Ben Ali nominees to have run in the 2022 Kentucky Derby. The others are WSS Racing’s Barber Road (sixth), trained by John Ortiz; Whisper Hill Farm’s Charge It (17th), trained by Todd Pletcher; Peachtree Stable’s Tawny Port (seventh), trained by Brad Cox; and Barry and Joni Butzow’s Zozos (10th), also trained by Cox.
In addition to the Derby alums, the Ben Ali also attracted the likes of Lucky Seven Stable’s Rattle N Roll, winner of the 2021 Claiborne Breeders’ Futurity (G1) for trainer Kenny McPeek; Gary and Mary West’s West Will Power, winner of last fall’s Hagyard Fayette (G2) here for Cox; and Daniel Alonso’s multiple Grade 3 winner Skippylongstocking for trainer Saffie Joseph Jr.
Two other graded stakes are on tap for the third week of the Spring Meet: the 28th running of the $300,000 Baird Doubledogdare (G3) for fillies and mares going 1 1/16 miles on the main track on Friday, April 21 and the 38th running of the $350,000 Elkhorn (G2) for 4-year-olds and up going 1½ miles on the turf on April 22.
Grade 1 winners A Mo Reay, owned by Hunter Valley Farm and trained by Brad Cox, and Stonestreet Stables’ Pauline’s Pearl, trained by Steve Asmussen, top the 19 nominees to the Baird Doubledogdare.
Malathaat won last year’s running of the race to kick off her Eclipse Award-winning campaign as champion older dirt female.
Wachtel Stable, Gary Barber, R. A. Hill Stable and Reeves Thoroughbred Racing’s defending champion Channel Maker tops a list of 32 nominations to the Elkhorn. Trained by Bill Mott, Channel Maker is an Eclipse Award winner, a Sovereign Award winner and a four-time Grade 1 winner. The 9-year-old has banked more than $3.7 million in his career.
Prospective Fields For April 15-16 Stakes
Here are the prospective entries for the Saturday and Sunday stakes compiled by Stakes Coordinator Baley Hare.
Saturday races. Entries taken Wednesday.
$600,000 JENNY WILEY (G1) – Henrietta Topham (Geoff Mulcahy), In Italian (GB) (trainer Chad Brown), Freedom Speaks (Darien Rodriguez), Pizza Bianca (Christophe Clement), Queen Goddess (Michael McCarthy), With The Moonlight (IRE) (Charlie Appleby). Possible: New Year’s Eve (Brendan Walsh), Skims (GB) (Shug McGaughey).
$400,000 STONESTREET LEXINGTON (G3) – Possible: Confidence Game (Keith Desormeaux), Curly Larry and Mo (Caio Caramori), Disarm (Steve Asmussen), Empirestrikesfast (Bill Mott), First Mission (Brad Cox), Midnight Rising (Jordan Blair), Victory Formation (Cox).
$250,000 GIANT’S CAUSEWAY (L) – Oeuvre (Chris Block), Miner’s Queen (Rey Hernandez),
Opening Buzz (Jonathan Wong), Star Devine (IRE) (Jorge Abreu). Possible: Goin’ Good (Cox), Little Jewel (Carlo Vaccarezza), Mamba Wamba (IRE) (Brian Lynch), Minaun (IRE) (Walsh).
Sunday races. Entries taken Thursday.
$400,000 BEAUMONT (G2) PRESENTED BY KEENELAND SELECT – Possible: Interpolate (Brown), Opus Forty Two (Arnaud Delacour), She’s On the Rocks (Cirilo Gorostieta), Shoplifter (Eddie Kenneally).
$250,000 PALISADES (L) – Bushido (Darwin Banach), Damon’s Mound (Michelle Lovell). Possible: Golden Nugget (Walsh). Possible: No Nay Hudson (IRE) (Wesley Ward), Olazabal (Eric Foster).
