Michael Puhich also trains stablemate Call Me Jamal who recently won an Allowance at Oaklawn Feb. 26, is out in a work at Oaklawn on March 10. (Coady Photography)
• Prospective Field For Closing-Day Bewitch
• Spring Meet Week 3 Special Events
Keeneland Barn Notes
LEXINGTON, Ky.—Trainer Mike Puhich believes that Call Me Fast is a gelding who possesses graded stakes talent.
He put that belief to the test last month at Oaklawn Park when Call Me Fast made his stakes debut going 1 1/16 miles in the Essex (G3) on March 18. It did not go well.
“He never had a chance. The race is a throw out,” Puhich said. “He had a rough trip and got checked, and (jockey) Francisco (Arrieta) thought he was going to go down three times.”
Owned by Giddyup Stables and Tom Lambro, Call Me Fast will receive his second stakes try Saturday in the 92nd running of the $300,000 Ben Ali (G3) going 1 3/16 miles on the main track.
Call Me Fast notched his first victory here during the 2022 Fall Meet, winning by 8¾ lengths and followed that with a runner-up effort in allowance company on the undercard of the Breeders’ Cup World Championships.
“That was a factor in running (in the Ben Ali). He loves this track and worked well here too,” Puhich said. “There is more run to the first turn here, and that will help as he doesn’t get away from the gate too well.”
Call Me Fast worked a bullet 5 furlongs in :58.60 on April 10 and came back with a half-mile work in :49 on April 16. Julien Leparoux will have the mount Saturday.
Prospective Field For Closing-Day Bewitch
Here are the prospective entries for the $300,00 Bewitch (G3) on the April 28 closing day of the Keeneland Spring Meet compiled by Stakes Coordinator Baley Hare:
$300,000 Bewitch (G3) – Possible: Broadway Boogie (trainer James Toner), Temple City Terror (Brendan Walsh), Transient (GB) (Saffie Joseph Jr.), Viburnum (Kelsey Danner).
Entries will be taken Sunday.
Galloping Out
Sunday’s Cross Country Pick 5 includes three Keeneland races: Race 2, Race 5 and Race 9. The minimum wager is 50 cents. Click here for free Equibase past performances for the Cross Country Pick 5 available for download.
~ Spring Meet Week 3 Special Events ~
Year-round
Official Keeneland Tours. Visit keeneland.com/tours for availability and to purchase.
Through August
Located on Keeneland’s campus, Keeneland Library features the free exhibit The Heart of the Turf: Racing’s Black Pioneers through August. The Library is open Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. To reach the Library, enter Keeneland at Gate 1 (Man o’ War Blvd.) on Keeneland Blvd. and take the first right on Entertainment Ct. The Library is to the left of the Keene Barn and Entertainment Center.
Friday, April 21 through Sunday, April 23
The Hill. Keeneland’s official tailgating area now is open Sundays during the Spring Meet. No ticket or reservation is required for The Hill, located adjacent to the Keene Barn & Entertainment Center and accessible via Gate 4. Amenities, available from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., include a jumbo TV, wagering, live music presented by The Burl, food trucks and complimentary shuttles to the track. Keeneland partner RevelXP will offer tailgate packages for groups of any size. Visit Keeneland.com/tailgating.
Saturday, April 22
Sunrise Trackside. This free Saturday morning program is geared toward families and offers a unique view of Thoroughbreds during training hours. Children’s activities, located on the first floor of the Grandstand from 8-10 a.m., include a visit with Keeneland’s mascot, Buckles, along with face painting, games and more. Fans can enjoy coffee and donuts at the Starting Gate concession stand while watching horses train. Mini tours will be available at the Welcome Stand in the Paddock. A meet and greet with a horse will take place in the Walking Ring from 8:30-9 a.m.
Sunday, April 23
Keeneland Kids Club Family Day Presented by Kentucky Children’s Hospital. The Keeneland Kids Club is the Official Kids Club for Keeneland fans 12 and younger. Kids Club members and their families are invited to enjoy a special day at the races and receive free general admission and access to reserved Grandstand seating when they present their membership cards at admission gates. Children’s activities, which will take place in the North Terrace from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., include face painting and activities with local community partners such as Explorium of Lexington, Kentucky Horse Park, Eckert’s Orchard, Kentucky Children’s Hospital and Amplify Horse Racing. A treat from Hoggy’s Ice Cream will be available for Kids Club members.
Permanently Disabled Jockeys Fund Telethon Presented by Lane’s End. The fifth annual fundraising event will be based in the Limestone Café in the Keeneland Sales Pavilion. The telethon will be broadcast on both FanDuel TV and America’s Day at the Races in collaboration with NYRA and FOX Sports and be streamed on tvg.com. Fans can participate by calling 1-844-884-7353 between noon and 6 p.m. ET or can donate directly at https://pdjf.org/donate/
Spring Meet Leaders
Through April 20 (9 days of 15-day season)
| Jockey | Starts | Wins | 2nd | 3rd | Purses |
| Luis Saez | 57 | 12 | 5 | 6 | $1,882,110 |
| Tyler Gaffalione | 48 | 12 | 5 | 3 | $1,191,218 |
| Irad Ortiz Jr. | 63 | 9 | 12 | 16 | $1,842,251 |
| Trainer | Starts | Wins | 2nd | 3rd | Purses |
| Wesley Ward | 30 | 10 | 3 | 4 | $744,124 |
| Brad Cox | 20 | 8 | 5 | 1 | $1,470,648 |
| Chad Brown | 13 | 5 | 1 | 2 | $1,086,148 |
| Owner | Wins |
| Stonestreet Stables (Barbara Banke) | 4 |
| Godolphin (Mohammed Al Maktoum et al) | 3 |
| Wesley A. Ward | 3 |
