LEXINGTON, Ky. – Keeneland’s 17-day Fall Meet opens Friday and runs through Saturday, Oct. 24, with racing Wednesdays through Sundays. Post time for the first race each day is 1:05 p.m. ET.
“Multipurpose Horse” Diamond Oops arrives for Friday’s Stoll Keenon Ogden Phoenix
Diamond 100 Racing Club, Amy Dunne, D P Racing and Patrick Biancone Racing’s Diamond Oops arrived at Keeneland Monday morning following an overnight van ride from Palm Meadows Training Center in South Florida for a run in Friday afternoon’s $200,000 Stoll Keenon Ogden Phoenix (G2).
Monday’s arrival marked the second trip to Kentucky in a month for Diamond Oops, who was last seen in the Commonwealth winning the TwinSpires Turf Sprint (G2) Presented by Sysco going 5½ furlongs on Sept. 4 at Churchill Downs. In his lone Keeneland start, Diamond Oops was second in last year’s Shadwell Turf Mile (G1).
“He’s a multipurpose horse,” said Andie Biancone, assistant to her father, Patrick Biancone. “I think he is better on the dirt.”
A two-time Grade 3 winner sprinting on the dirt, Diamond Oops worked a bullet half-mile in :47.85 at Palm Meadows on Friday. However, that performance was not the key to the gelding trying the Stoll Keenon Ogden Phoenix going 6 furlongs on the dirt.
“My dad had planned on the Phoenix,” Biancone said of Diamond Oops, who also was nominated to this weekend’s Shadwell Turf Mile and Woodford (G2) Presented by TVG. Florent Geroux will have the mount.
Diamond Oops was accompanied on the van by a pony but not by Sole Volante, the 11th-place finisher in the Kentucky Derby (G1) Presented by Woodford Reserve who is co-owned by Andie Biancone.
“My dad wanted to give him more time (after the Derby),” Biancone said of Sole Volante, who was nominated to the Shadwell Turf Mile. “He is looking at bringing him up for an undercard race on Breeders’ Cup weekend (Nov. 6-7).”
Lady Kate to take another tough challenge in Sunday’s Juddmonte Spinster
Anderson Stables’ Lady Kate, runner-up to champion Monomoy Girl in the La Troienne (G1) Presented by Oak Grove Gaming and Racing at Churchill Downs on Sept. 4, is scheduled to make her next start Sunday in the 65th running of the $400,000 Juddmonte Spinster (G1), according to trainer Eddie Kenneally.
“She came out of the La Troienne good, really good,” said Kenneally, who plans to bring Lady Kate to Keeneland in a few days. “She ran a really game race against Monomoy Girl and she is a champion.”
Winner of the Groupie Doll (L) at Ellis Park in her previous start, Lady Kate set the pace in the
1 1/16-mile La Troienne before succumbing by 1¾ lengths while clearly holding second. In her first work back since the La Troienne, Lady Kate breezed a bullet half-mile in :47.60 at Churchill on Tuesday.
The Juddmonte Spinster is a “Win and You’re In” race for the $2 million Breeders’ Cup Distaff (G1) to be run here Nov. 7.
FALL STARS WEEKEND FIELDS
Lineups for Fall Stars Weekend on Friday through Sunday, opening weekend of Keeneland’s Fall Meet, are falling into place.
Fall Stars Weekend features 10 stakes worth $3,150,000. Nine of the stakes are part of the Breeders’ Cup Challenge series with winners of those races receiving fees-paid berths into corresponding races for the 37th World Championships to be held Nov. 6-7 at Keeneland.
The following is a list of probable starters for Fall Stars Weekend stakes compiled by Keeneland Stakes Coordinator Allison DeLuca.
*$350,000 DARLEY ALCIBIADES (G1) (Entries taken Tuesday; Friday, Oct. 2)
Crazy Beautiful (trainer Kenny McPeek), Gramercy (Eoin Harty), Oliviaofthedesert (McPeek), Simply Ravishing (McPeek), Thoughtfully (Steve Asmussen), Xtrema (Keith Desormeaux). Possibles: Forest Caraway (Peter Miller). Travel Column (Brad Cox),
*$200,000 STOLL KEENON OGDEN PHOENIX (G2) (Entries taken Tuesday; race Friday, Oct. 2)
Absolutely Aiden (Wesley Hawley), Copper Town (Wesley Ward), Diamond Oops (Patrick Biancone), Echo Town (Steve Asmussen), Edgemont Road (William VanMeter), Empire of Gold (Terry Eoff), Lexitonian (Jack Sisterson), Midnight Sands (Brendan Walsh), No Parole (Tom Amoss), Shashashakemeup (Keith Desormeaux), Whitmore (Ron Moquett). Possible: Landeskog (Brad Cox).
*$750,000 SHADWELL TURF MILE (G1) (Entries taken Wednesday; race Saturday, Oct. 3)
Analyze It (Chad Brown), Bowies Hero (Phil D’Amato), Casa Creed (Bill Mott), Emmaus (IRE) (Conor Murphy), Flavius (Brown), Halladay (Todd Pletcher), Hembree (Mike Maker), Parlor (Maker), Raging Bull (FR) (Brown), Sharp Samurai (Mark Glatt), Without Parole (GB) (Brown).
*$400,000 CLAIBORNE BREEDERS’ FUTURITY (G1) (Entries taken Wednesday; race Saturday, Oct. 3)
Calibrate (Steve Asmussen), Dreamer’s Disease (Robertino Diodoro), Essential Quality (Brad Cox), Founder (Chad Brown), Notary (D. Wayne Lukas), Super Stock (Asmussen). Possible: Superman Shaq (Peter Miller).
*$350,000 FIRST LADY (G1) PRESENTED BY UK HEALTHCARE (Entries taken Wednesday; race Saturday, Oct. 3)
Beau Recall (IRE) (Brad Cox), Daddy Is a Legend (Rusty Arnold), Dalika (GER) (Al Stall Jr.), Newspaperofrecord (IRE) (Chad Brown), Uni (GB) (Brown). Possible: La Signare (Brendan Walsh).
*$200,000 THOROUGHBRED CLUB OF AMERICA (G2) (Entries taken Wednesday; race Saturday, Oct. 3)
Dos Vinos (Bret Calhoun), Inthemidstofbiz (Cipriano Contreras), Lady’s Island (Danny Gargan), Palace Avenger (Wesley Ward), Sneaking Out (Jerry Hollendorfer). Possible: Unique Factor (Peter Miller).
$150,000 WOODFORD (G2) PRESENTED BY TVG (Entries taken Wednesday; race Saturday, Oct. 3)
Chaos Theory (John Sadler), Chaps (Eddie Kenneally), Extravagant Kid (Brendan Walsh), Leinster (Rusty Arnold), Smart Remark (Vicki Oliver). Possible: Totally Boss (Arnold).
*$400,000 JUDDMONTE SPINSTER (G1) (Entries taken Thursday; race Sunday, Oct. 4)
Lady Apple (Steve Asmussen), Lady Kate (Eddie Kenneally), Ollie’s Candy (John Sadler), Shedaresthedevil (Brad Cox), Valiance (Todd Pletcher). Possible: Our Super Freak (Cherie DeVaux).
*$200,000 BOURBON (G3) (Entries taken Thursday; race Sunday, Oct. 4)
Barrister Tom (Michael Ewing), Big Fish (David Hofmans), Blame the Booze (Wesley Ward), Fire At Will (Mike Maker), Mutasaabeq (Todd Pletcher), Outadore (Ward), Private Island (Ian Wilkes).
*$150,000 INDIAN SUMMER (L) PRESENTED BY KEENELAND SELECT (Entries taken Thursday; race Sunday, Oct. 4)
After Five (Wesley Ward), Bodenheimer (Valorie Lund), Golden Pal (Ward), Roderick (Ward), Royal Approval (Ward).
Press Release
Photo: Diamond Oops wins the Grade III Smile Sprint. Credit: Gulfstream Park
