Nest heads field of eight for $600,000 Central Bank Ashland, 170 Kentucky Oaks points offered
LEXINGTON, Ky. – Repole Stable, Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners and Michael House’s Nest, a winner of three of four career starts including the Grade 2 Demoiselle, is the 2-1 morning-line favorite in the field of eight 3-year-old fillies entered Tuesday for Friday’s 85th running of the $600,000 Central Bank Ashland (G1).
The 1 1/16-mile main track test is the ninth race on the 10-race program that opens the 15-day Spring Meet that runs through April 29. First post is 1 p.m. ET with the Central Bank Ashland scheduled to go at 5:16 p.m.
The Central Bank Ashland also offers 170 points on the Road to the Kentucky Oaks (G1) on a 100-40-20-10 scale to the first- through fourth-place finishers. The Kentucky Oaks, to be run May 6 at Churchill Downs, is limited to the top 14 point earners that pass the entry box.
Thirty-five fillies who raced in the Central Bank Ashland have won the Kentucky Oaks, including last year’s winner, Malathaat, whose 2021 resume includes the Eclipse Award as champion 3-year- old filly.
Trained by Todd Pletcher, Nest was away from the races for two months following her Demoiselle victory and returned with a 6-length victory in the Suncoast (L) at Tampa Bay Downs on Feb. 12.
Pletcher, who trains Malathaat, will seek to join Shug McGaughey, Stanley Rieser and B.B. Williams as the only trainers to win consecutive runnings of the race.
Irad Ortiz Jr., who has been aboard for all three of Nest’s victories, has the mount Friday and will exit position four.
Two other trainers, Kenny McPeek and Brad Cox, will be trying to add to their Central Bank Ashland win totals.
McPeek, who won the race in 2002 with Take Charge Lady and in 2014 with Rosalind, will send out Cocktail Moments for Dixiana Farms. Third in the Davona Dale (G2) in her most recent start, Cocktail Moments will be ridden by Corey Lanerie and leave from post position seven.
Cox, winner of the 2018 running with Monomoy Girl, will be represented by Flurry Racing Stables’ Interstatedaydream, a 5-2 co-second choice. A winner over allowance company by 81⁄4 lengths at Oaklawn Park in her 2022 debut, Interstatedaydream will exit post position two and be ridden by Florent Geroux.
Invading from California is Reddam Racing’s three-time graded stakes-placed Awake At Midnyte for trainer Doug O’Neill. Third in the Rachel Alexandra (G2) at Fair Grounds in her most recent start, Awake At Midnyte (4-1) will be ridden by Mario Gutierrez and break from post position three.
The speed of the race figures to come from Gayla Rankin’s Happy Soul, also at 5-2. Trained by Wesley Ward, Happy Soul has won her past three starts by a combined 261⁄4 lengths and will be making her two-turn debut with regular rider John Velazquez aboard. Happy Soul drew post position six.
The field for the Central Bank Ashland with riders and morning line odds, from the rail out, is
1. Miss Mattie B (Joel Rosario, 15-1)
2. Interstatedaydream (Florent Geroux, 5-2)
3. Awake At Midnyte (Mario Gutierrez, 4-1)
4. Nest (Irad Ortiz Jr., 2-1)
5. Sterling Silver (Jose Ortiz, 15-1)
6. Happy Soul (John Velazquez, 5-2)
7. Cocktail Moments (Corey Lanerie, 12-1)
8. Heavenly Hellos (Edgar Morales, 50-1)
All starters will carry 121 pounds.
Keeneland Spring Meet Opening Day At a Glance
Ten races begin at 1 p.m. Click here for Equibase entries.
Friday’s graded stakes lineup:
Race 7 (4:12 p.m.) Race 8 (4:44 p.m.) Race 9 (5:16 p.m.)
$400,000 Lafayette
$400,000 Kentucky Utilities Transylvania (G3)
$600,000 Central Bank Ashland (G1)
These stakes will be included in late Pick 4 and late Pick 5 wagers. The Kentucky Utilities Transylvania will be part of the Keeneland Turf Pick 3.
How to watch the 15-day Spring Meet: TVG’s live, on-site coverage begins at 1 p.m. Thanks to the Keeneland Livestream, fans can watch all races at no charge on Keeneland.com, Keeneland Race Day App, Keeneland Select and Keeneland’s YouTube channel.
Keeneland Racing Press Release
Nest winning the Grade 2 Demoiselle at Aqueduct Dec. 4, 2021. (Janet Garaguso)
