Key of Life a dominant winner of the Myrtlewood (Keeneland Photo)
LEXINGTON, Ky.— Flurry Racing Stables LLC and Hoffman Family Racing, LLC’s Key of Life became a stakes winner with an impressive victory in the $200K Myrtlewood for juvenile fillies at Keeneland.
Under Florent Geroux, Key of Life was quick out of the gate in the six-furlong sprint and seized the lead, stakes-winning Somebody’s Problem contesting the pace a half-length behind. Through an opening quarter of 22.34 and the half in 45.91, Key of Life continued to lead under a hand ride, increasing her advantage to three lengths at the eighth pole.
Allowance winner Lady Radler launched a rally up the rail late, but was no match for Key of Life, who crossed the wire six and three-quarter lengths in front, stopping the clock in 1:11.09. Five-eighths went in 58.11.
Lady Radler and Julien Leparoux were clearly second-best, finishing six and a half lengths ahead of Baby Got Backspin and Irad Ortiz, Jr. Behind them were Take Charge Briana, Satin Doll, Two Minute Drill, Flamand, Somebody’s Problem, Willow Bend, and Time for Champagne. Alva Starr was scratched.
Off as the 3-5 favorite, Key of Life paid $3.34, $2.60, and $2.20. 30-1 longshot Lady Radler returned $16.98 and $7.24. Baby Got Backspin at 9-1 rewarded $3.96 for show.
Trained by Brad Cox, Key of Life entered the Myrtlewood off of a duo of victories, the most recent a dominant allowance optional claiming score at Keeneland Oct. 7. In August, she broke her maiden at second-asking over the Churchill Downs oval. Had it not been for a very slow start in her June debut, her stakes effort may have been her fourth win in a row.
When asked if his filly would stretch out to routing when she turns three, Cox said it would be a gradual process. “If we were to stretch her out, we would gradually do it. I’m not certain she will go long. Her pedigree says she wants more ground, but she’s very well built and she’s fast, so we don’t want to take her speed away from her, trying to do something she’s not comfortable doing.”
“We’ll let her tell us over time. She could stretch, maybe, as she gets older, but right now we’re pretty content with the way she’s performing.”
A bay daughter of Mo Town, Key of Life became her sire’s first stakes winner in the Myrtlewood. She is out of the Harlan’s Holiday mare Longride to Wisdom. Key to Life was a $350,000 purchase by Flurry Racing Stable at the 2022 OBS April Two-Year-Olds in Training sale. As a yearling, she was sold for just $42,000. At this point in her young career, she has amassed earnings of $263,710.
Key of Life was bred in Kentucky by Moreau Bloodstock International, Inc.
By Amber Joyce, Editor
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