Potential Breeders’ Cup Horses Work
Lexus Raven Run Winner Caramel Swirl Returns To Churchill Downs
Conditioner Cox’s “Cool Little Horse” Perryville Winner He’smyhoneybadger
LEXINGTON, Ky. – Charles Fipke’s undefeated Lady Speightspeare, scratched at the gate for the Oct. 16 Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup (G1) Presented by Dixiana, at Keeneland headlines an overflow field of 14 3-year-old fillies plus two also-eligibles entered Sunday for Friday’s 31st running of the Rubicon Valley View (G3).
Slated to be run at 1 1/16 miles on the turf, the Rubicon Valley View will go as the ninth race on Friday afternoon’s 10-race program with a 5:16 p.m. ET post time. First post Friday is 1 p.m.
Trained by Roger Attfield, Lady Speightspeare has won all three of her starts highlighted by a victory in last year’s Natalma (G1) at Woodbine. Emma-Jayne Wilson, who has been aboard for all of Lady Speightspeare’s starts, will ride Friday and break from post 11.
The other graded stakes winner in the field is Lazy F Ranch’s homebred Gam’s Mission.
Trained by Cherie DeVaux, Gam’s Mission returns to the races for the first time since finishing fifth in the Saratoga Oaks Invitational (G3) in August. Prior to that, Gam’s Mission was fourth in the Belmont Oaks Invitational (G1) after winning the Regret (G3) at Churchill Downs.
Adam Beschizza will have the mount Friday and break from post 14.
Six other grass stakes winners in the field are Godolphin’s Adventuring (Dueling Grounds Oaks), BBN Racing’s Core Values (Preview Dueling Grounds Derby), Peachtree Stable’s Saranya (Curtis Sampson Oaks), G. Watts Humphrey Jr.’s Navratilova (Tepin), EuroLindy Syndicate’s Queenship (IRE) (Navigation Stakes in Ireland) and Terry Hamilton, Gary Barber and trainer Brian Lynch’s three-time stakes winner Tobys Heart.
Also entered is Phoenix Thoroughbred III’s Crazy Beautiful, a three-time graded stakes winner on dirt who won going a mile on the grass in her racing debut last year at 2 for trainer Kenny McPeek.
The field for the Rubicon Valley View, with riders and weights from the inside, is:
1. Core Values (Rafael Bejarano, 118 pounds)
2. Saranya (Joe Talamo, 118)
3. Crazy Beautiful (Brian Hernandez Jr., 118)
4. Tobys Heart (Joel Rosario, 118)
5. Navratilova (Colby Hernandez, 118)
6. Oliviaofthedesert (Corey Lanerie, 118)
7. Adventuring (Florent Geroux, 118)
8. Breaker of Chains (Tyler Gaffalione, 118)
9. Arm Candy (Ricardo Santana Jr., 118)
10. Oyster Box (James Graham, 118)
11. Lady Speightspeare (Wilson, 118)
12. Queenship (IRE) (Julien Leparoux, 118)
13. Flown (Jose Ortiz, 118)
14. Gam’s Mission (Beschizza, 118)
Also-eligibles: Princess Theorem (Jose Ortiz, 118), Wait for Nairobi (Edgar Morales, 118).
Jester Calls Nojoy Tops Field Of 11 For Myrtlewood
The Elkstone Group’s homebred Jester Calls Nojoy tops a field of 11 2-year-old fillies entered Sunday for Friday’s $150,000 Myrtlewood.
Scheduled to be run at 6 furlongs on the main track, the Myrtlewood will go as the eighth race on Friday afternoon’s 10-race program with a 4:44 p.m. ET post time. First post Friday is 1 p.m.
Trained by Todd Pletcher, Jester Calls Nojoy won her second start by 10 lengths at Saratoga and then finished sixth behind division leader Echo Zulu in the Frizette (G1) in her most recent start.
Joel Rosario will have the mount Friday and break from post position one.
Chief among her rivals is Randy Patterson’s Verylittlecents.
Winner as the favorite of the Ellis Park Debutante, Verylittlecents in trained by Randy Morse and will be ridden by Joe Talamo from post position six.
The field for the Myrtlewood, with riders and weights from the inside, is:
1. Jester Calls Nojoy (Rosario, 118 pounds)
2. Jumeirah (Francisco Arrieta, 118)
3. She’s Pure Silver (Luan Machado, 118)
4. Blazing Summer (Reylu Gutierrez, 118)
5. Kant Believe It (Jose Ortiz, 118)
6. Verylittlecents (Joe Talamo, 120)
7. Majestic d’Oro (Tyler Gaffalione, 118)
8. You Look Cold (Paco Lopez, 120)
9. Chi Town Lady (Florent Geroux, 120)
10. Sweet Dani Girl (Martin Garcia, 118)
11. Towser (James Graham, 118).\
Potential Breeders’ Cup Horses Work Today
Several possible contenders for the Nov. 5-6 Breeders’ Cup World Championships at Del Mar worked this morning over a fast track.
Mike and Katherine Ball’s Club Car, runner-up in the Thoroughbred Club of America (G2) on Oct. 9, worked 5 furlongs on her own in 1:00.60 for trainer Ben Colebrook. Club Car is a candidate for the $1 million Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint (G1) to be run Nov. 6.
Also working toward a possible Breeders’ Cup start was Rittdiculous Gazmanian Stables’ Tough to Tame, who covered 5 furlongs in 1:00.80 with jockey Sophie Doyle aboard for trainer Chris Davis. Runner-up in the Iroquois (G3) at Churchill Downs in his most recent start, Tough to Tame is under consideration for the $2 million TVG Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (G1) Presented by Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance on Nov. 5.
Lexus Raven Run Winner Caramel Swirl Returns To Churchill Downs
Caramel Swirl with Junior Alvarado up being led to the track for the start of the Lexus Raven Run. (Keeneland Photo)
Godolphin’s Caramel Swirl, narrow winner of Saturday’s Lexus Raven Run (G2) over Joy’s Rocket, returned to Churchill Downs Saturday night to trainer Bill Mott’s barn.
The victory kept Caramel Swirl’s record at Keeneland perfect as she had posted a 10¼-length maiden-breaking score here in April.
The Lexus Raven Run also featured another bang-up effort by Team Hanley and Parkland Thoroughbreds’ Joy’s Rocket, who in her other Keeneland start posted a 3-length victory in the Songbird Stakes on the Breeders’ Cup undercard last November.
“It was a head bob; her head was up and the other filly had her head down at the wire,” said Ronny Werner, assistant to Joy’s Rocket’s trainer, Steve Asmussen. “She is fine this morning. She ran hard. She loves this track and she showed it when she won that stakes last year.”
Conditioner Cox’s “Cool Little Horse” Perryville Winner He’smyhoneybadger
A with a muddy Florent Geroux atop a muddy He’smyhoneybadger led by a proud member of Team Cox after their victory in the Perryville. (Keeneland Photo)
Trainer Brad Cox reported Sunday morning that Perryville winner He’smyhoneybadger was doing well following his narrow victory Saturday afternoon over Ram.
“He’s a cool little horse and he really tries every time,” Cox said of the son of Daredevil, who is owned by Steve Landers Racing.
The Perryville victory marked the first stakes triumph for He’smyhoneybadger.
“I don’t know what’s next for him, but I would like to find another race like that one,” Cox said.
Work Tab
Two horses put in half-mile works for Friday’s $150,000 Rubicon Valley View (G3): Lazy F Ranch’s Gam’s Mission (:49.20) for trainer Cherie DeVaux and BBN Racing’s Core Values (:50.40) for trainer Vicki Oliver.
Working for Saturday’s closing-day stakes were Edge Racing’s Yes This Time (half-mile in :49.60) for trainer Kelly Breen for the Bryan Station and Thumbs Up Racing’s Sleepy Eyes Todd (3 furlongs in :39.80) for trainer Miguel Angel Silva for the Hagyard Fayette (G2).
Galloping Out
Wolfe Racing and Hugh Robertson’s Two Emmys, who was overtaken in deep stretch by Spooky Channel to lose by a neck in Friday’s Sycamore (G3), will be getting some time off.
“He is going to go to a farm around here for a little while and then go to my dad (Hugh) at the Fair Grounds,” trainer Mac Robertson said. “The outside post didn’t help us, and he didn’t have that little extra punch. But that horse that beat him has run some good races.”
Prospective Fields For Closing-Day Stakes
Entries for these stakes will be taken Wednesday:
$200,000 Hagyard Fayette (G2) – Code of Honor (Shug McGaughey), Fort Peck (Robertino Diodoro), Independence Hall (Michael McCarthy), King Fury (Kenny McPeek), Major Fed (Greg Foley), Manhattan Up (Diodoro), Night Ops (Brad Cox), Sleepy Eyes Todd (Miguel Silva). Possible: Trident Hit (Ron Moquett).
$150,000 Bryan Station – Camp Hope (Kenny McPeek), Cellist (Rusty Arnold), Hot Blooded (Carlos David), Hush of a Storm (William Morey), Perfect Silent Cat (Wesley Ward), Point Me By (Eddie Kenneally), Scarlett Sky (Shug McGaughey), Yes This Time (Kelly Breen). Possible: Kentucky Pharoah (Jack Sisterson).
$150,000 Bowman Mill – Chattalot (Steve Asmussen), Freelancer (Brendan Walsh), Hope in Him (Joe Orseno), My Prankster (Todd Pletcher), Nakatomi (Wesley Ward). Possible: Lucky Shot (Dee Poulos), Roger McQueen (Larry Rivelli).
Fall Meet Special Events
Keeneland’s 17-day Fall Meet runs through Saturday, Oct. 30.
Post time for the first race each day is 1 p.m. ET. No racing Monday and Tuesday.
All Year
Official Keeneland Tours – A variety of guided walking tours showcase Keeneland’s Thoroughbred racing and sales operations. Click here for more information.
Every race day
The new Keeneland Turf Pick 3 wager is offered on the final three turf races each race day. The minimum wager is $3 and will follow the same rules as the traditional Pick 3. The new wager has a 15 percent takeout, the same low takeout as Keeneland’s popular Pick 5 wager.
Keeneland Select Handicapping Challenge. Sport of Kings, the free horse racing contest website, has this new free online handicapping contest for casual fans and serious horseplayers. Participants make mythical selections on two Keeneland races for each day of the meet. Two seats to the 2022 NTRA National Horseplayers Championship will be awarded. To sign up, click here.
For info on the Best Breeders’ Cup Seminar click HERE.
Keeneland Barn Notes
Emma-Jayne Wilson piloted Lady Speightspear to victory in the G1 Natamala Stakes at Woodbine on Sept. 20, 2020. (Michael Burns)
