With a week to go until the opening of Keeneland’s 17-day Fall Meet, fields are beginning to take shape for the Oct. 7-9 Fall Stars Weekend, which will offer 11 stakes worth $5.45 million.
Nine of the races are Breeders’ Cup Challenge tests (*) that award the winners fees-paid berths into corresponding races at the 39th World Championships, which will be held Nov. 4-5 at Keeneland.
According to Keeneland Stakes Coordinator Allison De Luca, here are the possible starters for the stakes:
Friday, Oct. 7. Entries taken Tuesday, Oct. 4
*$500,000 Darley Alcibiades (G1), 2-year-old fillies, 1 1/16 miles: Boss Lady Bailey (trainer John Ortiz), Chop Chop (Brad Cox), Essaouira (Graham Motion), Fun and Feisty (Kenny McPeek), Infinite Diamond (Patrick Biancone), Just Cindy (Eddie Kenneally), Stellar Lady (McPeek), Wonder Wheel (Mark Casse).
*$350,000 Stoll Keenon Ogden Phoenix (G2), 3-year-olds and up, 6 furlongs: Baytown Bear (Paul McEntee), Long Range Toddy (Dallas Stewart), Meraas (GB) (Chad Summers), Necker Island (Chris Hartman), Nakatomi (Wesley Ward), Sibelius (Jeremiah O’Dwyer), Sir Alfred James (Lynn Cash), Special Reserve (Mike Maker), Top Gunner (John Ortiz).
*$350,000 JPMorgan Chase Jessamine (G2), 2-year-old fillies, 1 1/16 miles (turf): C C Cruise Control (Kenny McPeek), Chop Chop (Brad Cox), Play the Music (Mark Casse), Promise of Hope (Tom Amoss), Towhead (Mike Maker), What an Honor (Maker).
Saturday, Oct. 8. Entries taken Wednesday, Oct. 5
*$1 Million Coolmore Turf Mile (G1), 3-year-olds and up, 1 mile (turf): Casa Creed (Bill Mott), Greyes Creek (Paulo Lobo), In Love (BRZ) (Lobo), Ivar (BRZ) (Lobo), Princess Grace (Mike Stidham), Santin (Brendan Walsh), Set Piece (GB) (Brad Cox), Smooth Like Strait (Michael McCarthy), Somelikeithotbrown (Mike Maker), Winfromwithin (Jorge Delgado).
*$600,000 Claiborne Breeders’ Futurity (G1), 2-year-olds, 1 1/16 miles: Carmel Road (Bob Baffert), Frosted Departure (Kenny McPeek), Funtastic Again (Wesley Ward), Frosted Departure (Kenny McPeek), Good Heart (Brendan Walsh), Honed (McPeek) Lost Ark (Todd Pletcher), National Treasure (Baffert), Powerful (Steve Asmussen), Two Phil’s (Larry Rivelli).
$750,000 First Lady (G1) Presented by UK HealthCare, 3-year-olds and up, fillies and mares, 1 mile (turf): Alms (Mike Stidham), In Italian (GB) (Chad Brown), Market Rumor (Ian Wilkes), Princess Grace (Stidham), Regal Glory (Brown).
*$350,000 Thoroughbred Club of America (G2), 3-year-olds and up, fillies and mares, 6 furlongs: Bell’s the One (Neil Pessin), Club Car (Ben Colebrook), Happy Soul (Wesley Ward), Joyful Cadence (John Ortiz), Liberty M D (Ian Wilkes), Palm Cottage (Paulo Lobo), Sconsin (Greg Foley), Slammed (Todd Fincher).
$350,000 Woodford (G2) Presented by FanDuel, 3-year-olds and up, 5½ furlongs (turf): Artemus Citylimits (Mike Maker), Bound for Nowhere (Wesley Ward), County Final (Steve Asmussen), Gear Jockey (Rusty Arnold), Golden Pal (Ward).
Sunday, Oct. 9. Entries taken Thursday, Oct. 6
*$600,000 Juddmonte Spinster (G1), 3-year-olds and up, fillies and mares, 1 1/8 miles: Letruska (Fausto Gutierrez), Malathaat (Todd Pletcher), Played Hard (Phil Bauer), Shedaresthedevil (Brad Cox).
*$350,000 Castle & Key Bourbon (G2), 2-year-olds, 1 1/16 miles (turf): Boppy O (Mark Casse), Gigante (Steve Asmussen), Good Heart (Brendan Walsh), Mendel’s Secret (Mike Maker), Oscar Award (John Ortiz), Really Good (Maker), Reckoning Force (Brendan Walsh), Red Route One (Asmussen).
*$250,000 Indian Summer (L) Presented Good Heart by Keeneland Select, 2-year-olds, 5½ furlongs (turf): Danse Macabre (Kelsey Danner), No Kay Never (IRE) (Wesley Ward), No Nay Hudson (IRE) (Ward), Private Creed (Steve Asmussen).
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Keeneland Press Release
Photo: Juju’s Map wins the Alcibiades (G1) at Keeneland, (Courtesy of Keeneland)
