Aikenite, Flashpoint Headline Phoenix Stakes
Dogwood Stable’s Aikenite, a daylight winner in his past two starts over the main track at Keeneland, heads a field of seven sprinters entered Tuesday morning for Friday’s 159th running of the $175,000 Stoll Keenon Ogden Phoenix (G3) at six furlongs.
The Stoll Keenon Ogden Phoenix, a “Win and You’re In” race for the Sentient Jet Breeders’ Cup Sprint (G1) to be run November 5 at Churchill Downs, will go as the eighth race on Friday’s 10-race card with a 5:13 p.m. (ET) post time. First post time Friday will be 1:15 p.m.
Stoll Keenon Ogden PLLC, one of Kentucky’s largest and most established law firms, is now the sponsor of the Phoenix. Stoll Keenon Ogden was instrumental in forming Keeneland in 1936, and two of the firm’s attorneys currently serve on Keeneland’s Board of Directors.
Trained by Todd Pletcher, Aikenite won this spring’s Commonwealth (G2) at seven furlongs by 2¼ lengths and will be seeking to join Golden Gear (1995) as the only horse to sweep the Commonwealth and Phoenix in the same year. Last fall at Keeneland, Aikenite won a seven-furlong allowance race by 5½ lengths. John Velazquez has the mount on Aikenite, who will break from post position six and carry top weight of 122 pounds.
Returning to face Aikenite is Robert and Lawana Low and Winmore, LLC’s Cool Bullet, who ran second in the Commonwealth. Trained by Steve Margolis, Cool Bullet will break from post position seven under 118 pounds and be ridden by Julien Leparoux.
Second high weight in the field is Peachtree Stable’s Flashpoint, who will carry 120 pounds and break from the rail under Cornelio Velasquez. Trained by Wesley Ward, Flashpoint won the Grade 2 Hutcheson in February at Gulfstream Park and enters the Stoll Keenon Ogden Phoenix off a fifth-place finish in the King’s Bishop (G1) at Saratoga on August 27.
The field for the Phoenix, from the rail out, is as follows: Flashpoint (Velasquez, 120 pounds), Southern Style (Gabriel Saez, 118), Hamazing Destiny (Robby Albarado, 118), Hoofit (NZ) (Edgar Prado, 118), Sterling Outlook (Garrett Gomez, 118), Aikenite (Velazquez, 122) and Cool Bullet (Leparoux, 118).