Ben Ali Includes Newsdad, Nikki's Sandcastle

James Karp’s Newsdad and Richard Sherman’s Nikki’s Sandcastle, winners of the past two runnings of the Fayette (G2) here, headline a field of 10 older runners entered Wednesday for Saturday’s 84th running of the $150,000 Ben Ali (G3) to be contested at 1 1/8 miles on the main track.

The Ben Ali will go as the eighth race on Saturday’s 10-race program with a 4:42 p.m. ET post time.

Trained by Bill Mott, Newsdad owns the Keeneland track record for 1¼ miles and enters the Ben Ali off his second victory in the Pan American (G2) at Gulfstream Park. Newsdad will break from post position 10 and be ridden by Joel Rosario.

Nikki’s Sandcastle, who finished second to Newsdad in the 2012 Fayette, is trained by Dave Kassan. The defending champion will break from post position three under Corey Lanerie.

The Ben Ali also marks the return to Keeneland of Joha, winner of the 2012 Dixiana Breeders’ Futurity (G1). Owned by Wade Wacker and now trained by Tom Albertrani, Joha will break from post position four and be ridden by Javier Castellano.

The field for the Ben Ali, from the rail out, is as follows: Norumbega (Shaun Bridgmohan, 118 pounds), Stealcase (Stewart Elliott, 118), Nikki’s Sandcastle (Lanerie, 123), Joha (Castellano, 118), Hattaash (Emmanuel Esquivel, 118), Winning Cause (Joe Rocco Jr., 118), Red Rifle (Robby Albarado, 118), Farhaan (Irad Ortiz Jr., 120), Frac Daddy (Alan Garcia, 118) and Newsdad (Rosario, 123).