Bendable back at Keeneland for second attempt in TCA

Claiborne Farm’s Bendable is back at Keeneland for her second attempt in the $250,000 Thoroughbred Club of America (G2), a race in which she was third last year. The 6-furlong stakes, to be run Saturday, is a “Win and You’re In” event for the $1 million Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint (G1) Nov. 4 at Del Mar.

Bendable, who won the Beverly J. Lewis at Los Alamitos before traveling to Keeneland last year, came off a layoff to win the Desert Stormer (G3) at Santa Anita by 1½ lengths on June 18. In her most recent race, the 4-year-old filly by Horse Greeley was third in the Rancho Bernardo (G3) at Del Mar Aug. 13.

“She came back good,” trainer Richard Mandella said. “A little disappointing at Del Mar last time, but she acts good now.”

Bendable, who shipped to Keeneland Wednesday, will face seven other fillies and mares in the Thoroughbred Club of America. She will be ridden by Javier Castellano.

“The difference of the purse, the prestige, and the ‘Win and You’re In,’ ” Mandella said about his reasoning for targeting Keeneland rather than staying on the West Coast. “(Breeders’ Cup) would be great, but first we’ve got work to do. This is the goal right now.”

Kelly’s Landing, who won the 2006 Phoenix Breeders’ Cup (G3) – now the $250,000 Stoll Keenon Ogden Phoenix (G2) being run today – banked nearly $2 million for his breeder, Summerplace Farm, and won 10 races, including three Keeneland races. He was trained most of his career by Eddie Kenneally.

Now 16, the gelding earrned a lifestyle that most humans can only dream about.

“He spends the summer at the Lally family’s Summerplace Farm in Lexington and he comes back to Keeneland in the fall and then goes to Florida with us for the winter,” Kenneally said. “He works the Keeneland race meet in the spring and then takes the summer off again.”

Keeneland is a home-away-from-home for Kelly’s Landing, who won an allowance race in 2004 in his second career start then won the aforementioned Phoenix and a 2008 allowance race at age 7. He closed his 27-race career, highlighted by his triumph in the 2007 Dubai Golden Shaheen (G1) in the United Arab Emirates, in 2009 with earnings of $1,853,831.

“He’s got it made,” Kenneally said. “The Lallys like to have him at their farm. He enjoys retirement there and he loves coming back to the track.”