Dancing Rags will makes her 2017 debut in Beaumont
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Chadds Ford Stable’s Dancing Rags, winner of last fall’s Darley Alcibiades (G1) at Keeneland, will make her 2017 debut Sunday when she faces six rivals in the 32nd running of the $150,000 Adena Springs Beaumont (G3) for 3-year-old fillies.
Run over the Beard Course of 7 furlongs, 184 feet, the Adena Springs Beaumont will go as the eighth race on Sunday’s nine-race program with a 4:57 p.m. ET post time. First post time is 1:05 p.m.
The Adena Springs Beaumont is the final qualifying race in Kentucky for fillies looking to move on to the $1 million Kentucky Oaks (G1) on May 5 at Churchill Downs. A total of 17 points are available in the Adena Springs Beaumont on a 10-4-2-1 scale for the first- through fourth-place finishers.
Trained by Graham Motion, Dancing Rags will be making her first start since finishing eighth in the 14 Hands Winery Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1) at Santa Anita in November. Angel Cruz, who rode her in the Darley Alicibiades, has the mount and will break from post position five.
Also returning to the races after finishing off the board in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies is St. Elias Stable’s Sweet Loretta.
Trained by Todd Pletcher, Sweet Loretta won her first three starts with her biggest victory coming in a dead heat with Pretty City Dancer in the Spinaway (G1) at Saratoga. Javier Castellano has the mount on Sweet Loretta, who will break from post position three. (Pretty City Dancer is entered in Saturday’s $500,000 Central Bank Ashland-G1 here.)
The field for the Adena Springs Beaumont, from the rail out, is: Laney (Julien Leparoux, 118 pounds), My Miss Chiff (Mitchell Murrill, 118), Sweet Loretta (Castellano, 123), Treble (Jose Ortiz, 118), Dancing Rags (Cruz, 123), Sine Wave (Florent Geroux, 118) and Promises Broken (Robby Albarado, 118).
TRAINER LINDA RICE HAS DIFFERENT HORSE BUT SAME GOAL IN MADISON
Trainer Linda Rice hopes a similar strategy will produce a similar result in Saturday’s Madison (G1).
She will send out Martin S. Schwartz’s High Ridge Road in the 7-furlong race for fillies and mares after winning the event with Princess Violet in 2015. In her most recent start, High Ridge Road captured the Barbara Fritchie (G2) at Laurel Park on Feb. 18. Two years ago, Rice used Princess Violet’s Barbara Fritchie runner-up performance as a steppingstone to her Madison score.
“High Ridge Road is actually better at a mile than she is at 7 furlongs, but we are hoping with the long stretch at Keeneland that she will do well in the Madison,” Rice said. “I also think she is much better around one turn than two turns.”
A remarkably consistent runner, High Ridge Road has been among the top three finishers in 10 of her 11 career starts that produced five victories and earnings of $413,900. The 5-year-old daughter of Quality Road is a graduate of Keeneland’s 2013 September Yearling Sale.
Rice said High Ridge Road, who arrived at Keeneland this past weekend, “has settled in nicely and we are really happy with the way things are going.” Here, she is under the supervision of Rice’s brother, Wayne, who serves as her exercise rider.
“I assist my sister whenever I can,” he said, “because it allows me to talk to her every day, which I enjoy.”
MONGOLIAN SATURDAY RETURNS TO KEENELAND FOR SHAKERTOWN
Saturday’s Shakertown (G2) will mark the 40th start for Mongolian Stable’s Mongolian Saturday, whose past two victories have both been at Keeneland. In October 2015, he won the Twin Spires Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint (G1). Last October, he won the Woodford (G3) Presented by Keeneland Select. The races are the only stakes victories of Mongolian Saturday’s career.
“He likes Keeneland, so he came back,” trainer Enebish Ganbat said about the 7-year-old gelding by Any Given Saturday, who has eight wins, earned $1,138,131 and raced in the U.S., Canada, England and Hong Kong.
Ninth in last year’s Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint at Santa Anita, Mongolian Saturday has made two starts this year at Gulfstream Park. He was 10th in the Gulfstream Park Turf Sprint on Jan. 28 and third in the March 11 Silks Run.
Jose Lezcano, who last rode Mongolian Saturday to a third-place finish in Gulfstream’s 2014 Caixa Electronica, will break from post six in the field of nine for the Shakertown. He is the 7-2 morning-line second choice. The 3-1 morning line favorite is Grade 3 winner Rainbow Heir, who was second, ahead of Mongolian Saturday, in the Gulfstream Park Turf Sprint.
The Shakertown also includes William Stiritz’s Hogy, who set a Fair Grounds course record for about 5½ furlongs when he won the Colonel Power on Feb. 25. Hogy was second to Mongolian Saturday in the Woodford.
AMI’S FLATTER LOOKS FOR COMMONWEALTH REPEAT
Ami’s Flatter, winner of last year’s Commonwealth (G3), has returned to Keeneland in search of another victory in the 7-furlong race on Saturday. The only runner to accomplish the double is Black Tie Affair (IRE), who won the race for a second time in 1991 en route to Horse of the Year honors.
“He seems to really like the Keeneland track,” trainer Josie Carroll said of the 5-year-old son of Flatter. “He gets across it really, really well.”
In his only other Keeneland start, Ami’s Flatter was third in the Stoll Keenan Ogden Phoenix (G2) at six furlongs in October.
“The Phoenix was a short race for him and he finished up strongly,” Carroll said. “The Commonwealth is a very good distance for him. It is a pretty strong field this year, but hopefully we can take the race to those good horses.”
In 16 starts, Ami’s Flatter has three wins and earnings of $524,431 for Ivan Dalos, who bred him under his Tall Oaks Farm banner. Dalos also is the breeder of the horse’s dam, Galloping Ami, and maternal grandam, Secret Ami. The use of “Ami” (pronounced “Emmy”) in their names traces to third dam Sybelle Ami.
KEENELAND GRAPHICS PACKAGE HAS NEW LOOK
Since Keeneland’s 2008 Fall Meet, the track’s TV signal has had graphics to display tote information at the track and at simulcast facilities around the world. That graphics package has been revamped for the 2017 Spring Meet, which opens tomorrow.
“The new look places an emphasis on featuring the Thoroughbreds in the Paddock and on the track and giving viewers an even greater appreciation of Keeneland while displaying wagering information in a modern, easy-to-read format,” Director of Broadcast Services G. D. Hieronymus said.
Keeneland is a seven-time winner of the Thoroughbred Racing Association’s International Simulcast Award, which honors racing’s best simulcast production.
BEST TURNED OUT AWARDS DEBUT ON ADENA SPRINGS BEAUMONT DAY
On selected days during Keeneland’s 2017 Spring Meet, the grooms of racehorses determined to have the best overall appearance in the Saddling Paddock will be recognized in a special ceremony before each race as part of the Best Turned Out Awards. The grooms will receive cash prizes ranging from $300 to $500.
On Sunday, representatives of Adena Springs, which sponsors the Beaumont (G3), will select horses in separate races throughout the day.
“Judges like to see horses with shiny hair, flowing tails and tidy manes and grooms wearing neat clothing,” Keeneland Sponsorship Director Bonnie Senft said. “The Best Turned Out Awards give Keeneland and our sponsors the opportunity to recognize the efforts of the grooms who work so hard with these horses every day.”
Best Turned Out Awards also will be presented on Saturday, April 15, by Coolmore and Stonestreet and on Saturday, April 22, by Dixiana.
PROBABLE STARTERS FOR UPCOMING STAKES
$125,000 APPALACHIAN (G3) PRESENTED BY JAPAN RACING ASSOCIATION (Entries taken Sunday, April 9; race Thursday, April 13) – Coasted (trainer Leah Gyarmati), Dream Dancing (Mark Casse), Journey Home (Graham Motion), Lull (Christophe Clement), Morticia (Rusty Arnold), New Money Honey (Chad Brown), Proctor’s Ledge (Brendan Walsh), Purely a Dream (Kenny McPeek), Viva Vegas (Derek Ryan).
$300,000 MAKER’S 46 MILE (G1) (Entries taken Tuesday, April 11; race Friday April 14) – American Patriot (Todd Pletcher), Bal a Bali (BRZ) (Richard Mandella), Blacktype (FR) (Christophe Clement), Bondurant (Ian Wilkes), Heart to Heart (Brian Lynch), Inspector Lynley (Shug McGaughey), What a View (Kenny Black). Possible: Bolo (Carla Gaines).
$350,000 COOLMORE JENNY WILEY (G1) (Entries taken Wednesday, April 12; race Saturday, April 15) – Catch a Glimpse (Mark Casse), Dickinson (Kiaran McLaughlin), Goodyearforroses (IRE) (Richard Baltas), Illuminant (Michael McCarthy), Kitten’s Roar (Mike Maker), Lady Eli (Chad Brown), Quidura (GB) (Graham Motion), Time and Motion (James Toner).
$200,000 STONESTREET LEXINGTON (G3) (Entries taken Wednesday, April 12; race Saturday, April 15) – Convict Pike (Rusty Arnold), Resiliency (Steve Asmussen), Time to Travel (Michael Matz). Possible: No Dozing (Arnaud Delacour).
$200,000 BEN ALI (G3) (Entries taken Wednesday, April 12; race Saturday, April 15) – Bird Song (Ian Wilkes), Scuba (Brendan Walsh), Watershed (Kiaran McLaughlin).
$100,000 GIANT’S CAUSEWAY (Entries taken Wednesday, April 12, race Saturday, April 15) – Bibby (Vicky Oliver), Exaggerated (Arnold Delacour), Her Love for Pappy (John Ortiz), Lady Aurelia (Wesley Ward), Lajatico (GB) (Doug O’Neill), Miss Katie Mae (IRE) (Graham Motion), Nobody’s Fault (Neil Pessin), Pretty Perfection (Kelly Breen).
Source: Keeneland Association
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