Elate attempts to win the Ashland for Claiborne Farm

Sixty-one years ago, Claiborne Farm of Paris, Kentucky, won the Ashland (now the $500,000 Central Bank Ashland-G1) with homebred Doubledogdare. The victory marked one of four Keeneland victories for Doubledogdare, who won the 1955 Alcibiades (now the $400,000 Darley Alcibiades-G1) and would return during the 1956 Fall Meet to win the Spinster (now the $500,000 Juddmonte Spinster-G1). Doubledogdare, the champion filly at 2 and 3, is the namesake of Keeneland’s Hilliard Lyons Doubledogdare (G3), to be run April 21.

On Saturday, Elate will attempt to win the Central Bank Ashland for Claiborne Farm, which co-bred and co-owns the Medaglia d’Oro filly with Adele B. Dilschneider. The race marks the third start of the year for Elate, second in the Suncoast at Tampa Bay Downs on Feb. 11 and third in the Honeybee (G3) at Oaklawn on March 11.

“The timing was right, and the owners live near here and they’d love to see her run here,” trainer Bill Mott, who won the 2013 Central Bank Ashland with Emollient, said about running Elate in the race. “She’s had two races now this year, and she seems to be doing well. I’m happy with her.”

Elate is out of stakes winner Cheery, by Distorted Humor, and her second dam is  multiple graded stakes winner Yell, who won Keeneland’s 2003 Raven Run (G3) for Claiborne and Dilschneider. With Yell’s win in that race, Claiborne became the first recipient of the Keeneland Bowl, which at the time was the highest honor in the track’s unique Milestone Trophy Program that recognizes owners for their stakes success here. (William S. Farish became the second Gold Bowl recipient during the 2016 Fall Meet.)

Claiborne President Walker Hancock agreed with Mott’s assessment.

“We love running at Keeneland,” he said. “This is a logical spot. It has produced the last two (Kentucky) Oaks (G1) winners, and we’re hoping it does the same for us.”

In 2015, Lovely Maria won the Central Bank Ashland and captured the Oaks. Last year, third-place finisher Cathryn Sophia returned to win the Oaks.

Kenny McPeek is one of six trainers who have won the Toyota Blue Grass (G2) and Central Bank Ashland (G1) in the same year. In a little more than a half-hour on Saturday, he could become the first trainer to repeat the feat Saturday if Daddys Lil Darling wins the $500,000 Central Bank Ashland and It’s Your Nickel takes the $1 million Toyota Blue Grass.

In 2002, McPeek took both races when Harlan’s Holiday won the Toyota Blue Grass and Take Charge Lady captured the Central Bank Ashland (when the two races were a week apart; the Toyota Blue Grass was moved to opening Saturday, the day of the Central Bank Ashland, in 2015). McPeek also won the Toyota Blue Grass in 2013 with Java’s War and the 2014 Central Bank Ashland with dead-heat winner Rosalind.

It’s Your Nickel, a colt by Dialed In, is owned by Harold Lerner, AWC Stables, Nehoc Stables and Magdalena Racing.

Daddys Lil Darling is a homebred racing for Nancy Polk’s Normandy Farm.

On Thursday morning, It’s Your Nickel galloped 1¼ miles with exercise rider Pablo Portes aboard for McPeek.

Calumet Farm’s Wild Shot was one of the first horses on the main track, galloping over the sealed surface at 5:30 a.m. with Jozefat Calvo aboard.

“It wouldn’t bother me to see it like this Saturday,” trainer Rusty Arnold said of the damp conditions. “He loves the mud.”

Tampa Bay Derby (G2) winner Tapwrit galloped 1¼ miles under Romain Techer for trainer Todd Pletcher before a light drizzle began at 6:30 a.m.

“I want to get him out before it got too bad,” said Ginny DePasquale, the Pletcher assistant who is overseeing the Keeneland string.

Owned by Bridlewood Farm, Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners and Robert LaPenta, Tapwrit schooled in the Paddock Wednesday morning to the satisfaction of DePasquale, who said Pletcher is scheduled to be here for the race Saturday.

Whitham Thoroughbreds’ morning-line favorite, McCraken, galloped 1½ miles on the main track at 8 a.m. with Yoni Orantes aboard for trainer Ian Wilkes.

Not long after that, Klaravich Stables and William H. Lawrence’s Practical Joke, with Fernando Rivera aboard, visited the Paddock and galloped about 1 3/8 miles for trainer Chad Brown.