Fayette Concludes Keeneland Meet

As Keeneland concludes its fifth fall meet with Polytrack as the main racing surface, the general consensus is that horses with established synthetic form tend to have an edge, although grass horses also fare well on Poly. These handicapping tenets will be mixed and matched to their limits Saturday when the $150,000 Fayette Stakes helps to close the 17-day fall meet.

Stately Victor and Exhi, both heretofore standouts on Poly, are among the 10 3-year-olds and upward in the 52nd running of the Grade 2 Fayette, a 1 1/8-mile fixture that also drew several other horses who have known synthetic success, including Dubious Miss, winner of the Grade 3 Ben Ali here last spring. Moreover, the field includes Battle of Hastings, whose $1.2 million bankroll was earned primarily on turf, and Boots Ahead and Cherokee Artist, both of whom have run the occasional huge race on grass.

Stately Victor, trained by Mike Maker, ran sensationally over the Poly in capturing the Grade 1 Blue Grass Stakes at 40-1 here in the spring. After three failed efforts on other surfaces versus elite 3-year-old company, the colt returned to Polytrack at Woodbine, blowing away the opposition in the Sept. 25 Ontario Derby.