Gyarmati Begins at Keeneland with Coasted in Appalachian

Leah Gyarmati has primarily divided her time between New York and Florida since she started training in 1999 and never has started a horse at Keeneland.

That will change Thursday when she sends the Treadway Racing Stable’s Coasted postward in the 29th running of the $125,000 Appalachian (G3) Presented by Japan Racing Association for 3-year-old fillies going a mile on the turf.

“I have been here for the sales,” Gyarmati said. “This is the first time on my own starting one, but I was here for Allen Jerkens with Silent Account when she won the Alcibiades (in 1985). I galloped her and Jimmy (Jerkens’ son) came to saddle her.”

A daughter of Tizway, Coasted has posted a 5-2-2-1 record on turf and finished second in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (G1) last November at Santa Anita.

“She has shown she can compete at this level,” Gyarmati said. “She ran well at Gulfstream (where she was second in the Grade 3 Herecomesthebride on March 4) and the timing was right for this race.”

Coasted worked an easy half-mile in :52.20 Sunday morning over the Keeneland turf.

“That was intentional,” Gyarmati said of the time of the work. “I wanted her to two-minute lick around there and then roll through the lane. She had a good work before that at Gulfstream (:59.63 for 5 furlongs on the dirt), but that was the day after the Florida Derby (G1) and the track was (still extremely fast).”

Coasted won the P.G. Johnson at Saratoga last September and then finished third behind Appalachian rival New Money Honey in the Miss Grillo (G3) over a yielding course.

“She’s never really run a clunker, but that day at Belmont it had rained, the course was soft and her race was not as impressive as her others,” Gyarmati said. “The course yesterday was a little soft. I hope we don’t get a lot of rain (which is forecast for Tuesday), but that is something you can’t control.”

Source: Keeneland Association