Keeneland stakes: Jouster rolls to Appalachian win for Pletcher

Lexington, Ky.

Trainer Todd Pletcher looks like he will have a top turf filly for the New York summer in Jouster, clear winner of Saturday’s Grade 2, $200,000 Appalachian Stakes at Keeneland.

The 3-year-old Noble Mission filly was a maiden and allowance winner during Gulfstream Park’s winter meet. She entered off a second-place run last month in Tampa Bay Downs’ Florida Oaks (G3), her stakes debut.

Racing in the one-mile Appalachian, Jouster got out to an uncontested lead from the inside post under jockey Luis Saez. She strolled through fractions of 24.82 and 42.97 while never less than a length clear of second-place Saranya.

Saez gave Jouster a shoulder tap in the stretch and she crossed the wire 1½ lengths clear of runner-up Gift List. Plum Ali was third in her first start since finishing fifth last November in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf.

“The speed hadn’t really been holding with these turf races the last two days,” said Jack Wolf of owner Starlight Racing. “Luis slowed her down and she got to relax and ran away from them.”

Jouster could reappear April 30 at Churchill Downs in the $300,000 Edgewood Stakes (G2). She is also a likely prospect for the New York Racing Association’s Turf Tiara series: the $700,000 Belmont Oaks (G1) on July 10, the $700,000 Saratoga Oaks on Aug. 8 and the $700,000 Jockey Club Oaks this fall back at Belmont.

“With her pedigree, you’d think she can go further,” Wolf said. “Hopefully these New York races with the big pots is what we’d be shooting for.”

Flagstaff back in winner’s circle with Commonwealth score

Flagstaff snapped a six-race scoreless streak Saturday when rallying to take the $200,000 Commonwealth Stakes (G3). The 7-year-old covered seven furlongs from the inside post in 1:21.84 under jockey Joel Rosario, returning $5.80 as the 19-10 favorite.

John Sadler trains Flagstaff, a Speightstown gelding who improved to 18: 6-6-3 for his career. A partnership of Lane’s End Racing and Hronis Racing serve as owners.

Flagstaff’s previous victory came last March at Santa Anita in the San Carlos Stakes (G2). He raced in six stakes between that win and Saturday, never winning but never finishing worse than fourth.

The Commonwealth drew a field of seven 4-and-up runners. Allowance winner Special Reserve set fractions of 22.98 and 45.97, chased by long shot Bango, while Flagstaff sat mid-pack.

Flagstaff raced along the four-path and tipped out wider in the upper stretch. He drove on over Rosario to take command and score by 1¼ lengths over Special Reserve, with Attachment Rate third.

“When you have the one post, you either send him or you don’t, and it looked like (Joel) was sending him in the beginning and maybe the horse just got outfooted a little bit,” said Bill Farish of Lane’s End Racing. “But when he swung him outside, he really made a great run.

“It’s really fun to have an older gelding like him. He just keeps coming on big days and winning big races, and it’s a lot of fun for everybody involved.”

Hidden Scroll went off as the 2-1 second choice for trainer Brad Cox but came up empty down the lane and finished last of seven. The official chart notes that he was “irritable early” and later bled.

Bound for Nowhere scores 2nd Shakertown triumph

Trainer Wesley Ward started the 2021 Keeneland spring meet Friday with a pair of stakes wins and continued his good fortunes Saturday as Bound for Nowhere took the $200,000 Shakertown Stakes (G2).

Bound for Nowhere won the 2018 Shakertown, then finished second in the race’s 2019 running and third a year ago. Saturday marked his first start since last July’s edition of the event.

Ward also owns the 7-year-old son of The Factor, whose career also includes a Kentucky Downs stakes win and three trips to Royal Ascot.

Bound for Nowhere’s win marked the second of four straight that Rosario recorded on Keeneland’s Saturday card. Rosario and Ward teamed up for another score two races later in the $300,000 Madison Stakes (G1) with Kimari.

“(Rosario) is very patient, we call him a cool sitter and a go-getter,” Ward said. “He’s unbelievable. He sits back there and rides with a lot of confidence as he did for Mr. Ramsey yesterday in that race (Chasing Artie in the Palisades Turf Sprint).

“Horses just run for him, he’s got beautiful hands and very patient, and you can never count him out – turning for home here he comes.”

The 2021 Shakertown came down to a duel between Bound for Nowhere and Imprimis, the 2019 Shakertown hero. Bound for Nowhere flew up from ninth to hit the wire a nose in front of Imprimis.

Bound for Nowhere covered 5½ furlongs in 1:02.19 and paid $6.60 as the 5-2 favorite. The Critical Way finished third behind the top two.