Modern Games leads Makers' Mark Mile in Keeneland encore

Godolphin’s champion and two-time Breeders’ Cup winner Modern Games leads a field of eight 4-year-olds and up entered Tuesday for Friday’s 35th running of the Grade 1, $600,000 Maker’s Mark Mile on the Keeneland turf course.

The Maker’s Mark Mile will go as the ninth race on Friday’s 10-race program with a 5:16 p.m. EDT post time. First post on Friday is 1 p.m.

Trained by Charlie Appleby, Modern Games arrived at Keeneland Saturday to return to where he finished his 2022 campaign with a victory as the 6-5 favorite in a field of 14 in the Breeders’ Cup Mile on Nov. 5 in his most recent start.

This is the fourth trip to North America for Modern Games, who has taken home the first-place check in all of his previous ventures. As a 2-year-old, he won the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf at Del Mar and last year dominated the Woodbine Mile (G1) in Canada.

An earner of more than $3 million and last year's champion turf male, Modern Games will be ridden Friday by William Buick and break from post 7.

Among his rivals are Grade 1 winners Speaking Scout and In Love.

Speaking Scout won the Hollywood Derby (G1) at Del Mar to close his 2022 campaign and opened 2023 with a third-place finish in the Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational (G1) at Gulfstream Park.

Trained by Graham Motion, Speaking Scout will be ridden by Luis Saez and break from post position one. Speaking Scout worked a half-mile at Keeneland on Monday in :49.20 on the main track.

In Love won the Keeneland Turf Mile (G1) in 2021 for trainer Paulo Lobo. In Love will be ridden Friday by Vincent Cheminaud and break from post 6.

Making his U.S. stakes debut for owner Peter Brant and trainer Chad Brown is Dr Zempf.

A group winner last year in Ireland, Dr Zempf was an easy allowance winner at Gulfstream on March 10. Tyler Gaffalione has the mount on Dr Zempf, who will break from post 5.

Brant and Brown teamed up to win the 2021 Maker’s Mark Mile with Raging Bull.