Keeneland news: Hotshot Anna has 'rateable speed' for Franklin County
Hugh Robertson’s Hotshot Anna has been a model of high-quality consistency in her past 10 starts dating back to April 2018 with seven wins and three second-place finishes. She brings that form into Friday’s Grade 3, $150,000 Buffalo Trace Franklin County at Keeneland.
“She gets here today from Hawthorne,” trainer Mac Robertson said Thursday, the day before he saddles the 5-year-old mare for his father on Friday for the 5½-furlong grass test.
Hotshot Anna has done the bulk of her damage in those 10 starts on all-weather surfaces and in her most recent start she scored her second consecutive victory in the Presque Isle Downs Masters (G2).
“She has been turned out a couple of times and came back better each time,” Mac Robertson said. “She has tremendous rateable speed and that makes her (a strong contender). If they go too slow, she will be breathing down their necks. They go too fast, she can sit four or five lengths off the pace.”
The Buffalo Trace Franklin County will mark the Keeneland debut for Hotshot Anna.
“Dad was thinking about running her on the dirt here, but we had (multiple graded stakes-placed) Amy’s Challenge ready to roll at the time and that was that,” Robertson said.
Hotshot Anna is cataloged to the Book 1 opening session of Keeneland’s November Breeding Stock Sale on Wednesday, Nov. 6. Taylor Made Sales Agency, agent, is consigning the mare as a broodmare prospect.
APPRENTICE JOCKEY ELLO EAGER FOR FIRST CAREER VICTORY
After completing his studies at the North American Racing Academy in Lexington and honing his skills as an exercise rider, Jerick Ello began his jockey career last month at Ellis Park. On Wednesday he finished eighth in Keeneland’s fourth race in his second career start.
At 40-1, Ello’s mount, Marion County Farm’s Miss Perfecta trained by Tracey Glover, was last early before he steered her past rivals to finish four lengths behind the winner. Ello’s face was covered in mud but he was all smiles after the race.
“It was amazing,” Ello said of the experience. “There were so many people out watching and I could feel the energy. It was fun to be at this level and riding with really good riders.”
Ello compared race riding to his previous profession as an Army paratrooper.
“You still get the same adrenaline rush and once you go through it you think, ‘Wow this is amazing,’ ” he said.
On Friday, Ello has his next chance to feel the energy of guiding a winner. He is scheduled to ride William Jackson’s Inmyfathersimage for trainer Christopher Jackson in the 10th race.
GALLOPING OUT
A racing rarity occurred twice Wednesday, thanks to Anthony Stephen. He rode two horses he also trains: Sea Shark in the first race and Babeswildweekend in the eighth race. Both horses finished sixth.