Keeneland's Friday undercard packs Triple Crown intrigue
Keeneland's star-studded stakes lineup will grab most of the attention this weekend in Kentucky, but an undercard allowance race Friday afternoon is worth noting for its possible effect on the Triple Crown trail.
While it might be too late for the Kentucky Derby, select contenders in the eighth race, a $75,000 allowance for non-winners of two races, could use it as a springboard to the Preakness or Belmont Stakes.
The headliners are Todd Pletcher-trained debut winner Intrepid Heart, 3-1 on the morning line, and Chad Brown's U S Navy Cross at 7-2.
A son of Tapit and half-brother to the Belmont Stakes runner-up Commissioner, Intrepid Heart comes in off a 7 3/4-length debut victory Feb. 18 at Oaklawn Park. Jockey John Velazquez will be aboard.
Pletcher has mentioned this one for the Belmont, with the local Peter Pan (G2) an option in between.
Jose Ortiz rides U S Navy Cross, who enters off a layoff having finished fourth last time in Aqueduct's Nov. 4 Nashua Stakes (G3). The son of Curlin broke his maiden impressively before that, winning easily on Sept. 29 at Belmont Park.
Those two lead a field of 11, which includes a number of others who have already tried the Kentucky Derby trail.
Steve Asmussen-trained Gun It, the $2.6 million yearling, returns off a 12th-place finish in the Risen Star (G2) at Fair Grounds. He's 8-1 on the morning line.
Boasting a bit more experience is Dallas Stewart trainee Frolic More, a 12-1 shot who last finished 14th in the Risen Star. The More Than Ready colt, who sold for just $25,000 as a 2-year-old, has six starts in his career, finishing on the board in four of those.
Kenny McPeek-trained Curlin Grey went into the Jeff Ruby Steaks (G3) highly regarded at Turfway Park, finishing ninth. Come On Gerry, for the familiar connections of Dale Romans and Albaugh Family Stable, is also back in the entries for the first time since an eighth-place finish in the Holy Bull (G2).
Post time for Friday's 1 1/16-mile race is 4:57 p.m. ET.