Keep Quiet holds off Ticonderoga's late charge in Bourbon

Trained by Mark Casse and ridden by Florent Geroux. Keep Quiet held off a late charge from favored Ticonderoga to win the Dixiana Bourbon by 1 1/4 lengths.

Casse earned his second consecutive victory in the race having scored with Airoforce last year. Only Todd Pletcher had completed the consecutive double previously, winning with Bittel Road in 2008 and Interactif in 2009.

Keep Quiet sat just in back of dueling leaders All Right and Cold Snack Thirty until pouncing at the head of the stretch to put away All Right and shrug off a challenge from Royal by Nature (IRE) at the eighth pole before kicking clear. Keep Quiet covered the 1 1/16 miles over a firm turf course in 1:44.92.

The victory was worth $150,000 to Keep Quiet, a son of Elusive City out of the Sillery mare Luminosity (GB). Keep Quiet has won two of five starts for earnings of $243,550.

Keep Quiet returned $10, $4 and $3.40. Ticonderoga, ridden by Javier Castellano, returned $2.80 and $2.40 and finished a half-length in front of Bird’s Eye View who rallied for third under Robby Albarado and paid $7.40 to show.

Royal by Nature finished another neck back in fourth and was followed in order by Artful Union, Heaven Is Waiting, Hembree, Hot Dad, All Right, Prados Way, Real Creel, Ancient Warfare, Unbridled Eagle and Cold Snack Thirty.

Racing resumes Wednesday with an eight-race program highlighted by the $150,000 JPMorgan Chase Jessamine (G3) for 2-year-old fillies going 1 1/16 miles on the turf and a “Win and You’re In” challenge race for the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (G1) to be run Nov. 4 at Santa Anita. First post time Wednesday is 1:05 p.m. ET.

Source: Keeneland Association