Keeneland: Manny Wah, Delight earn Breeders' Cup bids
Manny Wah rallied along the rail to catch Long Range Toddy in the shadow of the wire to win the 170th running of the Grade 2, $350,000 Phoenix Stakes by a neck.
Trained by Wayne Catalano and ridden by Corey Lanerie, Manny Wah covered the 6 furlongs on the fast main track in 1:10.31.Click here for Keeneland entries and results.
With the victory, the Susan Moulton owned 6-year-old earned a spot in the starting gate for the $2 million Breeders’ Cup Sprint to be run here Nov. 5. Catalano won the race last year at Del Mar with Aloha West.
Defending champion Special Reserve and Top Gunner dueled for the early lead through fractions of 22.08 seconds and 44.75 seconds as Manny Wah raced at the back of the eight-horse field. At the top of the stretch, Top Gunner took over and opened a daylight advantage while drifting toward the middle of the track.
With room to the inside, Long Range Toddy mounted the first challenge while to his inside Manny Wah was angling between Long Range Toddy and Baytown Bear for a clear path to the finish.
The victory was worth $208,863 and increased Manny Wah’s earnings to $791,355 with a record of 34-5-9-6. It is the first graded stakes win for Manny Wah, a Kentucky-bred son of Will Take Charge out of the Proud Citizen mare Battlefield Angel.
Manny Wah returned $37.14, $11.88 and $6.96. Long Range Toddy, ridden by Paco Lopez, returned $16.14 and $8.14 and finished a neck in front of Top Gunner, who paid $6.48 to show under Rey Gutierrez.
Favored Sibelius finished another 1½ lengths back in fourth and was followed in order by Baytown Bear, Necker Island, Sir Alfred James and Special Reserve.
Delight delights in Jessamine
Delight lived up to her favoritism by romping to a five-length victory in the 32nd running of the Grade 2, $350,000 Jessamine (G2) on Friday at Keeneland.
Trained by Jonathan Thomas and ridden by Luis Saez, the Augustin Stable-owned filly covered the 1 1/16 miles on the firm turf course in 1:44.14. The victory gave Thomas his first Keeneland stakes triumph.
With the victory, Delight earned a spot in the starting gate for the $1 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf at Keeneland on Nov. 4.
Delight grabbed the lead entering the first turn and opened a clear advantage into the backstretch over Bling, taking the field of 12 through fractions of :24.32, :49.61 and 1:14.73. Bling was still off the leader’s flank at the top of the stretch when Saez hit the gas and Delight quickly spurted clear.
A Keeneland sales graduate, Delight is a Florida-bred daughter of Mendelssohn out of the Medaglia d’Oro mare Honey Trap. The victory was worth $169,725 and increased Delight’s earnings to $211,905 with a record of 4-2-0-2.
Delight returned $9.68, $5.52 and $3.92. Knockyoursocksoff, who hopped at the start and spotted the field several lengths, rallied for second under Flavien Prat and returned $6.48 and $4.58. Bling, ridden by Rafael Bejarano, was another neck back in third and paid $7.44 to show.
It was another three-quarters of a length back to Sabalenka with C C Cruise Control, Dulcia, Happy Gal, Towhead, Blind Spot, Stephanie’s Charm, Recognize and Promise of Hope following in order.