Nikki's Sandcastle Expected to Enter Ben Ali

The two most recent races by Richard Sherman’s homebred Nikki’s Sandcastle on Keeneland’s Polytrack were wildly successful with a victory in the Fayette (G2) during the 2013 Fall Meet and a runner-up finish in the same race the year before.

On Saturday, the 7-year-old Nikki’s Sandcastle will try to continue that run with an expected start in the 84th running of the $150,000 Ben Ali (G3) at 1 1/8 miles on the main track.

Coming from Florida, Nikki’s Sandcastle worked here last Wednesday (:49.80 for a half-mile) and had a strong gallop Tuesday morning as trainer Dave Kassen opted to pass on a scheduled work in the snowy conditions.

In his most recent race, Nikki’s Sandcastle finished fourth in the Skip Away (G3) on dirt at Gulfstream on March 29.

“He’s doing pretty good,” Kassen said. “I passed on running him on the turf because that course was so chewed up to run on dirt. He didn’t run well and didn’t get a good trip. He is good on the Poly and turf, but I thought he would do better on dirt.”

Nikki’s Sandcastle had two grass starts this winter at Gulfstream following the Fayette victory. In those races, he was third in the Fort Lauderdale (G2) and fifth in the Gulfstream Park Turf Handicap (G1).

“I thought he should have won that Grade 1 on the turf,” Kassen said. “He was covered up behind horses and did not get out until the eighth pole and he only got beat three lengths.”