Oscar Performance Tops Transylvania Field
Amerman Racing Stables’ Oscar Performance, winner of the 2016 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf (G1) at Santa Anita in his most recent start, heads a field of nine 3-year-olds entered Monday for Friday’s 29th running of the $150,000 Transylvania (G3) Presented by Keeneland Select.
The 1 1/16-mile turf test is the first of 16 stakes during Keeneland’s 15-day Spring Meet that runs through April 28 and serves as the opening-day feature. The Transylvania will go as the ninth race on the 10-race program with a 5:30 p.m. ET post time. First post time daily is 1:05 p.m.
Trained by Brian Lynch, Oscar Performance has won three of four career starts for a resume that also includes a victory in the Pilgrim (G3) at Belmont Park in October. Jose Ortiz will have the mount and break from post position four.
Two horses that chased Oscar Performance in the Breeders’ Cup will try again: fourth-place finisher Ticonderoga and fifth-place finisher Big Score.
Woodford Racing’s Ticonderoga, second in the Dixiana Bourbon (G3) here last fall, won the Palm Beach (G3) at Gulfstream Park on March 4 in his 2017 debut. Trained by Chad Brown, who won the 2015 Transylvania with Night Prowler, Ticonderoga will break from post position five and be ridden by Joel Rosario.
George Krikorian’s Big Score, trained by Tim Yakteen, has not raced since the Breeders’ Cup. A winner of two of four career starts, including a triumph in the Zuma Beach at Santa Anita in October, Big Score will break from post position three and be ridden by Javier Castellano.
The field for the Transylvania, from the rail out, is: Profiteer (John Velazquez, 120 pounds), Makarios (Nik Juarez, 118), Big Score (Castellano, 123), Oscar Performance (Ortiz, 123), Ticonderoga (Rosario, 120), Sonic Boom (Julien Leparoux, 120), Dahog (Arienne Cox, 123), Cowboy Culture (Florent Geroux, 118) and Holiday Stone (Luis Saez, 118).
OPENING WEEKEND PROBABLE STAKES FIELDS
$1,000,000 TOYOTA BLUE GRASS (G2) (Entries close Tuesday; Race Saturday, April 8) – Irap (Doug O’Neill), It’s Your Nickel (Kenny McPeek), J Boys Echo (Dale Romans), McCraken (Ian Wilkes), Practical Joke (Chad Brown), Tapwrit (Todd Pletcher), Wild Shot (Rusty Arnold).
$500,000 CENTRAL BANK ASHLAND (G1) (Entries close Tuesday; Race Saturday, April 8) – Daddys Lil Darling (Kenny McPeek), Elate (Bill Mott), Pretty City Dancer (Mark Casse), Summer Luck (Casse). Possible: Princess Karen (Jeff Bonde), Tapa Tapa Tapa (Tim Hamm).
$300,000 MADISON (G1) (Entries close Tuesday; Race Saturday, April 8) – Clothes Fall Off (Kiaran McLaughlin), Constellation (Jerry Hollendorfer), High Ridge Road (Linda Rice), Kathballu (Kenny McPeek), Mines and Magic (Vicky Oliver), Paid Up Subscriber (Chad Brown), Paulassilverlining (Brown), Wheatfield (Danny Pish).
$250,000 COMMONWEALTH (G3) (Entries close Tuesday; Race Saturday, April 8) – A. P. Indian (Arnaud Delacour), Awesome Slew (Mark Casse), Cautious Giant (Kristen Mulhall), Fish Trappe Road (Bret Calhoun), Limousine Liberal (Ben Colebrook), Redesdale (Brendan Walsh), Riding in the Wind (Jose Lopez), Seeking the Soul (Dallas Stewart), Tale of S’avall (Barclay Tagg), Yockey’s Warrior (Al Stall Jr.).
$200,000 SHAKERTOWN (G2) (Entries close Tuesday; Race Saturday, April 8) – Blue Wings (Patrick Huffman), Green Mask (Brad Cox), Hogy (Scott Becker), Holding Gold (Mark Casse), Mongolian Saturday (Enebish Ganbat), Rainbow Heir (Jason Servis).
$150,000 ADENA SPRINGS BEAUMONT (G3) (Entries close Thursday; Race Sunday, April 9) – Dancing Rags (Graham Motion), Laney (Eddie Kenneally), My Miss Chiff (Al Stall Jr.), Promises Broken (Phil Simms), Sweet Loretta (Todd Pletcher), Tapped (Jerry Hollendorfer). Possible: Sounds Delicious (Linda Rice).
Source: Keeneland Association