Recepta Makes 2014 Debut in Appalachian

Three years ago, trainer Jimmy Toner used Keeneland’s Appalachian Stakes as the launching point for the 3-year-old campaign for Winter Memories.

On Thursday, Toner will follow the same path with Recepta, who makes her 2014 debut in the 26th running of the $100,000 Appalachian (G3) Presented by Japan Racing Association at a mile on the turf.

“She is doing great and we are following the same program we did with Winter Memories,” Toner said. “Recepta has a lot of quality and ability, but we don’t know how deep that is. With Winter Memories we knew.”

Winter Memories did all of her racing on the grass and won eight of 12 starts. Seven of her wins were in graded stakes.

Recepta, a 3-year-old daughter of Speightstown, closed her 2013 campaign with a victory in the Chelsea Flower at Belmont on Oct. 27.

“Her one race on turf was very impressive,” Toner said. “We wanted to give her time to prepare for this year and we are looking forward to running her this year.”

Joel Rosario will be aboard for the first time Thursday and break from post position one in the 12-horse field.

Phillips Racing Partnership, which owns Recepta with Pam Gartin, will be going for a stakes double this week with homebred Moment in Dixie in Friday’s 20th running of the $100,000 Hilliard Lyons Doubledogdare (G3) at 1 1/16 miles on the main track.

Moment in Dixie comes into Friday’s race off a nearly three-month layoff.

“She is doing well,’’ Toner said of the 5-year-old Dixieland Band mare. “Gulfstream Park is a hard place to run because that course is not her forte.

“Her last race at Tampa (fourth in the Grade 3 Endeavor on Jan. 25), I was initially disappointed but Graham Motion’s horse (Cloud Scapes) came right back to win the Hillsborough (G3). Moment in Dixie was fourth beaten 2¾ lengths, so we decided to wait for here.”