Walsh sends The Lir Jet, Prevalence in Keeneland stakes

Trainer Brendan Walsh had a day for the ages last Saturday at Gulfstream Park, when he won three stakes.

This Saturday at Keeneland, he will attempt to score a training double when he saddles The Lir Jet in the 26th running of the $350,000 Shakertown (G2) and Prevalence in the 35th running of the Commonwealth (G3).

In the 5 1/2-furlong Shakertown, Qatar Racing and RacehorseClub’s The Lir Jet will face off with two-time Breeders’ Cup winner Golden Pal, a horse he defeated two summers ago at Royal Ascot in England in the Group 2 Norfolk. The Lir Jet joined Walsh’s barn last summer and won the Franklin-Simpson (G2) at Kentucky Downs in September in his most recent start.

“We gave him the winter off,” Walsh said. “I wanted to go to Dubai with him but he didn’t get invited, which surprised me because he’s a two-time Grade 2 winner.”

Tyler Gaffalione will be aboard Saturday and break from post 6.

“He ran a big one for us the first time out, and hopefully he will do it again,” Walsh said.

Godolphin’s Prevalence will be making his third start since coming off a nine-month layoff after an eighth-place finish in the Pat Day Mile (G2) on Kentucky Derby Day last year.

In the 7-furlong Commonwealth, Prevalence will break from post 10 under Gaffalione.

Prevalence won his first two starts last year before finishing sixth in the Wood Memorial (G2). Since that outing, Prevalence has been running one-turn races.

“Last year, we had to try to stretch him out and that didn’t work out,” Walsh said of Prevalence, who had no works for six months after the Pat Day Mile. “He’s come back great.”