‘Stronger And Thicker’ Basin Ready To Take the Next Step In Blue Grass Stakes

Toyota Blue Grass (G2) hopeful Basin, who races for Jackpot Farm, was the first horse to breeze over Keeneland's fast track Monday when he covered a half-mile in :50.20 around 5:45 a.m. The breeze was the second consecutive move at Keeneland for last year's Hopeful (G1) winner, who covered 5 furlongs in 1:00.60 a week ago.

In his most recent race, Basin was second in a division of the Arkansas Derby (G1) at Oaklawn Park. The colt, which has won two of six races and earned $471,000, is ninth on the Road to the Kentucky Derby leaderboard with 50 points.

“In the last nine weeks he's gotten stronger and thicker; he's a happy, happy horse right now,” Jackpot's Ryne Poncik said on an NTRA conference call Tuesday afternoon. “I was talking to (trainer) Steve (Asmussen) yesterday, and I guess the kickback at Keeneland is rather hard. So, we definitely want to be forwardly placed and in the clear, so he doesn't have to worry about any kick back. With a good post and him being forwardly placed, I think we've got a good shot.”

In his three starts this season, Basin has been no worse than fourth. The colt ran third in the G2 Rebel, then fourth in the listed Oaklawn Stakes. Basin chased Charlatan home, beaten six lengths when second in the Arkansas Derby in early May; Poncik has always been impressed by the colt's hard-trying nature.

“His heart is bigger than his body,” Poncik said. “He's not a big, big colt, but he'll never give up until the end. He won't give up until he passes the wire, for sure.”

Basin is a member of the first crop by Liam's Map, who won the 2015 Las Vegas Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile (G1) at Keeneland. Jackpot purchased the colt for $150,000 at Keeneland's 2018 September Yearling Sale, where he was consigned by Brookdale Sales, agent for breeder Cottonwood Stables.

Asmussen, North America's second-leading all-time trainer by wins (8,896) and earnings ($333,188,601), has started five horses in the Toyota Blue Grass with his best finish a runner-up effort by Storm Treasure in 2006. He sent out Jackpot's Zing Zang to a ninth-place finish in the 2018 Toyota Blue Grass.

Entries for the 96th running Toyota Blue Grass and five other stakes will be taken Wednesday. The Toyota Blue Grass carries 170 qualifying points for the Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve (G1) on a 100-40-20-10 scale to the first four finishers.

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Blue Grass a Possibility for Swiss Skydiver

Swiss Skydiver (Daredevil) has been nominated for both the GI Central Bank Ashland S. and GII Toyota Blue Grass S., both to be run July 11 at Keeneland, and trainer Ken McPeek said he will give strong consideration to both races for his 3-year-old filly.

“I’ll probably run her in the Ashland, but there are a lot of things to consider,” McPeek said. “For one, I have another nice filly for the Ashland in Envoutante (Uncle Mo). With all these 3-year-old races being run around the same time, I’d imagine the field for the Blue Grass will be a little diluted. There’s also the weights. She carried 124 in her last start (win in the GII Santa Anita Oaks) and she’d only have to carry 118 if she were to go in the Blue Grass. Most of the colts in the race are going to have to jump up in weight. Who’s to say how much of a factor that would be. A filly has never won the Blue Grass so it would be a nice achievement.”

Other factors include the purses of each race and their grades. The Blue Grass is a $600,000 race but a Grade II. The Ashland purse is $400,000 and the race is a Grade I.

“Winning a Grade I is important with a filly,” McPeek said. Swiss Skydiver has won three graded races but has yet to notch a Grade I victory.

McPeek said he will not make his decision until the day of entry and will keep an eye on what horses are going in each race.

“We’ll do our research and figure it out,” he said. “An old-timer once told me don’t make an important decision until you absolutely have to. If there’s going to be 14 in the Blue Grass and just six or seven in the Ashland we’ll probably go in the Ashland. If the size of both fields is going to be about the same we can wait and make our decision when it is time to enter.”

A start in the Blue Grass could open up the doors for additional starts against males for Swiss Skydiver. A win would give her 100 Kentucky Derby points, more than enough to get into the field for what will be the second leg of the Triple Crown this year. Swiss Skydiver is nominated to the Triple Crown.

After showing little in her first two starts this year, Swiss Skydiver won the GII Gulfstream Park Oaks by 3 1/4 lengths and followed that with a win in the GIII Fantasy S. at Oaklawn. With Mike Smith aboard, she won the Santa Anita Oaks by four lengths.

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Rushing Fall, Swiss Skydiver Top Stakes Nominations For Keeneland’s Historic Summer Meet

E Five Racing Thoroughbreds' four-time Keeneland stakes winner Rushing Fall and Peter Callahan's multiple graded stakes winner Swiss Skydiver, the leading point earner on the 2020 Road to the Kentucky Oaks (G1), are among the noted horses nominated to the 10 stakes worth a total of $2,575,000 to be run during Keeneland's five-day Summer Meet from July 8-12.

Rushing Fall and Swiss Skydiver both are nominated to stakes on July 11, when Keeneland will host a blockbuster day of racing featuring six graded stakes. Rushing Fall is nominated to the $350,000 Coolmore Jenny Wiley (G1), which she won last year, while Swiss Skydiver is nominated to both the $600,000 Toyota Blue Grass (G2) and $400,000 Central Bank Ashland (G1).

The Summer Meet, which accommodates a portion of the 16-day Spring Meet that Keeneland was forced to cancel due to the COVID-19 outbreak, will be held without fans but with limited owners in attendance.

“Keeneland thanks the owners and trainers who nominated horses to the Summer Meet stakes and will be supporting our racing program during this historic five-day season,” Keeneland Vice President of Racing and Sales Bob Elliston said. “We also salute the exercise riders, grooms, hot walkers and others in the stable area who have reported to work every day since the pandemic began to continue caring for these horses. This season would not be possible without the hard work and cooperation of countless people and organizations along with the backing of Keeneland's corporate partners.”

For 3-year-olds, the 96th running of the Toyota Blue Grass, held at 1 1/8 miles, and the 83rd running of the Central Bank Ashland, at 1 1/16 miles, are respective major preps for the Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve (G1) on Sept. 5 and Kentucky Oaks on Sept. 4. The Toyota Blue Grass and Central Bank Ashland both carry 170 qualifying points for the Derby and Oaks on a 100-40-20-10 scale to the first four finishers.

Joining the Toyota Blue Grass, Central Bank Ashland and Coolmore Jenny Wiley on July 11 are the $250,000 Madison (G1), $150,000 Appalachian (G2) Presented by Japan Racing Association and $150,000 Shakertown (G2).

Wagering that day will feature a $500,000 Guaranteed All-Stakes Pick Five and $500,000 Guaranteed All-Stakes Pick Four.

Click here for the list of nominees to the Summer Meet stakes and their past performances. Here is a look at those nominations:

Friday, July 10 – Entries taken July 7

Maker's Mark Mile (G1): The 32nd running of the prestigious $300,000 turf race attracted 34 nominees headed by the first- and second-place finishers in the May 25 Shoemaker Mile (G1) at Santa Anita: Raging Bull (FR) and Next Shares.

Owned by Peter Brant and trained by Chad Brown, Raging Bull is a two-time Grade 1 winner who was fourth in last year's Maker's 46 Mile. Next Shares, winner of Keeneland's Shadwell Turf Mile (G1) in 2018, is trained by Richard Baltas, who is part-owner of the 7-year-old.

Gary Barber owns and Mark Casse trains two other nominees of note: Got Stormy, a multiple Grade 1-winning mare who has defeated males and was second in the 2019 TVG Breeders' Cup Mile (G1) and third in Keeneland's 2019 Coolmore Jenny Wiley, and 2019 Preakness (G1) winner War of Will.

Beaumont (G3) Presented by Keeneland Select: The 35th running of the $100,000 race, which will be contested over the Beard Course of 7 furlongs, 184 feet on the main track, carries 34 qualifying points for the Kentucky Oaks on a 20-8-4-2 scale for the top four finishers.

Heading the 27 nominees is Alex and JoAnn Lieblong's Wicked Whisper. Trained by Steve Asmussen, Wicked Whisper won last fall's Frizette (G1) at Belmont. She has not raced since finishing fifth in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1) at Santa Anita in November.

Saturday, July 11 – Entries taken July 8

Toyota Blue Grass (G2): This year's running of Keeneland's most famous race will mark the 25th year the stakes has been sponsored by Toyota. Among the 48 nominees is the aforementioned filly Swiss Skydiver.

Trained by two-time Toyota Blue Grass winner Kenny McPeek, Swiss Skydiver has won her past three starts beginning with the Gulfstream Park Oaks (G2) and followed by the Fantasy (G3) at Oaklawn Park and Santa Anita Oaks (G2).

Another accomplished runner is Jackpot Farm's Basin, winner of the Runhappy Hopeful (G1) last summer at Saratoga. Trained by Asmussen, Basin finished second in a division of the Arkansas Derby (G1) in his most recent start.

Other nominees of note include Ete Indien and a quartet of runners from the stable of Bob Baffert.

Ete Indien, who won the Fountain of Youth (G2) and was third in the Florida Derby (G1), is trained by Patrick Biancone. He co-owns the colt in partnership with Linda Shanahan, Sanford Bacon, Dream With Me Stable, Horse France America and D P Racing.

Spendthrift Farm, Starlight Racing and Madaket Stables' Authentic, runner-up in the Santa Anita Derby (G1) in his most recent start, is one of the nominees for Baffert.

Other Baffert nominees include two-time graded stakes winner Thousand Words, who is owned by Albaugh Family Stables and Spendthrift Farm, and two debut maiden winners: Uncle Chuck, owned by Mike Pegram, Karl Watson and Paul Whitman; and Cezanne, owned by Mrs. John Magnier, Michael Tabor, Derrick Smith and St. Elias Stable.

Central Bank Ashland (G1): Swiss Skydiver heads the 30 nominees, which also include Grade 2 winners Bonny South, Tonalist's Shape and Venetian Harbor.

Trained by Brad Cox and owned by Juddmonte Farms, Bonny South has won her past three races, including the Fair Grounds Oaks (G2) in her most recent start.

Tonalist's Shape, winner of the Davona Dale (G2) and Forward Gal (G3) at Gulfstream in February, is trained by Saffie Joseph Jr. for owners Slam Dunk Racing, Doug Branham and Legacy Ranch.

Ciaglia Racing, Highland Yard, River Oak Farm and Dominic Savides' Venetian Harbor won the Las Virgenes (G2) at Santa Anita. Trained by Richard Baltas, she was second to Swiss Skydiver in the Fantasy in her most recent start.

Coolmore Jenny Wiley (G1): Defending champion Rushing Fall heads a list of 22 fillies and mares nominated to the 1 1/16-mile turf race. Trained by Chad Brown, Rushing Fall has won four stakes at Keeneland starting with the 2017 JPMorgan Chase Jessamine (G3), 2018 Appalachian (G2) Presented by Japan Racing Association and 2018 Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup Presented by Lane's End (G1).

With a win in the Coolmore Jenny Wiley, Rushing Fall would join champions Beholder and Lady Eli as the only horses to win Grade 1 races at age 2, 3, 4 and 5 since 1976.

Also nominated to the Coolmore Jenny Wiley is Brant's champion Sistercharlie (IRE), a seven-time Grade 1 winner who captured the 2018 Jenny Wiley. Brown also trains Sistercharlie, who received the 2018 Eclipse Award as champion turf female.

Madison (G1): Haruya Yoshida's defending champion Spiced Perfection tops a roster of 23 fillies and mares nominated to the 7-furlong race on the main track. Now trained by Mark Casse, Spiced Perfection also won Keeneland's Thoroughbred Club of America (G2) during the 2019 Fall Meet.

Other top sprinters nominated to the Madison are Grade 1 winners Guarana, owned by Three Chimneys Farm and Hill 'n' Dale Equine Holdings and trained by Brown, and Mia Mischief, owned by Stonestreet Stables and trained by Asmussen.

Appalachian (G2) Presented by Japan Racing Association: The race, for 3-year-old fillies going one mile on the turf, drew 29 nominees headlined by Robert and Lawana Low's Sweet Melania. Trained by Todd Pletcher, Sweet Melania won last fall's JPMorgan Chase Jessamine (G2) at Keeneland and captured her 2020 debut in the Wonder Again (G3) at Belmont on June 20.

Shakertown (G2): Wesley Ward's Bound for Nowhere heads a list of 36 nominees for the 24th running of the $150,000, 5½-furlong turf race for 3-year-olds and up. Ward trains Bound for Nowhere, who won the 2018 Shakertown and finished second in last year's race.

Sunday, July 12 – Entries taken July 9

TVG Elkhorn (G2): The 35th running of the $175,000 race, for 4-year-olds and up going 1½ miles on the turf, drew 39 nominees. Heading them is Michael Hui's $2 million earner Zulu Alpha.

Trained by Mike Maker, Zulu Alpha has won two of three starts in 2020 headlined by a triumph in the Pegasus World Turf Invitational (G1). Among his six graded stakes victories is the 2018 Sycamore (G3) at Keeneland.

Kentucky Utilities Transylvania (G3): Topping the list of 30 nominees for 32nd running of the 1/16-mile turf test for 3-year-olds worth $100,000 is Three Diamond Farm's Field Pass.

Maker also trains Field Pass, a three-time stakes winner who won the Jeff Ruby Steaks (G3) in March and the Audubon at Churchill Downs in his most recent start June 20.

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Racing Comes Together for Keeneland July Meet

There was a popular aphorism making its rounds through social media in the early stages of the Coronavirus pandemic.

“Check on your friends in Lexington; March Madness and Keeneland are cancelled.”

It’s true, Lexington natives experienced a shocking few days early in March when the cancellation of Keeneland’s annual Spring Meet occurred just days after the announcement that there would be no NCAA basketball tournament.

And while racing fans were certainly disappointed that there would be no tailgating on The Hill or a sunny Saturday afternoon shared between 30,000-some attendees on Blue Grass Day, of course the ones who bore the effects of the cancellation were the horsemen and owners pointing their horses towards those few prestigious weeks in April.

Kentucky-based trainer Kenny McPeek, who ranks fourth among Keeneland’s all-time leading trainers by wins, spoke of his initial impression of the an April in Lexington without a Keeneland race meet.

“I’ll admit to being very disappointed that they didn’t have the April meet,” McPeek said. “We had over 50 horses scheduled to run there. It’s unfortunate, but it was the right thing to do.”

The sudden change in the race calendar disrupted the game plan for many trainers, especially those based in Kentucky, but Keeneland’s President and CEO Bill Thomason said that the horsemen with whom he spoke remained optimistic throughout the period of uncertainty for Kentucky racing.

“What I’ve learned in this business is that the horsemen are talented, but they’re also strong and very resilient,” he said. “Whatever environment they’re given, they’re going to make do and make sacrifices.”

In an effort to distribute purse money and continue the tradition of the Spring Meet’s historic graded stakes schedule, a plan for Keeneland to return to racing has been in the works ever since they were forced to cancel in April.

“We wanted to make this happen for our horsemen,” Thomason said. “The graded stakes and the black-type races are so important. We can’t look back in the record books and see those spaces blank for a year. It was unimaginable to think that we would not be able to bring those races.”

On May 27, the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission’s race dates committee approved a plan for a Keeneland Summer Meet. The five-day meet, happening Wednesday, July 8 though Sunday, July 12, will feature 10 graded stakes.

McPeek is just one of the trainers who said he was thrilled at the prospect of racing at Keeneland in July.

“I like the idea of a July meet and I’d like to see them do it every year, to be honest,” he said. “I think it could be something similar to Royal Ascot, with those five great days of racing. Whether or not they’ll contemplate this in the long run, I’m not sure, but right now I’m thrilled about it. It’s quality racing and I’m sure there will be a lot of people interested, whether you’re racing or betting those races.”

The four GI races will consist of the Maker’s Mark Mile, Central Bank Ashland, Coolmore Jenny Wiley, and the Madison. The $600,000 GII Blue Grass S. and the $400,000 Ashland will both run on July 11 with the winner of each receiving 100 points on the Road to the Kentucky Derby and the Kentucky Oaks, respectively.

McPeek already has several horses slated for these major races. Swiss Skydiver (Daredevil), who currently sits atop the leaderboard of 2020 Kentucky Oaks Contenders after a third straight graded stakes win in the GII Santa Anita Oaks, will be pointed towards the GI Ashland S. along with stablemate Envoutante (Uncle Mo).

“That’s as far as I’ve thought so far,” McPeek said. “But I’m sure we are going to run a lot of horses here.”

Swiss Skydiver takes the GII Santa Anita Oaks | Benoit 

The full condition book came out on June 5, but the scheduling and logistics of this short meet was far from simple. Kentucky’s normal summer schedule includes racing at Churchill Downs, Ellis Park, and Kentucky Downs.

“Ever since we had to make the decision to cancel the April meet, we’ve been looking for a spot in the calendar,” Thomason said. “We’ve been talking to Ellis and Churchill. We want to keep people safe when they come in to Kentucky throughout our entire circuit.”

Thomason said that this coordination of tracks might not have been possible a few months ago. “When we got together earlier this year and agreed on our Lasix phase-out plan, that was kind of a moment for all of us,” he said. “We all found an opportunity to sit down and do the right thing for the industry and for horse racing in Kentucky.”

Following the approval of the Keeneland Summer Meet by the KHRC’s race dates committee, Ellis Park general manager Jeffrey Inman said in a press release, “We are all in this together, and Ellis Park is pleased to work with Keeneland on a plan that benefits our horsemen and Kentucky racing.”

Keeneland also spoke with other major tracks outside of the Commonwealth, and Thomason said the association chose not to bring back a few of the normal April graded stakes races because they did not complement the timetable of other race meets running during their traditional dates.

“We talked with NYRA and our friends at Del Mar to make sure we weren’t stepping on top of anybody around the country. None of us can afford to do that anymore. We’ve got to protect racing in our country.” Thomason said.

With the dates and races now secured, Thomason said he believes this is the time to reset and look forward. “Now we can restart. Our racing in July will build to the Kentucky Derby, which will build to our Fall Stars Weekend and our October meet, and then all of that builds to an exciting Breeders’ Cup that we’re having this fall.”

With a resounding ‘fingers crossed’ from fans hoping for a grandstand filled with people in October and November, for now, Thomason said Keeneland is focusing on how to bring racing to the fans at home in July.

“We’re brokenhearted about not being able to have fans here,” he said. “When you think of the 250,000 people who could not be at the spring meet, at first we thought the reaction might have been a little worse. But the minute we announced that we were getting ready to have a July meet, everything we heard not only from the industry, but from our community was, ‘That’s okay.’ They were just so excited that racing was back.”

The Keeneland marketing department has been working overtime in shifting from traditional media outlets to bringing racing to fans at home.

“People are already planning their parties at home,” Thomason reported. “They’re planning their picnics and their outdoor activities with family, and they’re still going to celebrate the meet. We’re going to be working with all of them to make sure that it’s special.”

Thomason said he sees this as an opportunity to tell stories and give insight from the industry to fans and newcomers who might not have those chances to learn during a normal visit to the track.

“It’s going to be different,” he said. “But out of that, it’s going to give us a chance to try some new things, and bring some new things to our fans and our horsemen. We’ll see what works and what doesn’t, and we’ll come out of this better.”

A full grandstand at Keeneland | Coady

Certainly no one is more aware of these changes than the horsemen. Strict biosecurity measures have been in place at Keeneland ever since it has re-opened for training, and the grounds are on lock down for anyone except those involved in the care and training of the horses.

But Thomason said that everyone has taken these new protocols in stride.

“Everyone is taking it seriously,” he said. “We’re under extreme protocols that will keep our horsemen and grooms safe. Everyone is just happy to be a part of it. We’re so thankful they’re here and we’re working together. It’s been a great atmosphere on the backside.”

He continued, “I’ve been heartened by all the great support that we’ve gotten from everybody in the business, because they get it. They know how serious it is. They want us to get open, and they want us to stay open.”

During the period of downtime with no horses on the backside, Keeneland was at work connecting with the Lexington community as a part of the Nourish Lexington program. Last month, they kicked off a new initiative called Nourish the Backstretch.

“We have been a part of Nourish Lexington, which helps people in our community in need and children who are normally in school and couldn’t get meals during the pandemic,” Thomason said. “But we’ve extended this program to nourish our backside. We’ve made sure our backside was taken care of during this time.”

Thomason said he believes this was a key factor as to why the community responded so well with the April meet cancellation and the spectator-less July meet.

“Keeneland is a part of this community,” he said. “The fabric of this community. The thing that Lexington and this area is known for is the breeding capital of the world. We’re proud that we’re ready to showcase that again- not only to our area, but to our state and our country. We’ve worked really hard to be a part of this community, and this is when it shows.”

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