Filly & Mare Sprint: Raven Run Winner Venetian Harbor To Remain At Keeneland ‘For Now’

California-based trainer Richard Baltas has a string of horses at Churchill Downs, but for now Venetian Harbor will remain at Keeneland following her neck victory over Finite in Saturday's $200,000 Lexus Raven Run (G2) at the Lexington, Ky., track.

“She will stay at Keeneland for now, and we will see how she is doing in the next few days,” Baltas said via text Sunday morning.

Owned by Ciaglia Racing, Highland Yard, River Oak Farm and Domenic Savides, Venetian Harbor may have earned herself a spot in the $1-million Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint (G1) at Keeneland on Nov. 7, a spot that co-owner Joseph Ciaglia said was likely after the race.

Venetian Harbor found herself on an uncontested lead and was able to hold off Finite to secure her second Grade 2 victory.

The runner-up finish by Finite came on her first start on dirt in seven months.

“Yesterday was a big effort and we'll see how she trains going forward,” said David Fiske, Racing and Bloodstock Manager for Winchell Thoroughbreds, the principal owner in the filly's partnership group, via text. “There are no plans for her yet. We all were pleased to see her return to a level of competition that we thought she was capable of.”

Trainer Cherie DeVaux said Lael Stables' Reagan's Edge, who finished fourth beaten a nose for third and less than a length for the win, came out of the race in good shape.

“She ran her heart out yesterday and is a little tired this morning,” DeVaux said. “She is nominated to the (Qatar) Fort Springs (here on Nov. 7) but that may be coming back a little quick.”

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Venetian Harbor Leads Munnings 1-2 in Lexus Raven Run

Venetian Harbor (Munnings) was hustled to the front by Manny Franco and made all the running, holding off Finite (Munnings) by a neck to lead home a one-two finish for her in-form, young sire in the GII Lexus Raven Run S. at Keeneland Saturday.

The bay, favored at 8-5 while seeking her first win since a blowout victory in the GII Las Virgenes S. at Santa Anita back in February, led the field of eight through early fractions of :23.06 and :46.17, and was traveling nicely as they hit the quarter pole.

She kicked for home with a two-length advantage, but was looking for the wire as GII Golden Rod S. and GII Rachel Alexandra S. heroine Finite came with a menacing rail run in deep stretch. Venetian Harbor had just enough left in the tank to hold on, however, and punch her ticket to next month’s GI Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Sprint.

“Our intention was to go to the Breeders’ Cup, but we felt this would be a good opportunity to get a race in her,” winning co-owner Joseph Ciaglia said. “I couldn’t be any happier today.”

He continued, “She’s great out of the gate. She’s tenacious, and that’s what you need to win some races. Gotta be quick out of the gate. Manny [Franco] did a great job getting out of the gate, and that was the key to the win.”

Franco added, “She’s happy when she’s on the lead. She showed it today. She’s a nice filly.”

Venetian Harbor rounded out the bottom half of the exacta in her last three trips to the post behind some heavy hitters. She was second to the mighty Swiss Skydiver (Daredevil) in the GIII Fantasy S. at Oaklawn May 1, second to Speech (Mr Speaker) in the GI Central Bank Ashland S. July 11 and second behind ‘TDN Rising Star’ Gamine (Into Mischief) in the GI Longines Test S. last time Aug. 8.

Pedigree Notes:

Ashford sire Munnings nabbed the Raven Run exacta with 3-year-old daughters facing each other for the first time. Both Venetian Harbor and Finite are graded stakes winners of 2020 and join other current top sophomore filly and fellow graded winner Bonny South in the Speightstown son’s count of 17 graded winners and 42 black-type winners overall. Interestingly, Finite and Bonny South are both out of Tapit daughters, but Venetian Harbor is out of a daughter of Street Cry (Ire). Like Munnings, the late Street Cry had gotten plenty of good sons, but it was his daughters who really seemed to shine. As a broodmare sire, Street Cry has 77 black-type winners, including last year’s champion older male Vino Rosso (Curlin). Venetian Harbor is the second foal out of her dam, whose only foal since was a colt born this year by Oscar Performance. She was bred back to both Constitution and Speightstown for next term. Venetian Harbor’s fourth dam is Hall of Famer Safely Kept (Horatius), winner of the 1990 GI Breeders’ Cup Sprint.

Saturday, Keeneland
LEXUS RAVEN RUN S.-GII, $200,000, Keeneland, 10-17, 3yo, f, 7f, 1:23.03, ft.
1–VENETIAN HARBOR, 120, f, 3, by Munnings
1st Dam: Sounds of the City, by Street Cry (Ire)
2nd Dam: Welcome Home, by Dixieland Band
3rd Dam: Safe Return, by Mr. Prospector
($110,000 Ylg ’18 KEESEP; $205,000 RNA 2yo ’19 OBSAPR). O-Ciaglia Racing LLC, Highland Yard LLC, River Oak Farm & Domenic Savides; B-Colts Neck Stables LLC (KY); T-Richard Baltas; J-Manuel Franco. $120,000. Lifetime Record: 7-3-4-0, $503,400. Werk Nick Rating: A+. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Finite, 120, f, 3, Munnings–Remit, by Tapit. ($200,000 2yo ’19 EASMAY). O-Winchell Thoroughbreds LLC, Thomas J Reiman, William Dickson & Deborah A Easter; B-Winchell Thoroughbreds LLC (KY); T-Steven M Asmussen. $40,000.
3–Grand Cru Classe, 118, f, 3, Bernardini–Christmas Lass, by Lemon Drop Kid. ($137,000 Ylg ’18 FTKOCT; $335,000 2yo ’19 EASMAY). O-Speedway Stable LLC; B-Daniel J Burke (KY); T-William I Mott. $20,000.
Margins: NK, HF, NO. Odds: 1.60, 9.40, 20.10.
Also Ran: Reagan’s Edge, Tonalist’s Shape, Secondary Market, Four Graces, Secret Keeper. Scratched: Fair Maiden, Never Forget.
Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.

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Streaking ‘Sneaking’ to Beat in TCA

KMN Racing’s Sneaking Out (Indian Evening), winner of back-to-back graded stakes on the west coast, will try to punch her ticket to the Breeders’ Cup in Saturday’s GII Thoroughbred Club of America S. at Keeneland, a “Win and You’re In” qualifier for the Filly & Mare Sprint.

Winning three of four to start her career, the California-bred was disqualified out of a score in the Angel’s Flight S. last spring and finished a narrow second in both the GII Summertime Oaks and state-bred Fleet Treat S. Last but one in the GIII Torrey Pines S., the bay was benched for over eight months, returning with a neck allowance triumph Apr. 25 at Oaklawn. Fifth in the GIII Winning Colors S. May 30 at Churchill, the homebred returned home to the Golden State to annex the GII Great Lady M. S. July 4 at Los Alamitos and GIII Rancho Bernardo H. Aug. 21 at Del Mar.

Speedball Lady’s Island (Greatness) figures to go as fast as she can for as far as she can. Last winter’s GIII Sugar Swirl S. romper, the 6-year-old added victories in the Minaret S. and Florida-bred Musical Romance S. this season. Shipped up to Saratoga by Danny Gargan last out, the dark bay set a blistering pace of :21.64 and :43.81 in the GII Honorable Miss H. before settling for second behind MGISW Come Dancing (Malibu Moon).

Tom Durant’s Dos Vinos (Twirling Candy), a winner of three of five in her young career, gets the acid test after a pair of allowance triumphs May 24 at Churchill and over track and trip July 9.

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Sneaking Out Auditions For Breeders’ Cup In Saturday’s Thoroughbred Club Of America

Kevin Nish's KMN Racing's homebred filly Sneaking Out has not been sneaking up on anyone in her past two starts and that is one of the reasons trainer Jerry Hollendorfer shipped her to Keeneland from her Southern California base for Saturday's 40th running of the $200,000 Thoroughbred Club of America (G2) going 6 furlongs on the main track.

“This filly has won two graded stakes, and we felt like she deserved a shot against the best,” Hollendorfer said from Los Alamitos Wednesday morning. “It is an important race before the Breeders' Cup.”

The California-bred daughter of Indian Evening won the Great Lady M (G2) at Los Alamitos on July 4 and then the Rancho Bernardo (G3) at Del Mar on Aug. 21. Both races were at 6½ furlongs.

Sneaking Out has compiled a record of 12-6-4-0, and Hollendorfer feels she is at the top of her game.

“I think so,” Hollendorfer said of Sneaking Out, whose most recent work at Los Alamitos was six furlongs out of the gate in 1:11.60. “Her rider (Umberto Rispoli) is very keen on her and loved her race at Del Mar.”

Rispoli, who was aboard Sneaking Out in a race for the first time at Del Mar, has the mount Saturday.

Sneaking Out arrived at Keeneland Tuesday afternoon and Wednesday morning took a trip through the Paddock and then jogged.

The TCA is a “Win and You're In” race for the $1 million Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Sprint (G1) to be run here Nov. 7.

“Right now, we are not looking past Saturday,” Hollendorfer said, regarding whether Sneaking Out would stay here with a victory or go back to California. “I'll discuss it with Kevin and make a decision.”

The field for the Thoroughbred Club of America, with riders and weights from the rail out, is: Sneaking Out (Rispoli, 122 pounds), Dos Vinos (Mitchell Murrill, 120), On Probation (Adam Beschizza, 120), Divine Queen (Calvin Borel, 120), Palace Avenger (Luis Saez, 118), Inthemidstofbiz (Martin Garcia, 120) and Lady's Island (Tyler Gaffalione, 120).

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