Tag: Breeders’ Cup

Veteran Whitmore To Make His Fourth Start In Friday’s Phoenix At Keeneland

Robert LaPenta, Ron Moquett and Head of Plains Partners' Whitmore will make his fourth start in the $200,000 Stoll Keenon Ogden Phoenix (G2) on Friday when he headlines a field of 12 for the 6-furlong main track test at Keeneland.

The Stoll Keenon Ogden Phoenix is a “Win and You're In” race for the $2 million Breeders' Cup Sprint (G1) to be run here Nov. 7. The race will go as the eighth on Friday's 10-race program that opens the 17-day Fall Meet, which runs through Oct. 24. First post is 1:05 p.m. ET with the Stoll Keenon Ogden Phoenix slated for 5:05 p.m.

Trained by Moquett, Whitmore won the Stoll Keenon Ogden Phoenix in 2017 and has been runner-up in the race the past two years. Whitmore has used this race as a final prep for the Breeders' Cup Sprint the past three years, a race in which he finished third in 2019 at Santa Anita and second in 2018 at Churchill Downs.

Seventh over a sloppy track in the Forego (G1) at Saratoga on Aug. 29 in his most recent start, Whitmore will be ridden Friday by Joe Talamo and break from post position three.

Whitmore, who won the 2018 Forego, is one of three Grade 1 winners in the field.

L and N Racing's Echo Town won the Allen Jerkens (G1) at Saratoga going 7 furlongs on Aug. 1 and most recently was fifth as the favorite in the Pat Day Mile (G2) at Churchill Downs. Trained by Steve Asmussen, who won the race last year with Engage, Echo Town will be ridden by Ricardo Santana Jr. and break from post position six.

Maggi Moss and Greg Tramontin's No Parole won the Woody Stephens (G1) at Belmont in June going 7 furlongs. Trained by Tom Amoss, who won the race in 2012 and 2013 with Sum of the Parts, No Parole will break from post position five and be ridden by Luis Saez.

The field for the Stoll Keenon Ogden Phoenix, with riders and weights from the rail out, is: Shashashakemeup (Corey Lanerie, 118 pounds), Absolutely Aiden (Chris Landeros, 120), Whitmore (Talamo, 120), Diamond Oops (Florent Geroux, 122), No Parole (Saez, 122), Echo Town (Santana Jr., 122), Empire of Gold (Declan Carroll, 118), Copper Town (Julio Garcia, 120), Lexitonian (Tyler Gaffalione, 120), Edgemont Road (Declan Cannon, 120), Mo Don't No (Gerardo Corrales, 120) and Midnight Sands (Joel Rosario, 120).

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Undefeated Thoughtfully Chasing Breeders’ Cup Berth In Friday’s Alcibiades

Heider Family Stables' undefeated Thoughtfully headlines a field of seven 2-year-old fillies entered Tuesday for Friday's 69th running of the $350,000 Darley Alcibiades (G1) going 1 1/16 miles on the main track at Keeneland.

The Darley Alcibiades is one of 10 Breeders' Cup Challenge Series races in the coming days at Keeneland that will award the winners fees-paid berths into their respective World Championship races. The Darley Alcibiades winner gets a free pass into the $2 million Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1) to be run here Nov. 6.

The Darley Alcibiades will go as the ninth race on Friday's 10-race opening day program for the Fall Meet that runs 17 days through Oct. 24. First post time is 1:05 p.m. ET with the Darley Alcibiades going at 5:40 p.m.

Trained by Steve Asmussen, Thoughtfully debuted June 11 at Churchill Downs and romped to an 8 ¾-length score going 5 ½ furlongs. A month later at Saratoga, the Tapit filly scored a 5-length victory in the Adirondack (G2) going 6½ furlongs.

Ricardo Santana Jr., who has been aboard for both victories, has the call Friday and will break from post position one.

Likely to vie for favoritism with Thoughtfully is Phoenix Thoroughbred's Crazy Beautiful.

Trained by four-time Darley Alcibiades winner Kenny McPeek, Crazy Beautiful won the Aug. 9 Runhappy Debutante at Ellis Park before running a troubled second as the favorite in the Sept. 3 Pocahontas (G3) at Churchill Downs. Brian Hernandez Jr. has the mount and will break from post position four.

McPeek will have two other starters in the race: Susan Moulton's Oliviaofthedesert and Harold Lerner, Magdalena Racing and Nehoc Stables' Simply Ravishing.

Oliviaofthedesert has three starts won her lone race on dirt by 5½ lengths at Ellis in August. She will be ridden Friday by Corey Lanerie and break from post position three. Simply Ravishing is perfect in two starts and enters Friday's race off a daylight victory in the off-the-turf P.G. Johnson at Saratoga Sept. 3. Luis Saez has the mount and will exit post position seven.

The field for the Darley Alcibiades, with riders from the rail out, is: Thoughtfully (Santana Jr.), Travel Column (Florent Geroux), Oliviaofthedesert (Lanerie), Crazy Beautiful (Hernandez Jr.), Xtrema (James Graham), Gramercy (Joel Rosario) and Simply Ravishing (Saez). All starters will carry 122 pounds.

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‘Multipurpose’ Diamond Oops Back On Dirt For Friday’s Ogden Phoenix

Diamond 100 Racing Club, Amy Dunne, D P Racing and Patrick Biancone Racing's Diamond Oops arrived at Keeneland Monday morning following an overnight van ride from Palm Meadows Training Center in South Florida for a run in Friday afternoon's $200,000 Stoll Keenon Ogden Phoenix (G2).

Monday's arrival marked the second trip to Kentucky in a month for Diamond Oops, who was last seen in the Commonwealth winning the TwinSpires Turf Sprint (G2) Presented by Sysco going 5½ furlongs on Sept. 4 at Churchill Downs. In his lone Keeneland start, Diamond Oops was second in last year's Shadwell Turf Mile (G1).

“He's a multipurpose horse,” said Andie Biancone, assistant to her father, Patrick Biancone. “I think he is better on the dirt.”

A two-time Grade 3 winner sprinting on the dirt, Diamond Oops worked a bullet half-mile in :47.85 at Palm Meadows on Friday. However, that performance was not the key to the gelding trying the Stoll Keenon Ogden Phoenix going 6 furlongs on the dirt, a “Win and You're In” for the Breeders' Cup Sprint.

“My dad had planned on the Phoenix,” Biancone said of Diamond Oops, who also was nominated to this weekend's Shadwell Turf Mile and Woodford (G2) Presented by TVG. Florent Geroux will have the mount.

Diamond Oops was accompanied on the van by a pony but not by Sole Volante, the 11th-place finisher in the Kentucky Derby (G1) Presented by Woodford Reserve who is co-owned by Andie Biancone.

“My dad wanted to give him more time (after the Derby),” Biancone said of Sole Volante, who was nominated to the Shadwell Turf Mile. “He is looking at bringing him up for an undercard race on Breeders' Cup weekend (Nov. 6-7).”

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Midnight Bisou ‘A Bit Off’ After Monday Workout, Sent To Dr. Bramlage For Full Evaluation

Reigning Older Dirt Champion Female Midnight Bisou breezed as Saratoga Monday morning, but was found to be “a bit off after cooling out,” according to co-owner Jeffrey Bloom (Bloom Racing Stable) on Twitter.

Bloom's Tweet indicated that the 5-year-old daughter of Midnight Lute will be sent for a full evaluation by Dr. Larry Bramlage in Lexington, Ky.

Midnight Bisou was second last out in the G1 Personal Ensign, and was being pointed to the G1 Juddmonte Spinster at Keeneland this Saturday, ahead of the Breeders' Cup there on Nov. 6-7. Trained by Steve Amussen, the mare has earnings of $7,471,520 with a record of 13-6-3 from 22 starts.

She is entered in the Nov. 8 Fasig-Tipton sale.

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