Ward Workers Highlight Keeneland Tab

By all accounts, trainer Wesley Ward is planning on coming out full force when Keeneland opens the doors on its spring meeting Friday, Apr. 8. To that end, four of the stable's stars tuned up for opening weekend stakes engagements Saturday morning in Lexington.

Happy Soul (Runhappy) is set to represent Ward in the GI Central Bank Ashland S., her first try around two turns, and the Gayla Rankin-owned filly blitzed six furlongs in a race-like 1:11.20 Saturday morning. Since dropping her career debut at Keeneland last April, Happy Soul has won three straight including the Feb. 19 Dixie Belle S. at Oaklawn Park. John Velazquez has the call in the Ashland.

Working on a Keeneland turf course with a bit of give in it were Ward's two 2021 Breeders' Cup winners, Golden Pal (Uncle Mo) and 'TDN Rising Star' Twilight Gleaming (Ire) (National Defense {GB}). Winner of last year's GI Turf Sprint to go along with his victory in the 2020 GII Juvenile Turf Sprint, Golden Pal makes his 4-year-old debut in the GII Shakertown S. Apr. 9 and covered the distance in 1:01.20. Twilight Gleaming, who took out last year's Juvenile Turf Sprint, was timed in 1:01.40 and goes in the Listed Palisades S. Apr. 10.

Campanelle (Ire) (Kodiac {GB}), whose two wins at Royal Ascot include the 2021 G1 Commonwealth Cup, galloped five furlongs on turf in 1:02.40.

“I'm feeling great,” said Ward, in search of a fourth consecutive spring title at Keeneland. “We've got a lot of horses in various different categories–a lot of nice stakes horses. The 2-year-olds are always fun to see which ones blossom. This is the highlight of opening up my year to see how we're going to progress. We're really looking forward to it–as is everyone who comes to Keeneland in the spring. It's a great place to be–the only place to be.”

Ward is also set to saddle defending champ and 'Rising Star' Kimari (Munnings) in Saturday's GI Madison S. and one of her chief adversaries, Bell's the One (Majesticperfection), got her final tune up Saturday in Lexington. A dead-heat second last year, the 6-year-old went an easy half-mile in :49.60.

“I didn't want anything real fast,” trainer Neil Pessin said. “All of her major work was done at Fair Grounds [where she had eight works following a 2 1/2-month break].”

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Campanelle Tops Franklin County

Stonestreet Stables' Campanelle (Ire) (Kodiac {GB}) headlines Friday's GIII Buffalo Trace Franklin County S. at Keeneland. A debut winner at Gulfstream in 2020, she took Royal Ascot's G2 Queen Mary S. a month later and followed suit with a win in Deauville's G1 Prix Morny S. that August. Fourth in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf at this venue last November, the bay came up a head short in the G1 Commonwealth Cup back at Royal Ascot June 18, but was promoted to first when the winner was disqualified. Campanelle was last seen finishing 12th back at Deauville in the G1 Prix Maurice de Gheest Aug. 8 and is likely using this event as a prep for the Breeders' Cup.

Al Stall saddles a live contender in Bal Mar Equine's In Good Spirits (Ghostzapper). An optional claimer winner at Fair Grounds Jan. 30, she was fourth in the course-and-distance Giant's Causeway S. Apr. 10, which was won by the re-opposing Change of Control (Fed Biz). Runner-up in Saratoga's GIII Caress S. July 24, the bay captured the GIII Kentucky Downs Ladies Sprint S. Sept. 11, defeating Catch a Bid (Real Solution) by two lengths.

Change of Control captured the GIII Intercontinental S. At Belmont June 3 and was third in the GII Royal North S. at Woodbine next out Aug. 1. She enters off a 10th in the GI Woodbine Mile Sept. 18.

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Kingman Colt Lights Up Second Day Of Tattersalls October Book 2

Book 2 of the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale continued in robust fashion on the second day with six lots selling for 300,000 guineas or more and a Kingman colt topping proceedings at 525,000 guineas. There were rises across the board with turnover topping 18 million guineas for the second consecutive session.

The top price on the second day of Book 2 of the October Yearling Sale was 525,000 guineas for the Kingman colt from Adrian and Philippa O'Brien's Hazelwood Bloodstock. The son of the Listed winning and Group placed Galileo mare Reem was knocked down to Juddmonte Farms' Simon Mockridge after he saw off the effort of John Gosden who trains King Leonidas, this colt's older brother who topped this sale at 750,000 guineas in 2018 and who is officially rated 103.

Consignor Adrian O'Brien of Hazelwood Bloodstock said: “What more is there to say than, in a nutshell, we are delighted. The full-brother topped the sale three years ago and it is clearly a cross that works. King Leonidas has had a few setbacks, but he is back on track now and he is clearly a very talented horse.

“I am very flattered that Juddmonte has bought a horse of his quality from our farm and delighted for the breeder and for everyone. It is just fantastic, we wish them the very best of luck.”

Juddmonte Farms purchased three yearlings at Book 1 of the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale for 1,230,000 guineas.

U.S. agent Ben McElroy will be hoping that history repeats itself after buying a Kodiac filly from the draft of Tally-Ho Stud for 340,000 guineas. It was that combination at Book 1 of the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale in 2019 that resulted in the purchase of dual Group 1 winner Campanelle.

“She has been bought for same connections as Campanelle,” revealed McElroy. “I saw her two or three days ago, she has a lot of likeness with Campanelle. She has the scope for a Kodiac filly and is a half-sister to a filly we are familiar with in Ventura Diamond, and her siblings are all well rated. She is obviously by a top sire of fillies, and we have had a lot of luck with the sire.”

The filly, who is out of Zamindar mare Shehila, is a half-sister to the Listed Bosra Sham Stakes winner and Group 3 Bengough Stakes placed Ventura Diamond and was secured by McElroy after a bidding duel with Anthony Stroud.

McElroy added: “She stands over a lot of ground, I think she is going to be quick. She has a lot of presence and a lot of class, just everything you like to see in a filly. She will go back to America.”

Campanelle is owned by Barbara Banke's Stonestreet Stables and trained in the U.S. by Wesley Ward. She won the Group 1 Prix Morny Stakes and Group 2 Queen Mary Stakes as a 2-year-old and returned to Royal Ascot this year to win the Group 1 Commonwealth Cup.

McElroy continued: “Hopefully the luck continues, and I think Barbara Banke has already picked out a name for her!”

Book 2 of the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale continues with the third and final session at 10 a.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 13.

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Campanelle Heads Field For Friday’s Franklin County At Keeneland

Stonestreet Stables' Campanelle (IRE), a two-time Group 1 winner in Europe, heads a field of 12 fillies and mares entered Sunday for Friday's 25th running of the $150,000 Grade 3 Buffalo Trace Franklin County going 5½ furlongs on the turf at Keeneland Race Course in Lexington, Ky.

The Buffalo Trace Franklin County will go as the ninth race on Friday's 10-race program with a 5:16 p.m. ET post time. First post Friday is 1 p.m.

Trained by Wesley Ward, Campanelle will be making her first start since being unplaced in the Group 1 Prix de Maurice de Gheest at Deauville, France in August. Joel Rosario will have the mount Friday and exit post position four.

Also figuring to attract interest are the 1-2 finishers from last month's Grade 3 Mint Ladies Sprint at Kentucky Downs in Franklin, Ky., In Good Spirits and Catch a Bid.

Bal Mar Equine's In Good Spirits, trained by Al Stall Jr., scored a two-length victory at Kentucky Downs and in the race prior to that was runner-up in the Grade 3 Caress at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, N.Y., in July. John Velazquez has the mount on In Good Spirits, who will leave from post position five.

Highlander Training Center's Catch a Bid, trained by Joe Sharp, won the West Virginia Senate President's Cup at Mountaineer Park in New Cumberland, W. Va., in August prior to her Kentucky Downs race. She drew post position six and will be ridden by Tyler Gaffalione.

The field for the Buffalo Trace Franklin County, with riders and weights from the inside, is: She's So Special (Flavien Prat, 120), Ambassador Luna (James Graham, 120), Lagertha (CHI) (Hector Berrios, 120), Campanelle (IRE) (Rosario, 122), In Good Spirits (Velazquez, 122), Catch a Bid (Gaffalione, 120), Lead Guitar (Ricardo Santana Jr., 120), Violenza (Chris Landeros, 120), Elle Z (Mitchell Murrill, 120), Yes It's Ginger (Marcelino Pedroza Jr., 120), Signify (Florent Geroux, 120), Change of Control (Colby Hernandez, 122).

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