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Keeneland Completes Stable Area Improvements at The Thoroughbred Center

Keeneland has completed construction of six new barns and other enhancements at The Thoroughbred Center (TTC), its 245-acre, year-round training facility on Paris Pike on the northeast side of Lexington. The six new barns contain a total of 240 stalls and feature:

• Wider shedrows to accommodate safe winter training for horses housed year-round;
• Interior and exterior wash stalls;
• Dedicated interior feed rooms along with dedicated hay/bedding storage;
• Office tack rooms for trainers; and
• A stall layout design that maximizes lighting and airflow with spacious windows and doors to the benefit of a healthy training environment for both horses and people.

Additionally, improved and dedicated parking was created throughout the facility, and new muck pit construction segregates horse traffic from human and equipment traffic for safety during training hours.

“This investment reflects Keeneland's confidence in the future of the Thoroughbred industry and the strength of Kentucky racing,” Keeneland President and CEO Shannon Arvin said. “TTC is critical to the continued health of the Kentucky racing circuit. We are excited to make these improvements as part of our commitment to the horses and the people we serve.”

Funding for the TTC barn construction project was aided by $500,000 from the Kentucky Agricultural Development Fund, which included a matching program with counties in the region with residents who benefit from this investment by Keeneland in the TTC. Each county that collaborated on the project–Fayette, Lexington, Woodford, Scott and Jessamine–and the Kentucky Agriculture Development Board has a correspondingly designated barn named in appreciation of their commitment.

Keeneland has owned The Thoroughbred Center, which originally opened in 1969, since April 2000. The facility has two dirt tracks: 5 furlongs and 7 1/2 furlongs. Located within a six-hour drive of 10 race tracks, TTC is home to 831 horses, many of whom reside there year-round.

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Code Of Honor Headlines Keeneland’s Closing Day Fayette

Two-time Grade 1 winner Code of Honor tops a field of nine 3-year-olds and older runners entered Wednesday for the 64th running of the $200,000 Hagyard Fayette (G2) on Saturday, the final day of the 17-day Fall Meet at Keeneland. The Hagyard Fayette is the featured event of the 10-race card, which includes the $150,000 Bryan Station and $150,000 Bowman Mill.

The Hagyard Fayette, scheduled for 1 1/8 miles over the main track, will go as the ninth race with a 5:16 p.m. ET post time. First post is 1 p.m.

The stakes will mark the final start of Code of Honor's career. Owned and bred by W.S. Farish, Code of Honor at 3 won the Jockey Club Gold Cup (G1) via disqualification and captured the Travers (G1). Winner of a total of six graded stakes in his career, he was second in the 2019 Kentucky Derby (G1).

Trained by Shug McGaughey, the 5-year-old by Noble Mission (GB) comes into the Hagyard Fayette off a fourth-place finish in the Woodward (G1) at Belmont on Oct. 2. Code of Honor worked Monday at Keeneland, covering 4 furlongs in :49.60 over a fast track.

Tyler Gaffalione, the Fall Meet's leading rider, will have the mount Saturday on Code of Honor and break from post seven.

Also figuring to attract attention in the race are Night Ops, Sleepy Eyes Todd and the 3-year-old King Fury.

Steve Landers Racing's Night Ops, second in the Ben Ali (G3) here this spring, has posted a 7-0-4-2 mark in 2021 and exits a fourth-place finish in the Jockey Club Gold Cup (G1) on Sept. 4 in his most recent start. Trained by Brad Cox, Night Ops will be ridden by Florent Geroux and break from post four.

Thumbs Up Racing's Sleepy Eyes Todd, who went from last in a 12-horse field to win the Lafayette here last fall on the Breeders' Cup undercard, was second to Art Collector in the Charles Town Classic (G2) in his most recent start.

An earner of more than $2 million, Sleepy Eyes Todd finished fifth in the $20 million Saudi Cup (G1) and 10th in the $12 million Dubai World Cup (G1) before returning to the U.S. in April. Trained by Miguel Silva, Sleepy Eyes Todd will break from post position one and be ridden by Ry Eikleberry.

Fern Creek Stables and Three Chimneys Farm's King Fury enters Saturday's race off a 13-length victory in the Bourbon Trail on Sept. 25 at Churchill Downs. Trained by Kenny McPeek, King Fury won the Lexington (G3) here this spring. King Fury will break from post six and be ridden by Brian Hernandez Jr.

A total of 10 3-year-olds have won the Hagyard Fayette with the most recent being Blame in 2009.

The field for the Hagyard Fayette, with riders and weights from the inside, is: Sleepy Eyes Todd (Ry Eikleberry, 121 pounds), Manhattan Up (Chris Landeros, 121), Militarist (Martin Garcia, 121), Night Ops (Florent Geroux, 121), Independence Hall (Javier Castellano, 121), King Fury (Brian Hernandez Jr., 120), Code of Honor (Tyler Gaffalione, 121), Fort Peck (David Cohen, 121), Major Fed (Ricardo Santana Jr., 121).

The post Code Of Honor Headlines Keeneland’s Closing Day Fayette appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Fayette: Wet Track Could Be Problematic For Tax Off The Layoff

The only time Tax has run at Keeneland was two years ago in a $50,000 maiden claiming race. The stakes will be much higher Saturday when the now 4-year-old gelding goes postward in the 63rd running of the $200,000 Hagyard Fayette (G2).

“He's doing well,” said trainer Danny Gargan, who claimed Tax out of that Keeneland race. “I gave him three months off (after the May 2 Oaklawn Handicap-G2) because he really hadn't had a break.”

Now owned by the partnership of R. A. Hill Stable, Reeves Thoroughbred Racing, Hugh Lynch and Corms Racing Stable, Tax won the Jim Dandy (G2) and the Withers (G3). He also finished second in the Wood Memorial (G2) and Discovery (G3).

“I had targeted this race (Hagyard Fayette) because I like the mile and an eighth (distance),” Gargan said. “I didn't want to go a mile and a quarter right off the bench.”

One concern of Gargan's for Saturday is the strong possibility of rain most of the day and the chance for an off track. In Tax's only off-track race, he was 14th in last year's Kentucky Derby (G1) Presented by Woodford Reserve.

“That one probably shouldn't count because it was more like a swamp,” Gargan said.

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Argentine Group 1 Winner Mirinaque Headlines Saturday’s Fayette

Parque Patricios Racing Stables' Mirinaque (ARG), a two-time Group 1 winner in Argentina, headlines a field of 10 runners entered Wednesday for Saturday's 63rd running of the $200,000 Hagyard Fayette (G2) at Keeneland.

The 1 1/8-mile main track test for 3-year-olds and up will go as the eighth race on Saturday's 10-race program with a 4:57 p.m. ET post time. First post Saturday is 1:05 p.m.

Trained by Maria Munoz, Mirinaque finished fifth in the TVG Pacific Classic (G1) on Aug. 22 at Del Mar in his U.S. debut. Mirinaque will be ridden by Gerardo Corrales and break from post position four.

Coming back for another try in the Hagyard Fayette is Jim Bakke and Gerald Isbister's Mr Freeze. Second in the race last year that was run over a sloppy track, the Dale Romans trainee exits a sixth-place finish in the Alysheba (G2) on Sept. 4 at Churchill Downs.

Winner of the Gulfstream Park Mile (G2) for his lone 2020 victory, Mr Freeze will break from post position six and be ridden by Javier Castellano.

The field for the Hagyard Fayette, with riders and weights from the rail out, is: Coastal Defense (Joe Talamo, 121 pounds), Captivating Moon (Julien Leparoux, 121), Crafty Daddy (Brian Hernandez Jr., 121), Mirinaque (ARG) (Corrales, 121), Title Ready (Corey Lanerie, 121), Mr Freeze (Castellano, 121), Rated R Superstar (Martin Garcia, 121), Tax (Tyler Gaffalione, 121), Mo Mosa (Florent Geroux, 118) and Aurelius Maximus (Ricardo Santana Jr., 121).

The post Argentine Group 1 Winner Mirinaque Headlines Saturday’s Fayette appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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