“He's getting more mature and he's gotten better every start,” said winning trainer Rob Atras of his charge. “He had beaten arguably some lesser competition and today was a tough test, and he really showed up today. Honestly, I just think [jockey] Reylu [Gutierrez] did a great job. He had a tough time going into the first turn with him and obviously causing some havoc on the backside. He got him settled down and relaxed and really finished strong.”

Coming off a daylight win after settling the pace in the Bob Bork Texas Turf Mile S. Jan. 27 at Sam Houston, Neat was in the first flight early in the Transylvania and just a head off the call at the first fraction–a quarter in :23.98–while rank and visibly fighting Reylu Gutierrez before settling.

Gutierrez was able to ease the chestnut back on the inside, opening it up for the well-traveled Musical Act (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}), second Mar. 2 in Dubai in the Jumeirah Classic, to take control with Cugino joining him soon after. Turning for home, Neat found his share of traffic while still covered up in fifth. An eighth from home and still in search of a seam, he split horses, just collaring Cugino from the inside at the last possible second after Musical Act surrendered and Lagynos surged while wide.

“Sometimes these 3-year-olds go through the holes and sometimes they don't,” said Gutierrez. “From the three-eighths pole it was all the horse. It was really tight down there but we waited as long as we could and when he saw that little bit of space, I mean, he certainly overcame me. It was all the horse.”

After two victories at this distance on the turf at both Laurel and Fair Grounds last year at two, Neat closed out 2023 with his lone main track attempt in the Gun Runner S. in New Orleans. He finished well back in sixth that day behind Track Phantom (Quality Road), also dropping his Beyer figure by 24 points. It was back to grass for the Texas Turf Mile, making Neat unbeaten in two starts at three with a four-for-five career tally on the grass.

Last year's Transylvania winner, BBN Racing's Mo Stash (Mo Town), was back again for Keeneland's opening day, winning a 5 1/2-furlong turf allowance earlier on Friday's card in his first win since the race last year.

Pedigree Notes:

Hidden Brook Farm and Spruce Lane Farm together bred Neat in Kentucky and sold him to Andrew N. Warren as a Keeneland November weanling for $200,000. The colt returned to the same ring the next September, bringing the same price from Red White and Blue. Hidden Brook had purchased his unraced dam while she was carrying to Violence for $62,000 at Keeneland's 2015 November sale. That foal would become SW & MGSP Louder Than Bombs. The mare, who hails from the same family as 2010 GI Spinaway S. winner R Heat Lightning (Trippi), has a 2-year-old filly by Nyquist–sold for $80,000 to Hat Creek Racing at Keeneland September–and a yearling filly by Medaglia d'Oro. Orabella aborted her 2024 foal.

Neat becomes the 33rd graded winner for WinStar stallion Constitution, a MGISW and son of Tapit who also has 64 black-type winners and will send just his sixth crop to the races this year. The late More Than Ready, broodmare sire of the Transylvania winner, was also part of the WinStar stallion roster and has 174 stakes winners worldwide out of his daughters.

That finish was pretty neat! #4 NEAT ($28.82) squeezed between rivals in the final furlong, getting up in the last stride to win @keenelandracing's $400,000 Transylvania Stakes (G3)!

Reylu Gutierrez was aboard for trainer Rob Atras and Red White and Blue Racing. pic.twitter.com/uSwbO0h4gu

— TVG (@TVG) April 5, 2024

Friday, Keeneland
TRANSYLVANIA S. PRESENTED BY KEENELAND SELECT-GIII, $397,263, Keeneland, 4-5, 3yo, 1 1/16mT, 1:44.93, gd.
1–NEAT, 118, c, 3, by Constitution
                1st Dam: Orabella, by More Than Ready
                2nd Dam: Hot Trip, by Trippi
                3rd Dam: Yellow Heat, by Gold Fever
1ST GRADED STAKES WIN. ($200,000 Wlg '21 KEENOV;
$200,000 Ylg '22 KEESEP). O-Red White and Blue Racing LLC;
B-Hidden Brook Farm & Spruce Lane Farm (KY); T-Rob Atras;
J-Reylu Gutierrez. $226,300. Lifetime Record: 6-4-0-0,
$347,900. *1/2 to Louder Than Bombs (Violence), SW &
MGSP, $264,554. Werk Nick Rating: A.
Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Cugino, 118, c, 3, Twirling Candy–Adorable Miss, by Kitten's
Joy. 1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE. ($225,000 Ylg '22 KEESEP).
O-West Point Thoroughbreds and Jimmy Kahig LLC; B-Gage Hill
Stables, LLC & W. S. Farish (KY); T-Claude R. McGaughey III.
$73,000.
3–Lagynos, 118, c, 3, Kantharos–Steamy, by Speightstown.
1ST BLACK TYPE, 1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE. ($200,000 Ylg '22
KEESEP). O-HRH Prince Sultan Bin Mishal Al Saud; B-Robert
Spiegel (KY); T-Steven M. Asmussen. $36,500.
Margins: NO, HF, 1. Odds: 13.41, 5.23, 31.75.
Also Ran: Lord Bullingdon, Musical Act (Ire), Can Group, Depiction, Guy Named Joe, First World War, Full Nelson, Oscar's World, Tennessee. Scratched: Camaro Z, Royal Majesty (GB).
Click for the Equibase.com chart and the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.

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You cannot actually visit his home–Ashland–because the structure that stands on the Clay Estate just south of downtown Lexington is not original to “The Great Compromiser” and his time. However, interpretations of Clay-related objects enliven the tour.

Ashland in name was imported as a stakes race when Keeneland opened in 1936. Some familiar female runners who graced the winner's circle at the old Keene Farm include Myrtlewood, Bewitch and Doubledogdare, and more recent fillies like Inside Information, Take Charge Lady and a personal favorite of mine, Bushfire.

As Keeneland kicks off racing on Friday, the GI Central Bank Ashland S. boasts a showdown with 3-year-old fillies looking to deposit 100 points into their Kentucky Oaks account.

For starters, the top three finishers from the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies are present, including winner Just F Y I (Justify). The champion 2-year-old filly almost made the races this spring to kick start her 2024, but trainer Bill Mott was forced to wait until Keeneland.

Also Ashland bound is Jody's Pride (American Pharoah), who was second to Just F Y I at Santa Anita, and last month won the Busher S. at Aqueduct. She will be joined by the third-place finisher from the Juvenile Fillies, Candied (Candy Ride {Arg}), who also has not made a start this year for trainer Todd Pletcher. The filly returns to the site of her win in the GI Alcibiades S. last fall.

Impel | Coady Photography

In an effort to put her own stamp on an Oaks run, 'TDN Rising Star' Impel (Quality Road) will look to keep her record unblemished. Under Brad Cox's tutelage, the Juddmonte homebred  broke her maiden at Fair Grounds Jan. 1 and then posted an 8 1/2-length score and a 91-Beyer against optional claimers at Oaklawn Mar. 3.

Finally, Candied's stablemate Leslie's Rose (Into Mischief) justifiably earned her 'TDN Rising Star' when she broke her maiden by 9 1/4 lengths at Aqueduct last fall before returning to finish third in the GII Davona Dale S. at Gulfstream Park Mar. 2. Halina's Forte (Mitole) will seek to raise her game for Rigney Racing, as she attempts to capitalize on her first black-type win in the Ruthless S. at the 'Big A' Feb. 17.

Keeneland's Friday slate includes the GIII Transylvania S., which draws 12, plus a pair of also-eligibles. The field for the 3-year-old turf route includes Musical Act (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}), the first of several overseas arrivals in Kentucky for Godolphin and trainer Charlie Appleby.

With a packed stakes schedule, plus everything from the baby races to lower daily double takeout, these are just some of the storylines on tap at Keeneland. As for past April meet leaders, Jockey Tyler Gaffalione recorded 21 victories to secure his second consecutive spring meet riding title in 2023, while last year conditioner Wesley Ward earned his sixth consecutive training honor and ninth total.

The post Keeneland Features Ashland Showdown As Spring Meet Opens Friday appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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