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Gaffalione, Cox & M and M Racing Top Keeneland Fall Meet Standings

Keeneland’s fall meet concluded Saturday with jockey Tyler Gaffalione, trainer Brad Cox and Mike Sisk’s M and M racing topping the standings in their respective categories.

Gaffalione was the clear leader in the rider standings with 24 victories, including a win aboard Got Stormy (Get Stormy) in the GIII Buffalo Trace Franklin County S. Cox edged out Mike Maker and Steve Asmussen on the final day of the meet, scoring 15 wins, highlighted by Essential Quality’s (Tapit) victory in the GI Claiborne Breeders’ Futurity S. Earning its first title, M and M Racing accounted for five winners at the fall meet.

“On behalf of Keeneland, our sincerest thanks to our fans across the country and around the world, and our racing participants, sponsors, industry and community partners and employees who enabled us to hold a safe, competitive Fall Meet during these unprecedented times,” said Keeneland President and CEO Bill Thomason, who presided over his final race meet before his retirement Dec. 31. “The silver lining of this pandemic has been the collaboration and creativity of various constituencies in their steadfast support of Thoroughbred racing and our philanthropic mission. There is a true spirit of coming together for the good of all.”

The fall meet was closed to the public due to COVID-19, but fans wagered $148,229,708 during the 17 days of racing from Oct. 2-24. The average daily handle was $8,719,395. Last year’s all-sources wagering handle was a record $160,207,916 for a meet also lasting 17 days, albeit with fans.

With the limited on-track attendance, on-track handle was $2,477,890 with average daily on-track handle at $145,758. In comparison, the 2019 fall meet had an on-track handle of $17,320,852.

“Historically, Keeneland ranks among the top tracks in North America in terms of average daily attendance and enjoys some of the highest on-track handle figures,” Keeneland Vice President of Racing Bob Elliston said. “The difference in all-sources wagering this fall versus last comes down to the loss in on-track wagering.”

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Keeneland: Ollie’s Candy Works A Bullet Five Furlongs For Distaff

Paul and Karen Eggert's Ollie's Candy, runner-up in the Juddmonte Spinster (G1) in her most recent start, began serious preparations for a repeat run in the $2 million Breeders' Cup Distaff (G1) by working a bullet five furlongs in :59 over a muddy track Saturday morning at Keeneland in Lexington, Ky., where the World Championships will be held Nov. 6-7.

As the first worker over a freshly harrowed track at 7:30 a.m., Ollie Candy's posted fractions of :23, :47.40, :59 and galloped out 6 furlongs in 1:12.60. Juan Levya, assistant to trainer John Sadler, was aboard.

“She got over the track really well and galloped out well,” Leyva said of Ollie's Candy, who finished fourth in the Distaff last year.

Ollie's Candy is cataloged as a racing or broodmare prospect to Keeneland's November Breeding Stock Sale as part of the premier Book 1, which opens the auction on Nov. 9. She is Hip 83.

In other Breeders' Cup action on Saturday:

Leyva said two other Sadler Breeders' Cup hopefuls – Higher Power (Classic-G1) and Chaos Theory (Turf Sprint-G1) – are scheduled to work Sunday. A fourth Sadler runner, Flagstaff, is expected to ship in for the World Championships here Nov. 6-7 for a run in the $1 million Sprint (G1).

After the second morning renovation break, Kaleem Shah, Mrs. John Magnier, Michael Tabor and Derrick Smith's Bellafina (Filly & Mare Sprint-G1) worked five furlongs on her own in 1:00.60 with Nick Bush aboard.

Second in the Filly & Mare Sprint to champion Covfefe last year, Bellafina posted fractions of :11.40, :23, :35.40, 1:00.60 and galloped out 6 furlongs in 1:14.20.

Trainer Simon Callaghan is expected to have two other Breeders' Cup runners in Alice Bamford and Michael Tabor's Harvest Moon (Distaff) and Kaleem Shah's Madone (Juvenile Fillies Turf-G1). Both are expected to arrive at Keeneland on Monday.

Also working toward a possible Big Ass Fans Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile (G1) start was Calumet Farm's True Timber, who covered five furlongs in 1:00.80 for trainer Jack Sisterson.

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‘Bad Timing’: Mo Forza Knocked Out Of Breeders’ Cup Mile

Mo Forza, if not the favorite for the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Mile certainly a sentimental favorite, will miss the race at Keeneland on Nov. 7 due to a minor issue, trainer Peter Miller told Santa Anita officials by telephone Saturday morning.

“If all goes well, we'll run in the Breeders' Cup next year at Del Mar,” the trainer said.

“What happened is just bad timing. I think he's the best turf miler in the world and I'm disappointed he won't be able to prove it this year.”

Mo Forza was owned in part by the estate of former trainer Barry Abrams, who died on Oct. 9 after a 15-year battle with cancer.

Abrams, who campaigned as Bardy Farm, also bred Mo Forza.

“This horse kept Barry going,” Miller said. “It gave him something to look forward to.

“It meant a lot to Barry and meant a lot to me, so we were crossing our fingers and hoping he could 'Win One for The Gipper.'”

A 4-year-old Uncle Mo colt also owned by part by Onofrio Pecoraro who races as OG Boss, Mo Forza had won six of his last seven races including the G1 Hollywood Derby last Nov. 30 and the G2 City of Hope Mile at Santa Anita on Oct. 3, his most recent outing.

The Kentucky-bred bay has a 6-3-1 record from 12 starts with earnings of $734,460.

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Hello Beautiful Dominates Rivals In Maryland Million Distaff

Hello Beautiful welcomed a return to action at Laurel Park Saturday, scoring a thoroughly dominating 11 1/4-length victory in the 100,000 Maryland Million Distaff.

The Distaff, a seven-furlong sprint for fillies and mares, was one of eight stakes and four starter stakes on the 35th Jim McKay Maryland Million program for offspring of stallions standing in Maryland.

Hello Beautiful, who is owned by Madaket Stables, Albert Frassetto, Mark Parkinson, K-Mac Stables and Magic City Stables, went to post as the 1-2 favorite in a field of nine on the strength of her past domination of Maryland-bred competition, including a victory in the 2019 Maryland Million Lassie.

After venturing out of town for her last two starts, including a sixth-place finish in the Sept. 5 Prioress (G2) at Saratoga, Hello Beautiful re-established her dominance at Laurel while running seven furlongs in a dazzling 1:21.84.

The Brittany Russell-trained 3-year-old daughter of Golden Lad broke alertly to take an early lead on the backstretch, only to receive a strong inside challenge by Limited View, who took a narrow lead into the far turn. Sheldon Russell, the trainer's husband, was content to rate Hello Beautiful to the outside of the challenger before sending her to the lead on the turn into the homestretch.

Hello Beautiful powered away from her outmatched opponents without pressure to score by open lengths.

“It's been a tough year for us, for sure. We tried a few things and she had some bad luck. It's really satisfying to get her home today and have Sheldon back aboard. That helps a lot,” Brittany Russell said.

Hello Beautiful, who was named Maryland-bred champion juvenile filly last year after capturing the Maryland Million Lassie by 3 3/4 lengths and the Maryland Juvenile Filly Championship by 11 3/4 lengths, had won only once in four prior starts this year. After coming off a seven-month layoff with an off-the-board finish in a turf sprint, Hello Beautiful regained her winning ways by 8 ¼ lengths in a Laurel allowance June 20. She was shipped out of town for her next two starts, finishing off-the-board in the Audubon Oaks at Ellis Park and the Prioress at Saratoga.

“Like Brittany says, she might be a horse for the course. She loves Laurel. She gives me some sort of feel here, and time-wise it's shockingly good how fast she can run and keep going,” Sheldon Russell said. “I wanted to put her to the test today because the waters get deeper and let's see what she really has. Ideally, I'll leave it up to them to see where she goes but she gave me a dynamite performance today. It was great job by Brittany and her team. It was against older horses, too, so I just wanted to see what she's got and she showed up today. Hopefully we can keep it going and win a big one with her somewhere down the line.”

Quiet Imagination closed to finish a never-threatening second, a length ahead of Le Weekend.

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