Keeneland Race Course | Horse Racing Free Tips

Spooky Channel Comes Out Of Sycamore Win In Good Condition

NBS Stable's Spooky Channel returned to trainer Jason Barkley's barn at Louisville's Trackside Training Center Friday night at 7:30 and was doing well Saturday, the day after his narrow victory over Grade 1 winner Two Emmys in the Grade 3 Sycamore at Keeneland Race Course in Lexington, Ky.

For the 32-year-old Barkley, Spooky Channel delivered his first graded stakes victory, which came on the heels of his first stakes victory with the same runner in the Remington Green Sept. 26 at Remington Park in Oklahoma City, Okla.

“No big celebration last night, just started the prep work for today,” Barkley said via text.

The 6-year-old Spooky Channel, the star of Barkley's 32-horse stable, came to the barn at the end of April as an $80,000 claim at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Ky.

“We liked his consistency and with the purse structures what they are, there will be plenty of opportunities for him,” Barkley said.

With no grass racing in Kentucky until next spring at Keeneland, Barkley expects to hit the road with Spooky Channel.

“The plan for him will most likely be the ($75,000) Buddy Diliberto Memorial Stakes (going 1 1/16 miles on the turf) the day after Christmas at Fair Grounds (in New Orleans, La.) with that being a steppingstone for the (Grade 3) John B. Connelly (Turf Cup) at Sam Houston (in Houston, Texas) that he won last January,” Barkley said.

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Flurry Of Breeders’ Cup Potentials Work At Keeneland Saturday

Seven horses with aspirations to compete in the Nov. 5-6 Breeders' Cup World Championships – including four stakes winners during Keeneland's Fall Stars Weekend on the opening weekend of the Fall Meet – worked over a turf course labeled good Saturday morning at Keeneland Race Course in Lexington, Ky.

Peter Brant's Blowout (GB), winner of the Grade 1 First Lady Presented by UK HealthCare and a candidate for the $2 million Grade 1 Maker's Mark Filly and Mare Turf on Nov. 6, worked a half-mile on her own in :50.80 for trainer Chad Brown.

Phoenix Thoroughbred III's Tiz the Bomb, winner of the Grade 2 Castle & Key Bourbon and a candidate for the $1 million Grade 1 Juvenile Turf on Nov. 5, worked five furlongs on his own in 1:01.80 for trainer Kenny McPeek.

Also working for McPeek was Arriba Arequipa's Reina de Mollendo (ARG) who covered five furlongs in 1:06.40 on her own in preparation for a possible Filly and Mare Turf start.

Trainer Wesley Ward worked a trio of runners headed by Mrs. John Magnier, Michael Tabor, Derrick Smith, and Westerberg's Golden Pal, winner of the Grade 2 Woodford Presented by TVG.

Winner of last fall's Grade 2 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint and a candidate for this year's $1 million Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint, Golden Pal drilled five furlongs in 1:00.80 with splits of :24.20, :37.20, :49, and 1:00.80. (Click here for a video of the work.)

Other Ward workers were Hat Creek Racing's Averly Jane, winner of the Indian Summer Presented by Keeneland Select, and Gregory Kaufman's Kaufymaker, second in the Indian Summer. Working together for possible starts in the $1 million Juvenile Turf Sprint, the undefeated Averly Jane covered five furlongs in 1:03.40 and Kaufymaker went the distance in 1:03.80.

Calumet Farm's Channel Cat, prepping for a possible second start in the $4 million Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Turf, worked five furlongs on his own in 1:02.20 with splits of :25.20, :38.60, :50.40 and 1:02.20 for trainer Jack Sisterson.

Three other possible Breeders' Cup runners posted works on the fast main track.

Also working for Calumet and Sisterson was Lexitonian, who covered 5 furlongs in 1:00.60. Winner of the Grade 1 Alfred G. Vanderbilt two starts back, Lexitonian is a candidate for the $2 million Grade 1 Qatar Racing Breeders' Cup Sprint.

Peter Brant's Dunbar Road, runner-up to Letruska in the Grade 1 Juddmonte Spinster, worked a half-mile in :49 for trainer Chad Brown in preparation for a likely third start in the $2 million Breeders' Cup Distaff (G1).

Dare To Dream Stable's American Sanctuary, fourth in the Grade 1 Claiborne Breeders' Futurity, worked a half-mile in :48.40 for trainer Chris Davis. He is possible for the $2 million TVG Breeders' Cup Juvenile (G1) Presented by Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance.

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Letruska Departs Keeneland For BC Distaff Try At Del Mar

St. George Stable's homebred superstar mare Letruska finished her Keeneland preparations Saturday morning for her anticipated start in the $2 million Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Distaff in two weeks at Del Mar Thoroughbred Club in Del Mar, Calif.

With trainer Fausto Gutierrez looking on, Letruska jogged twice around the main track shortly after 6:30 a.m. Eastern and was scheduled to depart shortly before noon for a van ride to Indianapolis to board a FedEx flight to California.

A winner of six of seven starts in 2021, including the Grade 1 Juddmonte Spinster at the Lexington, Ky., track Oct. 10, Letruska has divided her time during morning training hours between Keeneland's main track and the all-weather training track.

“Everything has gone well for her since the Spinster,” said Gutierrez, who had Letruska based here most of the summer and for nearly two months following her victory in the Grade 1 Personal Ensign Presented by Lia Infiniti on Aug. 28 at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, N.Y.

Letruska has raced at seven tracks in the U.S. since coming here from Mexico in 2019, but she never has raced at Del Mar.

“It is a long trip out there, and this (travel schedule) will give her a few extra days to get acclimated,” said Gutierrez, who had an earlier flight Saturday and planned to be in California to meet Letruska when she arrives at Del Mar later today.

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Illegal Smile Takes Siena Purse At Keeneland

Hat Creek Racing's Illegal Smile (IRE) surged to the lead at the head of the stretch and cruised to a 1¼-length victory over Bullseye Beauty to win the $90,000 Siena Purse allowance for 3-year-old fillies at Keeneland Race Course in Lexington, Ky.

Ridden by Gerardo Corrales and trained by Wesley Ward, Illegal Smile covered the 5½ furlongs on a turf course labeled as good in 1:02.94.

Illegal Smile is an Irish-bred daughter of Camacho (GB) out of the Iffraaj (GB) mare Fine If (IRE). Now boasting a record of 10-2-4-1, Illegal Smile has earnings of $186,556.

Illegal Smile returned $7.80, $4.20, and $3.20 as the favorite in the field of nine. Bullseye Beauty, ridden by James Graham, returned $5 and $4.20 with Navratilova paying $3.80 to show under Julien Leparoux.

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