Keeneland | Horse Racing Free Tips

Gunite Dazzles In Perryville

In another dominating display of talent, Gunite pounced on dueling rivals and rolled home to a flashy victory in Keeneland's Perryville S.

Second to fleet-footed stakes-winner Conagher (Jimmy Creed) in a non-winners of three at Churchill Downs June 3, he parlayed that effort into victories in that track's Maxfield S., Saratoga's GII Amsterdam S., and a runner-up effort two-back to Jack Christopher (Munnings) in the GI H. Allen Jerkens Memorial S. Returning to winning ways last out Sept. 24 in the Harrods Creek S. beneath the Twin Spires over familiar foe Conagher, the 3-5 favorite made short work of his rivals here when the real running began.

Perched in third early as Provocateur (Into Mischief) and Of a Revolution (Maclean's Music) battled through :22.38 and :45.82 splits, Tyler Gaffalione was content to range into his striking position approaching the five-sixteenths pole before inhaling the tiring pacesetters. Kicking clear in upper stretch, Gunite meant business as he strode home 3 3/4 lengths best over 25-1 longshot Hoist the Gold (Mineshaft), who valiantly tried to make a race of it.

“[Gunite has shown] beautiful consistency. He has performed at the highest levels and continues to impress. He carries himself like he can do this. He's got a confidence. He accepts what's happening and does it extremely well,” said conditioner Steve Asmussen in a winner's circle interview.

And as for a possible start in the GI Qatar Racing Breeders' Cup Sprint in two weeks' time?

“This was the first test: how he handles Keeneland,” said Asmussen. “I thought he ran really well. He was very comfortable and looked great over the race track. Now it will all be about how he comes back. But we have until Monday [pre-entry deadline] to decide.”

Out of a stakes-winning half-sister to MSW Optionality (Gun Runner) and SP Simply Sovereign (American Pharoah), Gunite is his dam's only foal to the races thus far. Simple Surprise has a 2-year-old full-sister to the winner named Surprise Attack and produced a pair of half-sisters to those–a yearling by Copper Bullet and a 2022 weanling by Tapiture. She went back to Gun Runner for 2023. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.

PERRYVILLE S., $250,000, Keeneland, 10-22, 3yo, 7f, 1:23.21, ft.
1–GUNITE, 122, c, 3, by Gun Runner
1st Dam: Simple Surprise (SW, $185,446), by Cowboy Cal
2nd Dam: Simplify, by Pulpit
3rd Dam: Classic Olympio, by Olympio
O/B-Winchell Thoroughbreds LLC (KY); T-Steven M. Asmussen; J-Tyler Gaffalione. $151,125. Lifetime Record: GISW, 12-6-4-1, $965,934.
2–Hoist the Gold, 118, c, 3, Mineshaft–Tacit Approval, by Tapit. ($47,000 RNA Ylg '20 KEESEP). O-Dream Team One Racing Stable; B-Dream Team Racing (KY); T-Dallas Stewart. $48,750.
3–B Dawk, 118, c, 3, Gormley–Mott N Hester, by Super Saver. ($77,000 Ylg '20 KEEJAN; $140,000 Ylg '20 KEESEP; $425,000 2yo '21 EASMAY; $500,000 RNA 3yo '22 KEEAPR). O-West Point Thoroughbreds and Joseph E. Besecker; B-Small Batch Thoroughbreds & Robert Fetkin (KY); T-Doug F. O'Neill. $24,375.
Margins: 3 3/4, 3, 3 3/4. Odds: 0.62, 25.78, 7.02.
Also Ran: Artorius, Friar Laurence, Of a Revolution, Provocateur. Scratched: Pinehurst.

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Keeneland Hosts Heroes Day Oct. 23

Heroes Day, presented by Rubicon, will be held at Keeneland Sunday, Oct. 23. The event honors members of the military (active duty and veterans) and first responders (law enforcement, firefighters, EMTs and health care workers) and their families with free general admission and access to reserved Grandstand seats. A POW-MIA Chair of Honor will be on display in front of The Keeneland Shop to bring awareness to past and current POW-MIA military members through a partnership with The Rolling Thunder Kentucky Chapter 5.

Events Include:

11 a.m.-3 p.m. Family Zone in the North Terrace will have free lunch provided by City BBQ, sweet treats from Griffin's Kitchen and children's activities for Heroes Day families.

Noon Singing of National Anthem by Frank Russell of the Kentucky State Police in the Walking Ring.

1:05 p.m. Winner's Circle recognition of Heather Thompson, RN, Assistant Manager in the Cardiovascular Intensive Care Unit at UK HealthCare, after Race 1 trophy presentation.

1:37 p.m. Winner's Circle recognition of Kentucky Justice and Public Safety Cabinet Deputy Secretary Keith Jackson after Race 2 trophy presentation.

2:09 p.m. Winner's Circle presentation of $5,000 check from Keeneland to Lady Veterans Connect, an organization that assists female veterans.

2:40 p.m. Henry Clay High School Junior ROTC rollout of American flag after Race 4 (post time 2:36 p.m.) on the main track to “America the Beautiful” by Keeneland Bugler Steve Buttleman. Dr. Everett McCorvey will lead the crowd in the singing of “God Bless America.”

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Tapwrit Colt Dazzles In ‘TDN Rising Star’ Debut

Sent away at a well-backed 7-2 in arguably the toughest and deepest 2-year-old maiden of the fall meet at Keeneland Friday afternoon, Spendthrift Farm and Frank Fletcher Racing Operation's Victory Formation (c, 2, Tapwrit–Smart N Soft, by Smart Strike) led past every pole to become the 10th individual winner and the first 'TDN Rising Star' for his Gainesway-based freshman sire (by Tapit).

Hustled away from gate three by Luis Saez, Victory Formation headed off his rivals as the field linked up with the track proper and got the opening quarter in a solid :23.03 while chased to his inside by favored Communication Memo (Bolt d'Oro) and by Release Mccraken (McCraken) deeper out. Galloping in hand on the turn, the athletic bay pinched a break when asked to lengthen entering the stretch and kicked readily clear through the final eighth of a mile to take it by a space. Release Mccraken was second ahead of Communication Memo.

Weyhill Road (Quality Road), the well-related $1.6-million Keeneland September graduate, was headstrong and checked in traffic down the backstretch, came with an inside run on the turn and flattened out a bit in the final furlong to finish fourth in an effort that can certainly be built upon. Baseline Beater (Flatter) was bothered badly by Schoolmaster (Ger) (Helmet {Aus}) soon after the break, but closed his final quarter in a race-fastest :24.65 to check in a promising fifth.

Gainesway, who stands Classic winner Tapwrit alongside his own extraordinary sire, purchased the winner's dam for $140,000 in foal to Uncle Mo at the 2015 Keeneland November Sale and elected to retain the mare when offered carrying the colt that would become Victory Formation on a bid of $47,000 at KEENOV in 2019.

Victory Formation found his way back into the Keeneland sales pavilion 12 months later, hammering to Black Cat Stable for $100,000, the priciest of 18 foals by Tapwrit to sell in 2020. Resold to Gina Fennell for $150,000 at the 2021 Fasig-Tipton July Sale, the Mar. 3 foal fetched $340,000 at this year's Fasig-Tipton Midlantic Sale after breezing a quarter-mile in :21 2/5 (see below).

A half-brother to recent GI Rodeo Drive S. third Bellamore (Empire Maker, $184,840), Victory Formation is a grandson of late James Tafel's GSW Softly, while the deeper female family includes GSW/MGISP Til Forbid (Temperence Hill) and her Grade III-winning daughter Scoop (Gone West). Smart N Soft is the dam of a yearling Karakontie (Jpn) filly that was purchased by RGS Enterprises for $130,000 at last month's Keeneland September Sale and a weanling filly by Practical Joke. She was most recently covered by Raging Bull (Fr).

7th-Keeneland, $99,588, Msw, 10-21, 2yo, 6 1/2f, 1:17.94, ft, 4 3/4 lengths.
VICTORY FORMATION, c, 2, by Tapwrit
1st Dam: Smart N Soft, by Smart Strike
2nd Dam: Softly, by Binalong
3rd Dam: Coragil, by Metfield
Sales history: $100,000 Wlg '20 KEENOV; $150,000 Ylg '21 FTKJUL; $340,000 2yo '22 EASMAY. Lifetime Record: 1-1-0-0, $56,575.
Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by TVG. Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
O-Spendthrift Farm LLC & Frank Fletcher Racing Operations Inc; B-Gainesway Thoroughbreds Ltd (KY); T-Brad H Cox.

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Goldencents Colt Graduates Nicely at Keeneland

4th-Keeneland, $97,670, Msw, 10-21, 2yo, 6 1/2f, 1:19.10, ft, 1/2 length.
LUGAN KNIGHT (c, 2, Goldencents–Sly Roxy, by Speightstown) was outfinished by the impressive Protege (Good Magic) on Churchill debut Sept. 21 and was off at 97 cents on the dollar to go one better Friday afternoon. Away a touch slowly from the inside gate, the homebred tucked in just behind the leading trio in fourth down the backstretch and traveled on the bridle on the turn. The favorite was ridden for luck into the stretch and was stymied with about three-sixteenths of a mile to race, but he punched through gamely three off the inside entering the final furlong and fought on gamely for the victory, the second of the meet for these connections. Carcano (Bolt d'Oro), the second betting choice at 38-10, raced farther back in the field and in a fair amount of kickback over what appeared to be a loose surface for the opening half-mile. Produced wide into the stretch, he stood to be the chief beneficiary when Lugan Knight was short of room, taking the lead between calls, but he was outgamed to the line. Lugan Knight is the first offspring for his dam, a daughter of two-time Sovereign Award winner Roxy Gap (Indian Charlie), whose four winners from five to race include Peter Brant's GIII Pucker Up S. heroine Cafe Americano (Medaglia d'Oro). Sly Roxy is the dam of a yearling colt from the second crop of Mendelssohn–a half-brother to Into Mischief– and most recently visited Instagrand (Into Mischief). Lifetime Record: 2-1-1-0, $80,575. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.
O/B-BG Stables (KY); T-Michael W McCarthy.

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