Keeneland | Horse Racing Free Tips

Friday Winners in Good Order

The winners of Friday’s juvenile races at the Breeders’ Cup were reported in good order Saturday morning. Trainer Brad Cox celebrated two winners on the championship card when Aunt Pearl (Ire) (Lope de Vega {Ire}) captured the GI Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf S. and Godolphin homebred Essential Quality (Tapit) won the GI Breeders’ Cup Juvenile.

Aunt Pearl, purchased for 280,000gns at last year’s Tattersalls October sale, won the GII JPMorgan Chase Jessamine S. and is now unbeaten in three starts. Essential Quality, also three for three, added his Breeders’ Cup win to a victory in the GI Claiborne Breeders Futurity.

“These are both horses that have shown us a lot since we picked them up in the spring,” Cox said. “It’s a long process getting to a point like this and it’s just a testament to the help, the assistants, the foremen, the exercise riders, the hotwalkers, the grooms, everyone we have in place. I’m just really proud of our staff and really appreciative of the opportunities owners have given us with really nice horses. Aunt Pearl was an expensive purchase out of Tattersalls last year and fortunate to have been given her. Obviously, Godolphin has a very well-bred homebred. Sometimes that’s what it takes to get to a stage like this. It’s very rewarding and we’re very fortunate.”

Trainer Butch Reid was also pleased with GI Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies winner Vequist (Nyquist).

“When I saw her in the morning jogging and stuff, I thought she looked really good but then when she got over there into the paddock in the afternoon, I thought she looked spectacular,” said Reid. “In my mind, I thought she won the paddock show. She looked good, calm, relaxed. We felt pretty good.”

Reid added that Vequist, campaigned by Gary Barber, Wachtel Stable and Swilcan Stable, will now head to Barry Eisaman’s farm in Florida for a freshening to prepare for a sophomore campaign he hopes will include the 2021 GI Kentucky Oaks.

“Four starts as a 2-year-old is plenty for me and we got her stretched around two turns, which is what I wanted,” Reid said. “She’ll soak up some sun and pick on some grass.”

Ranlo Investment’s Golden Pal (Uncle Mo) will also be getting a break following his win in Friday’s GII Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint.

“He’s doing great this morning,” trainer Wesley Ward said. “He’s a champion. He’s going to hang out here at Keeneland and let down until about Christmas. Usually Keeneland has a turf sprint for 3-year-olds on opening day that we’ll point for and then point to the G1 King’s Stand at Royal Ascot with him.”

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Saturday Undercard: Nashville Sets Track Record, Spill Mars Second Race

The China Horse Club and WinStar Farm showed off a talented young sprinter in the opener on Breeders' Cup Saturday at Keeneland, sending out Nashville for a track record-setting victory in the $125,000 Perryville Stakes. The 3-year-old son of Speightstown ran six furlongs over the fast main track in 1:07.89, annihilating the previous record of 1:08.43 set by A.P. Indian in 2016.

(Note: the run-up for today's Perryville was 55 feet, while the run-up for A.P. Indian's previous track record-setting performance was 34 feet.)

Trained by Steve Asmussen and ridden by Ricardo Santana, Jr., the 1-9 favorite Nashville grabbed the lead at the start and easily ran away from the field, setting fractions of :21.54, :43.87, and :55.61 without turning a hair. Santana never touched his whip down the lane, cruising under the wire an easy winner by about three lengths over Wild Wes.

Asmussen could have sent the colt to the Breeders' Cup Sprint later on the card, but elected to take an easier route with the inexperienced Nashville.

Bred in Kentucky by Breffni Farm, Nashville is out of the unraced Mizzen Mast mare Veronique from the family of multi-millionaires Giacomo and Tiago. Nashville was a $460,000 yearling purchase at the 2018 Keeneland September sale, and has gone undefeated in his first three starts by a total of over 20 lengths. His earnings now stand at $157,200.

The day's second race, the Lafayette Stakes, saw a spill at the top of the stretch mar the action when Absolutely Aiden broke down. Both Dinar and Strike That were also affected and unseated their riders, but galloped out unharmed and were corralled by outriders before being taken back to their respective barns. Trainer Cherie DeVaux Tweeted that Dinar was find other than minor abrasions.

Absolutely Aiden was loaded onto the equine ambulance.

All three jockeys affected by the incident escaped unharmed, and were checked out at first aid and approved to ride their remaining mounts. They are: Tyler Gaffalione (Dinar), Chris Landeros (Absolutely Aiden), and David Cohen (Strike That).

Midnight Sands also appeared to stumble over the stricken horse, and was eased down the stretch by jockey Irad Ortiz, Jr. He also walked off the track under his own power.

Sleepy Eyes Todd won the Lafayette for trainer Miguel Silva and jockey Joel Rosario.

In the third race, the Fort Springs Stakes, trainer Bob Baffert and jockey Luis Saez teamed up with Merneith to defeat Motivated Seller by a neck at the finish. The 3-year-old filly is sired by American Pharoah.

Merneith has been a part of Baffert's recent medication controversy: after finishing second in the fourth race on July 25 at Del Mar, the filly returned a positive test for Dextrorphan, a cough suppressant.

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Nashville Dominates in Keeneland’s Perryville

The brilliantly talented Nashville, who had been under consideration for the GI Breeders’ Cup Sprint, kicked off Saturday’s action with a jaw-dropping performance that smashed a track record posted by MGISW A. P. Indian (Indian Charlie) in the 2016 GII Still Keenon Ogden Phoenix S. The bay garnered the ‘TDN Rising Star’ distinction when he cruised home by 11 1/2 lengths in the Saratoga slop first out Sept. 2, and he crushed allowance foes by 9 3/4 lengths over track and trip Oct. 10, good for a 101 Beyer Speed Figure. Never drifting from 1-9 odds, the rail-drawn colt went right to the lead as expected, traveled all by his lonesome through supersonic splits of :21.54 and :43.87 and continued along to the wire in a geared-down gallop.

The winner’s 2-year-old half-brother Market Cap (Candy Ride {Arg}), just a $22,000 OBS March grad, scored by seven lengths at third asking in a one-mile, rained-off Laurel maiden special weight Oct. 30. Dam Veronique’s yearling colt by Mastery brought $80,000 at the recent Fasig-Tipton October sale, and dam Veronique sold to Schiano Racing for $22,000 at the 2019 Keeneland November sale carrying a full-sister to that colt. Back in foal to Collected, Veronique was supplemented to KEENOV and will sell as hip 244D on Monday. Her Mastery filly is catalogued as hip 885. Veronique is out of a full-sister to GI Kentucky Derby upsetter Giacomo (Holy Bull) and half to MGISW Tiago (Pleasant Tap). Second dam Styler has done well when paired with Speightstown, having produced GSP ‘Rising Star’ Calistoga and SW Almond Roca by the WinStar stalwart.

PERRYVILLE S., $125,000, Keeneland, 11-7, 3yo, 6f, 1:07.89 (NTR), ft.
1–NASHVILLE, 118, c, 3, by Speightstown
                1st Dam: Veronique, by Mizzen Mast
                2nd Dam: Styler, by Holy Bull
                3rd Dam: Set Them Free, by Stop the Music
   ‘TDN Rising Star‘ ($460,000 Ylg ’18 KEESEP). 1ST BLACK-TYPE
   WIN. O-CHC INC. & WinStar Farm LLC; B-Breffni Farm (KY);
T-Steven M. Asmussen; J-Ricardo Santana, Jr. $75,000.
Lifetime Record: 3-3-0-0, $157,200.
2–Wild Wes, 118, g, 3, Race Day–Tricia’s Trama, by Article of
Faith. ($10,000 RNA Ylg ’18 FTKJUL; $39,000 2yo ’19 OBSOPN).
O-Dundalk 5 LLC, Wesley F Herek Racing Stables LLC & 21
Racing, LLC; B-Nossab LLC & Jan & Madelein Basson (KY);
T-Dee Poulos. $25,000.
3–Little Menace, 120, c, 3, Into Mischief–Pay Attention, by
Arch. ($460,000 Ylg ’18 FTSAUG). O-Phoenix Thoroughbred,
LTD; B-Gabriel Duignan, Crosshaven Bldsk, Petaluma Bldsk &
Hazelmere Bldsk (KY); T-Steven M. Asmussen. $12,500.
Margins: 3HF, 3 3/4, 2 1/4. Odds: 0.10, 28.20, 30.50.
Also Ran: Bango, Fore Left, Cajun Brother, Relentless Dancer.
Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.

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Friday’s Breeders’ Cup Double Has Cox ‘Looking Forward To Coming Up With A Game Plan For Next Year’

As he was preparing for another busy Breeders' Cup day, trainer Brad Cox was also enjoying his two victories Friday with Essential Quality in the TVG Juvenile presented by Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance and with Aunt Pearl (IRE) in the Juvenile Fillies Turf. Cox reported both juveniles came out of their races well and he's excited about next year with them, although no firm plans have been made yet.

“It was a fantastic day,” Cox said. “Both came out of their races really well. So far so good. Both are a little tired, but they have a right to be. They both appear to have bounced out of the races very well. We'll see how things go moving forward. We don't have anything picked out as far as races, but we're looking very forward to coming up with a game plan for next year. These are both horses that have shown us a lot since we picked them up in the spring. It's a long process getting to a point like this and it's just a testament to the help, the assistants, the foremen, the exercise riders, the hotwalkers, the grooms, everyone we have in place. I'm just really proud of our staff and really appreciative of the opportunities owners have given us with really nice horses. Aunt Pearl was an expensive purchase out of Tattersalls last year and fortunate to have been given her. Obviously, Godolphin has a very well-bred homebred. Sometimes that's what it takes to get to a stage like this. It's very rewarding and we're very fortunate.”

Aunt Pearl already had shown she was speedy in her two victories leading into the Juvenile Filles Turf and Cox said the plan all along with to use that weapon. As the 2-1 favorite she shot out of the gate and never looked back, winning by 2 ½ lengths.

“The closer we got to the race and once we had our post position, I just thought with where we were and where the other speed was, it didn't make sense to take back or try to make her rate. Our plan was to take it to them. (Jockey) Florent (Geroux) and I talked and we both agreed we needed to get her out of the gate and into position. She was fortunate enough to do that and clear off going into the turn, which was huge. She really relaxed and showed her class. She shut off for him that second quarter and I think that's probably where the race was won. She was able to settle that second quarter. Going into the second turn she was traveling beautifully. They were coming, but she obviously had gas left in the tank.”

Essential Quality, who now becomes one of the early favorites for the Kentucky Derby next year with his Juvenile win, has now shown how versatile he is with his third straight win and third different running style.

“Obviously, it was different style with Essential Quality, but not a different tactic,” Cox said. “We expected to break and be close, maybe third or fourth. We knew there was some speed in there. They kind of got away from him early. He took some dirt. (Jockey) Luis (Saez) did a good job getting him to the outside down the backside. He settled for him down the backside, but I was very concerned where we were. I think he may have been eighth. But, then I saw the 45 (for the half mile) and thought to myself these horses back up. Luis started knuckling down on him and I saw he was making a move. At the quarter pole was when I thought we had a shot. I was hoping that move he started making wasn't going to flatten out. He's a 2-year-old, still learning. It's only the third race of his life. Once they straightened up, I started to feel more confident. Luis gave him a strong ride down the lane and he was able to get there. This horse has had three races and he's been a different position every time. I think he showed his versatility and that he can overcome things. He's good colt. He's shown us from get go that he's special. Very happy to be associated with him.”

Cox will have five more chances to add to his Breeders' Cup tallies Saturday, including Monomoy Girl, the morning line favorite for the Longines Distaff.

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