Keeneland | Horse Racing Free Tips

Dual-Surface Colt War Of Will Likely To Make Final Career Start In Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile

Though War of Will has campaigned exclusively on the turf in 2020, including a victory in the Grade 1 Maker's Mark Mile in July, the 4-year-old son of War Front will return to the dirt next month at Keeneland in what is likely to be his final career start.

According to bloodhorse.com, trainer Mark Casse is planning to enter Gary Barber's colt in the Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile on Nov. 7.

“It would be nice—he's already a grade 1 winner on the turf this year—to win another grade 1 on the dirt,” Casse told bloodhorse.com. “This will probably be his last start I would say before he retires to stud.”

War of Will will stand at Claiborne Farm for the 2021 season.

As a 3-year-old, War of Will won the Grade 1 Preakness Stakes, the G2 Risen Star, and the G3 Lecomte, while also placing third in the G1 Pennsylvania Derby. He'd run on turf as a 2-year-old, finishing second in the G1 Summer Stakes at Woodbine and fifth in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf.

Most recently, War of Will finished third in the G1 Woodbine Mile. Overall, the colt's record stands at 5-1-3 from 17 starts with earnings of $1,871,803.

Spanish Loveaffair Tops Field Of 11 In Wednesday’s ‘Win And You’re In’ Jessamine Stakes

Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners, Michael Hernon and Gary Barber's Spanish Loveaffair leads Wednesday's JPMorgan Chase Jessamine (G2) for 2-year-old fillies on turf at Keeneland Race Course in Lexington, Ky., live on NBCSN at 4 p.m. ET. The winner of the JPMorgan Chase Jessamine, which drew 11 starters, will earn an automatic berth into the $1 million Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (G1) through the Breeders' Cup Challenge Series.

Wednesday's telecast, produced in association with TVG, marks the 11th and final program in this year's “Breeders' Cup Challenge Series: Win and You're In – presented by America's Best Racing” on NBC and NBCSN from some of North America's most iconic racetracks. The series leads to the 37th Breeders' Cup World Championships at Keeneland, scheduled for Nov. 6-7 and airing on NBC and NBCSN. The complete series TV schedule can be accessed here.

Reporting and commentary for the telecast will be provided from Keeneland by TVG's Todd Schrupp, Matt Bernier, Caton Bredar, Gabby Gaudet, Britney Eurton and Caleb Keller. Simon Bray will be providing commentary from home.

Spanish Loveaffair, a bay daughter of 2014 Breeders' Cup Mile (G1) winner Karakontie (JPN), has won both her starts at Gulfstream Park. Spanish Loveaffair is trained by Hall of Famer Mark Casse, who won this race in 2016 with La Coronel. After breaking her maiden at 1 mile by an eye-popping 11 lengths on July 23, Spanish Loveaffair returned on Aug. 29 to win the 1-mile Sharp Susan Stakes by 1 ¼ lengths as the 1-2 favorite. Tyler Gaffalione has the mount on Spanish Loveaffair and will break from post position 10.

Among the challengers to Spanish Loveaffair is the Brad Cox-trained Aunt Pearl (IRE). In her lone start on Sept. 1 at Churchill Downs, Aunt Pearl, a bay daughter of Lope de Vega (IRE), set the early pace in a 1-mile race and drew off by 5 lengths. Owned by Michael Dubb, Madaket Stables, Peter Deutsch, Michael Kisber and The Elkstone Group, Aunt Pearl will be ridden by Florent Geroux from post 7.

Another impressive debut winner is Don Alberto Stable's Ingrassia. Trained by Chad Brown, who has won the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf three times, Ingrassia overcame a bumpy start in a 1 1/16-mile maiden special weight at Saratoga on Aug. 19 and steadily worked her way to the front to win by a nose. A daughter of Medaglia d'Oro, Ingrassia will be ridden by Javier Castellano from post 5.

Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen sends out Ben Rollins and Shelia Rollins' Beautiful Star, a daughter of two-time Breeders' Cup Classic (G1) winner Tiznow, who was fifth in the Kentucky Downs Juvenile Fillies on Sept. 7. Adam Beschizza has the mount and will break from post position 4. Asmussen also will send out Kentucky Downs debut maiden winner Arm Candy for the partnership of Bradley Thoroughbreds, Tim Cambron, Anna Cambron and Kurz Equine Investments. Ricardo Santana Jr. will ride from post position 6.

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Keeneland Catalogs 3,777 Horses For November Breeding Stock Sale

Keeneland has cataloged 3,777 horses for the 2020 November Breeding Stock Sale, which opens Monday, Nov. 9, two days after Keeneland hosts the Breeders' Cup World Championships for the second time. Buyers will be able to participate in the auction remotely through online and telephone bidding options successfully introduced at the September Yearling Sale, while the new bidding location at the Show Barn next to the Sales Pavilion again will be available to allow for proper social distancing.

Keeneland's COVID-19 protocols for the November Sale will be similar to those used for the September Sale.

For the November Sale, a total of 1,832 broodmares and broodmare prospects, 1,404 weanlings, 531 horses of racing age and 10 stallions have been cataloged. Keeneland will continue to accept supplemental entries for the premier Book 1 and for the horses of racing age segment of the sale.

The November Sale catalog is online on Keeneland.com. Print catalogs will be mailed Oct. 19.

“The November Sale is a globally important source of premium bloodstock, and the Breeders' Cup at Keeneland immediately beforehand will only heighten the excitement surrounding the sale,” Keeneland President-Elect and Interim Head of Sales Shannon Arvin said. “This year's catalog features a number of unique offerings, led by stakes-winning fillies, among them ones scheduled to compete in the Breeders' Cup, and stakes-producing mares in foal to leading sires. Weanlings are another important segment of the November Sale, and we are especially excited to see members of the first crop of foals by undefeated 2018 Triple Crown winner Justify. Meanwhile, the portion of the sale dedicated to horses of racing age has proven very popular with trainers.”

2020 November Sale schedule

The November Sale will span 10 sessions, two fewer than in 2019. The format is as follows:

Book 1 – Monday, Nov. 9. Session begins at noon ET. A total of 244 horses are cataloged.

All remaining sessions begin at 10 a.m.:

Book 2-6 – Tuesday, Nov. 10 through Wednesday, Nov. 18.

Horses of racing age highlight sessions on Monday, Nov. 16 and Tuesday, Nov. 17. They represent such leading consignors as ELiTE, Lane's End, Paramount Sales, Taylor Made Sales Agency and WinStar Farm.

Keeneland will livestream the entire November Sale at Keeneland.com.

Remote bidding options available

Prospective buyers who attend the November Sale or participate in the auction remotely have a number of ways to prepare. The first step is to register for an account and establish credit within the Keeneland Sales Portal. Keeneland recommends doing so two weeks before the sale.

Remote bidding options at Keeneland sales integrate directly with the live auction experience in real time, just as if a buyer were standing in the Sales Pavilion.

Online bidding: Buyers may watch a real-time video view of the live sale and bid simultaneously from Keeneland's online bidding platform accessible through their accounts in the Keeneland Sales Portal.

Phone bidding: Buyers can use the Keeneland Sales Portal to participate in bidding on horses in the November Sale by phone. Please notify Keeneland at least 24 hours prior to bidding. A Keeneland representative will call back prior to the bidding.

The Keeneland Sales team is available to answer any questions about expanded bidding options and the November Sale. Please contact Director of Sales Accounting Brent Hacker at 859 288-4231 or bhacker@keeneland.com.

Prominent sires represented by weanlings, in-foal broodmares

The November Sale is a vibrant marketplace for weanlings and in-foal broodmares with connections to exciting young stallions and successful established sires. Joining the aforementioned Justify as sires with their first weanlings in this year's catalog are 2017 Kentucky Derby winner Always Dreaming, champions Good Magic and West Coast, and Breeders' Cup winners City of Light and Mendelssohn.

A total of 170 sires are represented by weanlings in the catalog, including American Pharoah, Arrogate, Bernardini, Constitution, Curlin, Distorted Humor, Empire Maker, Flatter, Ghostzapper, Gun Runner, Into Mischief, Kitten's Joy, Lope de Vega (IRE), Malibu Moon, Medaglia d'Oro, Not This Time, Nyquist, Outwork, Pioneerof the Nile, Practical Joke, Quality Road, Speightstown, Tapit, Uncle Mo, Union Rags and War Front.

Broodmares in the catalog are in foal to 187 stallions, among them Always Dreaming, American Pharoah, Arrogate, Bernardini, Candy Ride (ARG), Catholic Boy, City of Light, Constitution, Curlin, Distorted Humor, Ghostzapper, Good Magic, Gun Runner, Into Mischief, Justify, Kitten's Joy, Malibu Moon, Medaglia d'Oro, Not This Time, Outwork, Quality Road, Speightstown, Street Sense, Tapit, Uncle Mo, Union Rags and War Front.

Champions Mitole and Vino Rosso and Grade 1 winners Omaha Beach and Yoshida (JPN) are among the stallions represented by their first in-foal mares in the catalog.

Improbable, Shedaresthedevil among successful November Sale graduates

A number of accomplished runners in 2020 were offered at the November Sale as weanlings and horses of racing age.

Leading the runners who were weanlings at the November Sale is Improbable, whose three consecutive Grade 1 wins put him atop the National Thoroughbred Racing Association's Top Thoroughbred Poll as of Sept. 28. Improbable's Grade 1 string covers the Hollywood Gold Cup, Whitney and Awesome Again.

Another standout sold as a weanling at the November Sale is Kentucky Oaks winner Shedaresthedevil.

Other successful horses in 2020 who were offered as weanlings at the November Sale include additional Grade 1 winners Keeper Ofthe Stars (Gamely) and Serengeti Empress (Ballerina); Grade 2 winners Bast (Santa Ynez), Diamond Oops (Twin Spires Turf Sprint Presented by Sysco and Stoll Keenon Ogden Phoenix), Ete Indien (Fountain of Youth), Laura's Light (San Clemente), Mr. Monomoy (Risen Star Presented by Lamarque Ford), Mutasaabeq (Bourbon), Sleepy Eyes Todd (Charles Town Classic), Speaktomeofsummer (Lake Placid) and United (Charles Whittingham, Eddie Read, John Henry Turf Championship, San Marcos) and Grade 3 winners Chaos Theory (Green Flash), Dean Martini (Ohio Derby), Down On Da Bayou (UAE Oaks Sponsored by Range Rover), Fly On Angel (Charles Town Oaks), Identifier (Hal's Hope), Island Commish (Kitten's Joy), Ms Peintour (Astra), Neptune's Storm (San Francisco Mile), Selflessly (Lake George), Sittin On Go (Iroquois Presented by Ford), Sombeyay (Canadian Turf) and Trophy Chaser (Challenger).

Shedaresthedevil was a 2-year-old with four starts, including a Grade 2 placing, when she returned to the November Sale in 2019 as a horse of racing age. Joining her as Grade 1 winners of 2020 who also were offered as horses of racing age at the auction are Santa Anita Handicap winner Combatant and Ricoh Woodbine Mile winner Starship Jubilee.

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Higher Power Getting ‘Acclimated’ To Keeneland, May Audition For Classic In Fayette

Hronis Racing's Higher Power, third in last year's $6 million Breeders' Cup Classic (G1) at Santa Anita, could get an audition Saturday for this year's Classic to be run at Keeneland on Nov. 7.

“He may go in the (Hagyard) Fayette (G2) if he trains well or he could straight into the Classic,” said Juan Leyva, assistant to trainer John Sadler. “The main goal in coming here early was to get him acclimated. The last time he shipped was to Gulfstream Park (for the Pegasus World Cup Invitational-G1), and he didn't acclimate well at all.”

Entries for the Hagyard Fayette will taken Wednesday.

“It seems like he enjoys it here,” Leyva said of Higher Power, who worked 5 furlongs in 1:00 on Sunday.

Higher Power is a graduate of Keeneland's 2019 April Two-Year-Olds in Training and Horses of Racing Age Sale.

Leyva also said another Sadler runner, Karen and Paul Eggert's Ollie's Candy, runner-up in Sunday's Juddmonte Spinster (G1), remains on track for the $2 million Breeders' Cup Distaff (G1) here Nov. 7. Ollie's Candy is to be offered during the prestigious Book 1 of the Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale on Nov. 9.

“She had a rough trip Sunday,” Leyva said. “She was bottled up on the inside, where she doesn't like to be, and ate a lot of dirt. She made her move, but it was a little too late.”

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