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Sunday’s Racing Insights: Keeneland Card Features Intriguing Babies

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4th-KEE, $70K, Msw, 2yo, 6f, 2:50 p.m. ET
Pricey Rising Empire (Empire Maker) is one of two signed on here for Larry Jones. The $275,000 Keeneland September yearling blossomed into a $700,000 OBSAPR juvenile after a powerful :10 1/5 breeze. He’s half to the long-winded GSW and ‘TDN Rising Star’ Rocketry (Hard Spun). Fox Hill Farms Inc.’s Trump Card (Nyquist) is out of a precocious mare who earned a big figure for a June 2-year-old debut before finishing third in Saratoga’s GIII Schuylerville S. He was a $210,000 KEESEP grad. Cool Quest (Frosted), who cost $10,000 more at the same auction, is half to hard-knocking Canadian champion grass horse Grand Adventure (Grand Slam), who did take the GIII Summer S. as a juvenile. TJCIS PPs

5th-KEE, $71K, OC ($75K), 2yo, f, 6f, 2:50 p.m. ET
‘TDN Rising Star‘ Inject (Frosted) looks to atone for a duel-and-fade eighth-place run in the GIII Pocahontas S. on the stretch out and quick turnaround at Churchill Sept. 3. In her prior start, the daughter of GISW Appealing Zophie (Successful Appeal) and half to GI Belmont S. winner Tapwrit (Tapit) aired by six lengths going short at Ellis Aug. 15. The $390,000 KEESEP buy earned a strong 82 Beyer Speed Figure for her unveiling. Feeling Mischief (Into Mischief), a daughter of precocious GSP True Feelings (Latent Heat), is half to this year’s GIII Robert B. Lewis S. runner-up Royal Act (American Pharoah) and from the family of champion 3-year-old filly Wait a While (Maria’s Mon). She’s been off since an eight-length procession on debut at Colonial Downs Aug. 3 and ships in from trainer Michael Campbell’s Arlington Park base. TJCIS PPs

10th-KEE, $70K, Msw, 2yo, f, 1m, 6:18 p.m. ET
Reiko and Mike Baum’s Illiogami (Tapit) makes her first start here for trainer Rusty Arnold. The $400,000 KEESEP buy is out of talented turfer Odeliz (Ire) (Falco), a Group 1 winner in France and Italy who was also a close second in the 2014 GI E. P. Taylor S. at Woodbine. Candace O (Declaration of War) is a full to 2018 GIII With Anticipation S. hero Opry. Information Mosaic (Bernardini), a $125,000 September pick-up, is out of GSP Artemis (Empire Maker). Her third dam is La Gueriere (Lord At War {Arg}), who annexed the 1991 GI Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup S. here before producing the likes of GISW Icon Project (Empire Maker) and the dam of Munnings. TJCIS PPs

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Diamond Oops’ Connections Will ‘Flip A Coin’ Between Breeders’ Cup Sprint, Turf Sprint

Diamond Oops and Empire of Gold, who finished less than a length apart at the end of Friday's $200,000 Stoll Keenon Ogden Phoenix (G2), are likely to return to Keeneland for starts Nov. 7.

Diamond 100 Racing Club, Amy Dunne, D P Racing and trainer Patrick Biancone's Diamond Oops was scheduled to leave Keeneland this afternoon to return to the Palm Meadows Training Center in South Florida, according to assistant trainer Andie Biancone.

“He's just a cool horse,” she said of the 5-year-old Diamond Oops, who became a millionaire with his Friday victory. “My dad was very proud of him yesterday and happy.”

The victory earned Diamond Oops a fees-paid berth into the $2 million Breeders' Cup Sprint (G1). However, Diamond Oops also is accomplished on the grass, having won the TwinSpires Turf Sprint (G2) Presented by Sysco in his previous start.

“My dad will probably flip a coin,” Biancone said of making the decision whether Diamond Oops would be pre-entered in the Sprint or the $1 million Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint (G1) also on Nov. 7.

“Most likely (Diamond Oops) would come back the week of the Breeders' Cup. He loves to travel. He is a lot more confident now, and he enjoys changes in distances and surfaces. Last year was like his 3-year-old year because he only had the one race in 2018.”

Johnny Evans and trainer Terry Eoff's Empire of Gold left Keeneland before 7 a.m. en route to Remington Park.

Dismissed at 51-1 as a 3-year-old making his graded stakes debut, Empire of Gold dueled with Grade 1 winner No Parole through fast fractions, opened a clear advantage in the stretch and was overhauled late by Diamond Oops.

“We knew he was good, but we didn't know just how good,” Eoff said of the result in which Empire of Gold finished in front of three Grade 1 winners. “He beat some pretty good horses.”

The only time Empire of Gold has not finished in the top three was when he was fifth in the Grand Prairie Derby at Lone Star going 1 1/16 miles in June.

“I just had to try him long once,” Eoff said. “His best lick is 5½ to 6½ furlongs.”

Eoff is planning to bring Empire of Gold back here for the $100,000 Perryville for 3-year-olds going 6 furlongs as part of the Nov. 7 Breeders' Cup undercard.

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Simply Ravishing Leads All The Way As McPeek Saddles Exacta In Alcibiades

Trainer Kenny McPeek sent out his fifth winner of the Grade 1 Darley Alcibiades this Friday at Keeneland, saddling Harold Lerner, Magdalena Racing and Nehoc Stables' Simply Ravishing for a dominant front-running victory by open lengths. The 2-year-old daughter of Laoban ran 1 1/16 miles in 1:43.58, and is undefeated in three career starts. Ridden by Luis Saez, Simply Ravishing earned an expenses-paid berth to the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies next month, also at Keeneland.

Breaking from the outermost stall in the field of seven, Simply Ravishing worked her way to the lead before the clubhouse turn, and Saez nudged her over to the rail with a 1 1/2-length advantage. The filly relaxed through fractions of :24.43, :48.59, and 1:12.94, maintaining her easy lead all the way to the top of the lane.

Saez looked under his arm turning into the short stretch run, and gave the filly her cue. Simply Ravishing responded easily, pulling away to win by about seven lengths on the wire.

In an all-out battle for second, the McPeek-trained Crazy Beautiful defeated Travel Column in a photo finish. Thoughtfully checked in fourth, and Oliviaofthedesert (also trained by McPeek) was fifth.

“I knew two very fast horses were inside,” said Saez. “(I thought) let's break from there and see what they're doing. She breaks so sharp; she was right there. It was easy. We took it (the lead). She was traveling pretty good. I felt like I had a lot of horse all the way. When we came to the straight, she just took off. She did it pretty easy, like normal. Like nothing. It was amazing. She's a very good filly.”

“They are both really special fillies,” said McPeek. “I kind of hated to run them against each other, but it is a race we are obviously fond of and we felt like we had a heck of a chance with both of them in there. We will probably go to the Breeders' Cup with both of them. I told (D. Wayne) Lukas a long time ago that I would win more Alcibiades than him. (Lukas has six wins in the race.)”

Bred in New York by Meg Levy, Simply Ravishing is out of the unplaced More Than Ready mare Four Wishes. A $50,000 yearling at the Fasig-Tipton Kentucky fall sale in 2019, Simply Ravishing won her debut at Saratoga over two turns on the turf. She came back a month later to win the Spa's P.G. Johnson Stakes, originally scheduled for 1 1/16 miles on the turf but rained off and held over seven furlongs on the main track instead. Now, the dual-surface undefeated filly has won all three of her career starts for earnings of over $300,000.

“I don't think we know how good she is,” McPeek assistant Alan Shell said. “She's won on turf, dirt, going short, going long. It's just real exciting. We're just so thankful we have owners like Mr. (Harold) Lerner and Jack Cohen and Magdalena Racing that are behind us. They made a commitment when they bought this filly. They buy the best horses. Kenny did a great job picking her out. It's all a team effort.”

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Laoban’s Simply Ravishing Simply Uncatchable in Darley Alcibiades

One day before saddling $35,000 bargain buy Swiss Skydiver (Daredevil) to take on the boys in the GI Preakness S., trainer Ken McPeek was represented by the one-two finishers in Keeneland’s GI Darley Alcibiades S. Friday. New York-bred Simply Ravishing (Laoban), just a $50,000 Fasig-Tipton October yearling herself, dominated her competition on the front end and ran up the score to 6 1/4 lengths. ‘TDN Rising Stars’ Crazy Beautiful (Liam’s Map) and Travel Column (Frosted) fought it out for second and third. This was McPeek’s fifth win in the Alcibiades, which carried with it an automatic berth into the GI Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies over the same track and trip in five weeks. Simply Ravishing belied 14-1 odds to take her turf debut in an open Saratoga maiden special weight Aug. 2, and doubled up when much the best in the rained-off P.G. Johnson S. over seven panels there Sept. 3. She was the 2-1 favorite Friday off a standout 81 Beyer Speed Figure.

Friday, Keeneland
DARLEY ALCIBIADES S.-GI, $350,000, Keeneland, 10-2, 2yo, f, 1 1/16m, 1:43.58, ft.
1–SIMPLY RAVISHING, 122, f, 2, by Laoban
1st Dam: Four Wishes, by More Than Ready
2nd Dam: Emilyna, by Valid Wager
3rd Dam: Piano Affect, by Fappiano
1ST GRADED STAKES WIN, 1ST GRADE I WIN. ($50,000 Ylg ’19
FTKOCT). O-Harold Lerner LLC, Magdalena Racing (Sherri
McPeek) & Nehoc Stables; B-Meg Levy (NY); T-Kenneth G.
McPeek; J-Luis Saez. $210,000. Lifetime Record: 3-3-0-0,
$304,600. Werk Nick Rating: C. Click for the
eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Crazy Beautiful, 122, f, 2, by Liam’s Map
1st Dam: Indian Burn, by Indian Charlie
2nd Dam: Christmas Affair, by Black Tie Affair (Ire)
3rd Dam: Anna Lisa Beth, by Topsider
($250,000 Ylg ’19 FTKOCT). ‘TDN Rising Star’ O-Phoenix
Thoroughbred, LTD; B-Carolyn R Vogel (KY); T-Kenneth G.
McPeek. $70,000.
3–Travel Column, 122, f, 2, by Frosted
1st Dam: Swingit, by Victory Gallop
2nd Dam: Free Ransom, by Our Native
3rd Dam: Pay the Ransom, by J. O. Tobin
($850,000 Ylg ’19 FTSAUG). ‘TDN Rising Star’ O-OXO Equine
LLC; B-Mr. & Mrs. Bayne Welker Jr. & Denali Stud (KY); T-Brad
H. Cox. $35,000.
Margins: 6 1/4, 1 1/4, 4 3/4. Odds: 2.20, 2.00, 4.20.
Also Ran: Thoughtfully, Oliviaofthedesert, Xtrema, Gramercy.
Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.

Away on top from her outside draw, Simply Ravishing worked her way to the lead and rail and doled out splits of :24.43, :48.59 and 1:12.94 with Crazy Beautiful in nearest pursuit. She spun for home still well within herself, and ran up the score with bounding strides to emerge as the main challenger to West Coast-based divisional leader and ‘Rising Star’ Princess Noor (Not This Time).

McPeek will need one more win in the Alcibiades to tie Lukas.

“I don’t think we know how good she is,” his assistant Alan Shell said. “She’s won on turf, dirt, going short, going long. It’s just real exciting. We’re just so thankful we have owners like Mr. [Harold] Lerner and Jack Cohen and Magdalena Racing that are behind us. They made a commitment when they bought this filly. They buy the best horses. Kenny did a great job picking her out. It’s all a team effort.”

Pedigree Notes:
Simply Ravishing, who became the first stakes winner for freshman sire Laoban when she captured the P. G. Johnson S. at Saratoga Sept. 3, upped the ante considerably with the New York stallion’s first Grade I win as a sire in the Darley Alcibiades. The stallion son of Uncle Mo has one other black-type horse from his four winners to date in GII Adirondack S. third-place finisher Ava’s Grace. Uncle Mo has gotten off to a stellar start as a sire of sires, with other freshman sires Nyquist and Outwork making a big splash in the division. Simply Ravishing is the only foal to race out of the More Than Ready mare Four Wishes, who was bred to Speightster for 2021. Simply Ravishing contributes the first black-type in three generations to her dam’s side, with only her granddam’s half-sister Valid Affect (Valid Appeal) marking up the page with a black-type win and a graded placing, both in 1997. Four Wishes was purchased by Meg Levy of Bluewater Sales for just $500 in 2017 after she had been abandoned at a boarding farm.

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