Keeneland | Horse Racing Free Tips

Mr. Big News’ Experience Should Play A Big Role In Saturday’s Blue Grass Stakes

After Mr. Big News finished fifth in the Fair Grounds' G2 Risen Star Stakes in February, trainer Bret Calhoun was excited about the 3-year-old colt's prospects heading down the Road to the Kentucky Derby. Unfortunately, a large number of entries meant that Mr. Big News was excluded from the Louisiana Derby in March.

“I felt like he had a big chance that day, but we got excluded,” Calhoun said on an NTRA conference call on Tuesday afternoon.

Calhoun shifted gears and entered the Chester Thomas-owned colt in the listed Oaklawn Stakes on April 11. Mr. Big News was sent off at odds of nearly 47-1 in the $200,000 contest, but Calhoun had a lot of confidence in his charge.

“I think Gabe Saez gave him the kind of trip he had been looking for (in the Oaklawn Stakes),” Calhoun said. “He wants to be more of a free-running horse and use his stride. He gained a lot of experience in his earlier races, being down on the inside and taking the kickback, and I think that prepared him for that race. The pace scenario set up for him that day, and he was able to get home a winner.”

Mr. Big News charged from near dead-last to win the Oaklawn by a half-length, earning a spot in the starting gate for the Arkansas Derby, rescheduled for the first Saturday in May. Calhoun elected to skip that race, as well as the opportunity to earn Kentucky Derby points when he shifted his home base to Churchill Downs, in the Matt Winn Stakes in late May.

“I thought it was a little quick back from Arkansas, and he was being a little finicky eating for four or five days,” Calhoun explained. “I decided that the (Kentucky) Derby wasn't until September, so it would be best to have him at 100 percent.”

Initially, the plan had been to target the Indiana Derby on Wednesday night, since Triple Crown contender Maxfield was said to be pointing to the Blue Grass at Keeneland. When Maxfield defected, Calhoun decided to stay closer to home and enter the rescheduled Blue Grass Stakes on July 11.

“A lot of people may not believe in him because the Oaklawn win came in the mud,” Calhoun said. “His physical and mental maturity have improved a lot… I'm excited like the rest of the horsemen are to be back racing at Keeneland.”

Though Saez was handed a 30-day suspension by stewards in Indiana, he has been granted an exemption to ride Mr. Big News in the Blue Grass this Saturday.

The post Mr. Big News’ Experience Should Play A Big Role In Saturday’s Blue Grass Stakes appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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‘Stronger And Thicker’ Basin Ready To Take the Next Step In Blue Grass Stakes

Toyota Blue Grass (G2) hopeful Basin, who races for Jackpot Farm, was the first horse to breeze over Keeneland's fast track Monday when he covered a half-mile in :50.20 around 5:45 a.m. The breeze was the second consecutive move at Keeneland for last year's Hopeful (G1) winner, who covered 5 furlongs in 1:00.60 a week ago.

In his most recent race, Basin was second in a division of the Arkansas Derby (G1) at Oaklawn Park. The colt, which has won two of six races and earned $471,000, is ninth on the Road to the Kentucky Derby leaderboard with 50 points.

“In the last nine weeks he's gotten stronger and thicker; he's a happy, happy horse right now,” Jackpot's Ryne Poncik said on an NTRA conference call Tuesday afternoon. “I was talking to (trainer) Steve (Asmussen) yesterday, and I guess the kickback at Keeneland is rather hard. So, we definitely want to be forwardly placed and in the clear, so he doesn't have to worry about any kick back. With a good post and him being forwardly placed, I think we've got a good shot.”

In his three starts this season, Basin has been no worse than fourth. The colt ran third in the G2 Rebel, then fourth in the listed Oaklawn Stakes. Basin chased Charlatan home, beaten six lengths when second in the Arkansas Derby in early May; Poncik has always been impressed by the colt's hard-trying nature.

“His heart is bigger than his body,” Poncik said. “He's not a big, big colt, but he'll never give up until the end. He won't give up until he passes the wire, for sure.”

Basin is a member of the first crop by Liam's Map, who won the 2015 Las Vegas Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile (G1) at Keeneland. Jackpot purchased the colt for $150,000 at Keeneland's 2018 September Yearling Sale, where he was consigned by Brookdale Sales, agent for breeder Cottonwood Stables.

Asmussen, North America's second-leading all-time trainer by wins (8,896) and earnings ($333,188,601), has started five horses in the Toyota Blue Grass with his best finish a runner-up effort by Storm Treasure in 2006. He sent out Jackpot's Zing Zang to a ninth-place finish in the 2018 Toyota Blue Grass.

Entries for the 96th running Toyota Blue Grass and five other stakes will be taken Wednesday. The Toyota Blue Grass carries 170 qualifying points for the Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve (G1) on a 100-40-20-10 scale to the first four finishers.

The post ‘Stronger And Thicker’ Basin Ready To Take the Next Step In Blue Grass Stakes appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Shoemaker Top Three Show Up For Rematch In Friday’s Maker’s Mark Mile

Peter Brant's Raging Bull (FR), winner of the Shoemaker Mile (G1) in his most recent start, headlines a field of 10 entered Tuesday for Friday's 32nd running of the $300,000 Maker's Mark Mile (G1) to be contested over the Keeneland turf course.

The Maker's Mark Mile, the first of four Grade 1 races during the five-day Summer Meet that begins Wednesday, is scheduled as the eighth race on Friday's nine-race program with a 4:57 p.m. ET post time. First post is 1:05 p.m.

Trained by Chad Brown, Raging Bull returns to Keeneland, where he finished fourth in last year's Maker's Mark Mile. A two-time Grade 1 winner, Raging Bull will be ridden by Joel Rosario and break from post position four.

Brown also trains Without Parole (GB), who finished third in the Shoemaker Mile. Owned by John Gunther and his daughter Tanya Gunther, Without Parole finished third in last year's TVG Breeders' Cup Mile (G1) in his U.S. debut. In 2018, Without Parole won the Group 1 St. James's Palace at Royal Ascot in England.

Irad Ortiz Jr. has the mount on Without Parole and break from post position eight.

Also in the field is the horse that split the Brown duo in the Shoemaker: Next Shares.

Trained by part owner Richard Baltas, Next Shares counts the 2018 Shadwell Turf Mile (G1) at Keeneland among his three graded stakes victories. An earner of more than $1.7 million, Next Shares will break from post nine and be ridden by John Velazquez.

Another horse returning to the Keeneland turf is Gary Barber's War of Will.

Trained by Mark Casse, War of Will finished fourth in the 2018 Dixiana Bourbon (G3) and also trained at Keeneland before embarking on a Triple Crown campaign that included a victory in the Preakness (G1).

War of Will finished sixth in the Shoemaker Mile in his 2020 debut that served as his first grass start since 2018. Tyler Gaffalione has the mount Friday and will break from post position 10.

The field for the Maker's Mark Mile, with riders and weights from the rail out, is: Hembree (Javier Castellano, 118 pounds), High Crime (Luis Saez, 118), Parlor (Florent Geroux, 118), Raging Bull (FR) (Rosario, 123), English Bee (James Graham, 118), Everfast (Ricardo Santana Jr., 118), Emmaus (IRE) (Brian Hernandez Jr., 118), Without Parole (GB) (Ortiz, 118), Next Shares (John Velazquez, 120) and War of Will (Gafflione, 118).

The post Shoemaker Top Three Show Up For Rematch In Friday’s Maker’s Mark Mile appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Keeneland Takes the Lead in Blue Grass Farms Charities’ Matching Gift Campaign

Beginning in July, Blue Grass Farms Charities will launch its inaugural matching gift campaign, “Gallop and Graze,” to further the mission of the charity.

Founded in 2003, Blue Grass Farm Charities’ purpose is to provide health and human services to those working in the Thoroughbred racing community. With a commitment to this mission, BGFC is proud to announce Gallop and Graze, a matching campaign to provide continued services and assistance to our backstretch and farm community.

Keeneland has kicked off this campaign with a $20,000 gift and the Mary K. Oxley Foundation has also stepped forward with a $10,000 gift. With a goal of $200,000 to be reached by the close of 2020, BGFC is requesting individuals and businesses who benefit from the horse industry to consider making a $10,000 contribution to help meet this goal.

“Our partnership with Keeneland has strengthened considerably during the Nourish the Backstretch program,” said Julie Berry, BGFC Executive Director. “Both entities see a great need for assistance to support the horsemen and their families. Besides food insecurity, other benevolent services such as housing and medical assistance, are needed. The Nourish the Backstretch program has ended, but we are still dealing with a pandemic and the financial burden brought on by it.”

Blue Grass Farms Charities has been selected as Keeneland’s industry charity during its Summer Meet scheduled July 8-12.

“Keeneland is proud of our partnership with Blue Grass Farms Charities and the needs we are able to address, first through Nourish the Backstretch and now Gallop and Graze,” Keeneland President and CEO Bill Thomason said. “Backstretch and farm employees are racing’s front-line heroes and we are grateful for their commitment to show up every day to care for the horses. In appreciation for their hard work and dedication, the horse industry must do all we can to support and provide for this community.”

Click here to donate.

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