Ken McPeek | Horse Racing Free Tips

Simply Ravishing Will Try To Rebound In Saturday’s Golden Rod Stakes

Harold Lerner LLC, Magdalena Racing and Nehoc Stables' $350,000 Alcibiades (Grade 1) winner Simply Ravishing will lead a field of 10 promising juvenile fillies that were entered in Saturday's $200,000 Golden Rod (G2) at Churchill Downs.

The Golden Rod has helped launch several fillies on the Road to the Kentucky Oaks including eventual Oaks winners Monomoy Girl, Rachel Alexandra and Silverbulletday. The 1 1/16-mile race is carded as Race 9 with a post time of 4:57 p.m. The race shares the spotlight on Saturday's 12-race program with the $200,000 Kentucky Jockey Club (G2). First post is 1 p.m.

Simply Ravishing, trained by Kenny McPeek, was a dominant 6 ¼-length winner of the Oct. 2 Alcibiades at Keeneland. The Laoban filly finished fourth in the $2 million Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1) on Nov. 6 behind Vequist, Dayoutoftheoffice and Girl Daddy.

The three-time winner will be ridden by 2020 Preakness Stakes (G1) winning jockey Robby Albarado from post No. 8.

Among the other rivals to Simply Ravishing in the Golden Rod is Kueber Racing's undefeated $98,000 Rags to Riches winner Coach. Trained by Brad Cox, Coach is a perfect 3-for-3 in her young career. She'll be joined in the starting gate by stablemate Travel Column. Owned by OXO Equine, Travel Column dazzled on debut by 4 ¼ lengths and returned with a third-place effort behind Simply Ravishing in the Alcibiades.

Joe Talamo will have the call aboard Coach from post 3 while Florent Geroux will ride Travel Column from post 5.

The Golden Rod field also includes WinStar Farm, Blazing Meadows Farm and Michael Lewis' three-time Ohio-bred stakes winner Alexandria and Six Column Stables, Randy Bloch, Jim Gladden and Riverview Racing's New York-bred stakes winner No Mo' Spending.

The complete field from the rail out (with jockey and trainer): Lady Lilly (Tyler Gaffalione, Steve Asmussen); No Mo Spending (Chris Landeros, Ian Wilkes); Coach (Talamo, Cox); Farsighted (Julien Leparoux, Rusty Arnold II); Travel Column (Geroux, Cox); Clairiere (Ricardo Santana Jr., Asmussen); Lady Traveler (Corey Lanerie, Dale Romans); Simply Ravishing (Albarado, McPeek); Princess Theorem (John Velazquez, Brendan Walsh); Alexandria (Gerardo Corrales, Tim Hamm).

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Keepmeinmind Faces Stakes Winners King Fury, Sittin On Go In Saturday’s Kentucky Jockey Club

Cypress Creek and Arnold Bennewith's $2 million Breeders' Cup Juvenile (Grade 1) third-place finisher Keepmeinmind will be in search of his first-career victory against a competitive field of nine 2-year-olds, which includes stakes winners King Fury and Sittin On Go, entered in Saturday's 94th running of the $200,000 Kentucky Jockey Club (G2) at Churchill Downs.

Run at 1 1/16 miles, the Kentucky Jockey Club is carded as Race 11 of 12 on Saturday's “Stars of Tomorrow II” program featuring all 2-year-old races. First post is 1 p.m. and the Kentucky Jockey Club will go at 5:56 p.m. The race will share the spotlight with its counterpart, the $200,000 Golden Rod (GII) for 2-year-old fillies. The Golden Rod will go as Race 9 at 4:57 p.m.

Churchill Downs' Stars of Tomorrow programs have helped launch the career of more than 50 G1 winners including Kentucky Oaks winners Rachel Alexandra, Believe You Can and Monomoy Girl, Preakness (G1) winner Swiss Skydiver and 2010 Kentucky Derby winner Super Saver, who won the Kentucky Jockey Club in 2009.

Keepmeinmind has yet to record a victory for trainer Robertino Diodoro but sports a runner-up effort behind likely 2-year-old champion Essential Quality in the $400,000 Breeders' Futurity (G1). Following the Breeders' Futurity, he finished third in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile where he was defeated two lengths by Essential Quality and Hot Rod Charlie.

Diodoro's go-to rider David Cohen has the mount on Keepmeinmind and will break from post position No. 4.

Another juvenile likely to garner attention in the Kentucky Jockey Club is Fern Circle Stables and Three Chimneys Farm's $98,000 Street Sense winner King Fury. Trained by Kenny McPeek, King Fury will add blinkers for his start in the Kentucky Jockey Club following his seventh-place effort in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile. Named after the superstar boxer Tyson Fury, King Fury added blinkers in his most recent work at Churchill Downs, a five-furlong move in 1:00.60.

Brian Hernandez Jr. has the call on King Fury from post 8.

Also entered in the field is Albaugh Family Stable's coupled entry of $200,000 Iroquois (GIII) upset winner Sittin On Go and recent maiden winner Smiley Sobotka. Trained by Dale Romans, Sittin On Go recorded a shocking 24-1 upset victory in the Iroquois by 2 ½ lengths. In his first try at two turns, Sittin On Go was forced very wide in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile and finished a non-descript ninth.

Corey Lanerie is named in the program on both horses. Should the bottom part of the entry, Smiley Sobotka, run in the field, there will be a late jockey change. Sittin On Go will break from post 2 while Smiley Sobotka drew post 5.

Trainer Brad Cox entered two of his promising juveniles in the Kentucky Jockey Club. Kueber Racing and Ten Strike Racing's three-length maiden winner Swill will break from the rail with Florent Geroux in the irons and Godolphin's two-length maiden winner Inspector Frost drew post 6 with Hall of Famer John Velazquez in the saddle. Swill, a 2-year-old colt by Munnings, was a wire-to-wire winner in his third start on Sept. 24 at Churchill Downs while Inspector Frost broke his maiden at second asking on Oct. 18 at Keeneland under Geroux. This will be both colt's first start going two turns and they will both remove blinkers for this start.

The complete field for the Kentucky Jockey Club (with jockey and trainer): #1 Sittin On Go (Corey Lanerie, Dale Romans); #1a Smiley Sobotka (Corey Lanerie, Dale Romans); #2 Swill (Geroux, Cox); #3 Arabian Prince (Tyler Gaffalione, Dallas Stewart); #4 Keepmeinmind (Cohen, Diodoro); #5 Inspector Frost (Velazquez, Cox); #6 Oncoming Train (Rafael Bejarano, Jimmy DiVito); #7 King Fury (Hernandez, McPeek); and #8 Ultimate Badger (Joe Talamo, Romans).

As a “Prep Season” race on the “Road to the Kentucky Derby,” the Top 4 finishers in the Kentucky Jockey Club will receive 10-4-2-1 points, respectively.

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After Distaff Disappointment, ‘Shining Light’ Swiss Skydiver To Race Again In 2021

Preakness Stakes winner Swiss Skydiver will run as a 4-year-old next year, owner Peter Callahan told Horse Racing Nation after the filly finished a disappointing seventh in the weekend's Breeders' Cup Distaff.

The daughter of Daredevil stumbled at the start of the race and never recovered, but she had a stellar 2020 campaign that included wins in the Preakness over males, G1 Alabama, G2 Santa Anita Oaks, G3 Fantasy, and G2 Gulfstream Park Oaks. Swiss Skydiver's record stands at six wins from 12 starts for earnings of $1,812,980; not bad for a filly that cost $35,000 as a yearling at the Keeneland September saale.

“I'm OK finishing where we finished at the back of the pack, because there is a life lesson to be learned,” Callahan told Horse Racing Nation. “In this day and age everybody gets a trophy, and that's nonsense. You've got to learn to lose. You've got to take disappointment and rejection.”

Swiss Skydiver emerged from the Distaff with a few nicks and bruises, and will head to Magdalena Farm for some down time before a 2021 campaign is mapped out. The Pegasus at Gulfstream on Jan. 23 is too soon and is not on the radar for the filly.

“It's been an amazing year. She's just been real special to be around,” added trainer Kenny McPeek. “Through all the pandemic and everything, she's just been a real shining light.”

Distaff Notes: McPeek Comfortable Choosing ‘Lighter’ Breeders’ Cup Race For Swiss Skydiver

Ce Ce – Bo Hirsch's Ce Ce galloped on the Keeneland training track the morning after arriving from her home base at Santa Anita.

“All of my horses shipped well and came out of their last works well,” said trainer Michael McCarthy, whose other Breeders' Cup pre-entrants are Speech (Filly & Mare Sprint), Rushie (Big Ass Fans Dirt Mile) and Rombauer (TVG Juvenile presented by Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance).

Ce Ce, fourth in the Derby City Distaff on Sept. 5 in her initial trip to Kentucky, had worked 5f in 59 3/5 at Santa Anita on Friday.

Dunbar Road – Peter Brant's Longines Breeders' Cup Distaff contender Dunbar Road walked the Belmont Park barn of trainer Chad Brown one day after breezing 5f in 1:00 3/5 and then shipped from New York to Kentucky.

Per her conditioner, the daughter of Quality Road is among the remaining nine of Brown's 11-strong Breeders' Cup brigade that arrived late Monday morning. Front Run the Fed (Turf Sprint) and Raging Bull (Mile) were already on the grounds in Keeneland's Barn 64 and each jogged.

Harvest Moon – Alice Bamford and Michael Tabor's Harvest Moon jogged on the Keeneland training track for trainer Simon Callaghan.

Harvest Moon had worked 5f in 1:01 at Keeneland Saturday and today's activity marked her return to the track.
“She came out of the work well,” Callaghan said. “She may do the same thing tomorrow (come to the training track) because the conditions are expected to be the same.”

Horologist – Bill Mott-trained Beldame winner Horologist had an easy day of it on Monday, sticking to Barn 60 at Keeneland one day after breezing 4f in 47 2/5.

“She worked yesterday, like Frank's Rockette,” said Riley Mott, assistant trainer. “She came back good and just walked. All in all, we're in good shape.”

Frank's Rockette, who breezed the same distance in 49 flat, will enter the Breeders' Cup Sprint in lieu of the Filly & Mare Sprint, per Mott.

Lady Kate – Lady Kate, fourth in Keeneland's Spinster on Oct. 4, is scheduled to arrive at Keeneland Wednesday morning after training at Churchill Downs. The 4yo daughter of Bernardini breezed 4f in :48 1/5 at Churchill Downs on Oct. 31.

“She is doing great and we are looking forward to the Breeders' Cup,” trainer Eddie Kenneally said.

Monomoy Girl – The 2018 Longines Distaff winner Monomoy Girl had her first gallop over the Keeneland track Monday morning. She put in her final work at her Churchill Downs base Saturday and then vanned over to Keeneland Sunday afternoon.

“I don't think I've seen her gallop any better,” trainer Brad Cox said. “She looked really good.”

Ollie's Candy – Paul and Karen Eggert's Ollie's Candy jogged once around the main track at Keeneland with Juan Leyva, assistant to John Sadler aboard.

Ollie's Candy, runner-up here in the Juddmonte Spinster Oct. 4, had worked 6f in 1:11 on Saturday that was her second work since the Spinster. Monday's exercise marked her return to the track.

Sadler is expected to be at the barn Tuesday morning.

Point of Honor – Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners and Stetson Racing LLC's Point of Honor galloped 1 1/4m over Keeneland's main track in preparation for a start in the Longines Distaff.

“She's going to be a bit of a long shot in this race, but she's training as well as she ever has,” trainer George Weaver said.

Swiss Skydiver – Peter Callahan's Preakness Stakes winner Swiss Skydiver made a favorable impression coming on to the track a little before 8 a.m. and jogging once around the main track under jockey Robby Albarado.

Trainer Kenny McPeek said the decision to go into the Distaff was easy compared to deciding whether to go in the Preakness against straight 3-year-olds or the Spinster against older fillies and mares.

“This was a relatively easy decision compared to the Preakness,” McPeek said. “I like to keep my horses within their generations. I like to think of the 2-year-old year as the high school level, the 3-year-old year as the college level and 4-year-olds and up is the pros. The Classic is a very deep field of quality older horses. The Distaff seems a little lighter. I think she's ready to show how good she is against older horses.”

Valiance – Valiance, who capped a three-race winning streak with her victory in the Spinster at Keeneland on Oct. 4, arrived at Blue Grass Airport across the road from Keeneland at approximately 10 a.m. Also in the group from Belmont Park were trainer Todd Pletcher's Breeders' Cup pre-entrants Mutasaabeq (Juvenile Turf), Union Gables (Juvenile Turf Sprint) and Likeable (Juvenile).
Halladay (Mile) was expected to arrive from Belmont on a later flight Monday afternoon.

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