Maker's Mark Mile | Horse Racing Free Tips

Modern Games Returns To Keeneland In Friday’s Maker’s Mark

Last year's Eclipse champion turf male returns to the place of his Breeders' Cup glory Friday with an expected start in the GI Maker's Mark Mile S. Modern Games (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}), trained by Charlie Appleby, makes his 4-year-old debut since taking the GI FanDuel Breeders' Cup Mile at Keeneland last November.

Off the board in only two of his 13 prior starts, the chestnut just missed in the G1 Queen Elizabeth II S. at Ascot leading into the Breeders' Cup, took the GI Woodbine Mile by 5 1/4 lengths three starts back and finished second only to Cartier Horse of the Year Baaeed (GB) (Sea the Stars {Ire}) four back in the G1 Qatar Sussex Cup at Goodwood.

Up to challenge him from the inside is Todd Pletcher's 'TDN Rising Star' Emmanuel (More Than Ready), entered off a pair of graded-stakes wins in Florida this spring for owners WinStar Farm and Sien

a Farm in Tampa's GIII Tampa Bay S. and Gulfstream's GIII Canadian Turf S.

A Group 1-placed juvenile in Ireland, Dr Zempf (GB) (Dark Angel {Ire}) makes just his second start stateside off a win against optional claiming company at Gulfstream Mar. 10 for Chad Brown and Peter Brant

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Count Again Somehow Under the Radar in Maker’s Mark Mile

The owner of some very solid West Coast form, Count Again (Awesome Again) nevertheless projects to be at least a little bit forgotten from a pari-mutuel perspective in a high-class renewal of the GI Maker's Mark Mile, the Good Friday feature at Keeneland.

A maiden winner during this track's fall meet in 2019 when under the care of Neil Howard, the bay won the 10-furlong GIII Singspiel S. for trainer Gail Cox in 2020, but has been kept between eight and nine panels since being switched to the barn of Phil D'Amato. Victorious in Del Mar's GII Seabiscuit H. in his first start for the new outfit at the tail end of that season, Count Again was third in last year's GI F.E. Kilroe S. and GII Eddie Read S., but was freshened off a last-of-five effort in the GII Del Mar Mile S. The break has seemed to do the trick, as he proved narrowly best first off the layoff in the GIII Thunder Road S. Feb. 5 and flew home to take this year's Kilroe Mar. 5.

Flavien Prat was in the boot for Count Again's two most recent successes, but the recently relocated rider will get a leg up from trainer Chad Brown on Juddmonte's European invader Masen (GB) (Kingman {GB}). A maiden winner and third in the G3 Tyros S. for Ger Lyons at two, the maternal grandson of Intercontinental (GB) (Danehill) faced elders in all three starts last term, winning the valuable Sovereign Path H. on Irish Champions Day at Leopardstown Sept. 11 ahead of a front-running tally in the Listed Knockaire S. Oct. 23, both over seven furlongs. It will be interesting to see if he is quick enough to lead this group.

Smooth Like Strait (Midnight Lute) also invades from the Golden State to launch his 5-year-old campaign. Never out of the top three in 2020, his lone victory came in all-the-way fashion in the GI Shoemaker Mile in May, but he was unlucky not to add to that total when runner-up and beaten a half-length or less on five occasions, including when making the majority of the running in the GI Breeders' Cup Mile.

The commonly owned Agnes Gold (Jpn) duo of In Love (Brz) and Ivar (Brz) each have earned Grade I plaudits over this course. In Love came with a stinging stretch rally beneath Alex Achard to cause a 12-1 upset of last October's Keeneland Turf Mile, but was farther back on Breeders' Cup day and rallied mildly to be seventh. Ivar won the 2020 Shadwell Mile and was a keen fourth in defense of his title last fall before settling much better and kicking home nicely to be third at longshot odds in the Breeders' Cup, a length behind Smooth Like Strait.

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Maker’s Mark Mile: Heads Up Ride From Irad Ortiz Lands Raging Bull In The Winner’s Circle

With a quick pace to chase down, reigning champion jockey Irad Ortiz, Jr. made a bold decision to move a bit earlier than his late-running rivals in Friday's Grade 1 Maker's Mark Mile at Keeneland Race Course. The choice paid off in a big way when the frontrunners dropped back and Raging Bull got a head start down the stretch, growing bold on the lead and pulling away to win by two lengths on the wire. It was the first win since May of 2020 for Peter Brant's 6-year-old son of Dark Angel, who completed a mile over the “good” turf in 1:33.86.

Trained by Chad Brown and sent to post at odds of 7-2, Raging Bull is now a three-time Grade 1 winner with a record of 7-3-3 from 18 lifetime starts, and total earnings of nearly $1.5 million.

“Both horses (Raging Bull and stablemate and third-place finisher Sacred Life [FR]) ran great, especially given the layoffs they were facing,” Brown said. “Raging Bull got a great trip and setup. He's much more effective with a solid pace in front of him. Irad deserves a lot of credit for getting him into the race early and securing a great spot into the first turn.”

An early speed battle erupted between Get Smokin, Somelikeithotbrown, and Flying Scotsman, who traded punches through fractions of :22.47 and :45.65. Ortiz had Raging Bull settled just behind Field Pass in fifth against the rail, no more than four lengths behind the leaders down the backstretch.

At the three-eighths pole, Ortiz sent Raging Bull hard up the rail to take third, then angled out sharply to maintain his momentum while three wide as the leaders straightened for home. Raging Bull easily inherited the lead, and had more than enough left to hold off the deep closers through the length of the stretch.

Ride A Comet ran on credibly to finish second, while Sacred Life was third. Field Pass checked in fourth, and 5-2 favorite Hit the Road was fifth.

“He was traveling so good down the backside,” Ortiz said of Raging Bull. “I was close to the leaders. I tried to stay in contact with the field. He broke sharp today. I had an advantage there. The first turn, I let him run then I slowed him down. He relaxed so well. He was like 3 or 4 lengths behind the leaders. I said I'm just gonna wait until it's time to go. By the three-eighths pole, I saw some separation so I went for it a little early. He responded well, so I just went for it. He still had something at the end.”

Bred in France by Dayton Investments Limited, Raging Bull is out of the Mr. Greeley mare Rosa Bonheur, a daughter of five-time graded stakes winner Rolly Polly (Mukaddamah).

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Kilroe Winner Hits the Road for First Time in Maker’s Mark Mile

The winner of four straight races and six of nine overall, including a first-ever Grade I triumph for his trainer last out, progressive Hit the Road (More Than Ready) will travel outside of California for the first time in his career to face eight rivals in a competitive renewal of the GI Maker's Mark Mile Friday at Keeneland.

Capturing his first two turf tries, the latter coming in the Zuma Beach S., as a 2-year-old, the bay ran seventh before being disqualified to last in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf and was fourth in the GIII Cecil B. DeMille S. That's the last time Hit the Road has tasted defeat, as he followed up a Santa Anita allowance score last spring with a tally in the restricted Oceanside S. July 10 at Del Mar. Given the rest of his sophomore campaign off, he's come back better than ever, dominating the GIII Thunder Road S. by 3 3/4 lengths and squeezing through a narrow opening to take the GI Frank E. Kilroe Mile S. to give conditioner Dan Blacker a career high Mar. 6 at Santa Anita.

Given the narrow nod at 7-2 on the morning line is the lone other Grade I winner in the field, Peter Brant's Raging Bull (Fr) (Dark Angel {Ire}). Rallying to a victory in the GI Hollywood Derby in December of 2018, the now 6-year-old has had a difficult time finding the winning thread since then, scoring just once in his subsequent 10 tries, albeit at the highest level in last spring's GI Shoemaker Mile S. at Santa Anita. The Chad Brown trainee ran a close third in this event last year and was runner-up in the GI Shadwell Turf Mile S. here in the fall before running 10th in the GI FanDuel Breeders' Cup Mile.

Lightly-raced Darain (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) intrigues as he takes a steep class hike. Starting his career two-for-two last summer in his native land for John Gosden, he failed to hit the board in the G2 Sky Bet Great Voltigeur S. or G3 Darley S., but was a narrow second and registered a sharp allowance score in two tries for Brad Cox this winter at Fair Grounds. Somelikeithotbrown (Big Brown) also commands respect, as his twin 105 Beyers from his runner-up finish in Pimlico's GII Dinner Party S. and victory in the New York-bred Mohawk S. last fall are tied with Raging Bull's Shoemaker figure for field best.

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