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Field Pass Prevails In Tight Transylvania Stakes Finish

Three Diamonds Farm's Field Pass held off Street Ready by a nose to win Sunday's 32nd running of the $100,000 Kentucky Utilities Transylvania (G3) for 3-year-olds at Keeneland on closing day of the Lexington, Ky., track's five-day summer Thoroughbred meet.

Trained by Mike Maker and ridden by Ricardo Santana Jr., Field Pass covered the 1 1/16 miles on a turf course labeled good in 1:42.56.

Juggernaut led the field through fractions of :23.33, :47.76 and 1:12.45 with Fancy Liquor and Street Ready in closest pursuit and Field Pass saving ground in fifth.

In the stretch, Fancy Liquor pushed to the front but was joined at midstretch by Field Pass on his outside. Those two were immediately joined by Street Ready, who ducked to the inside under Chris Landeros. The trio dueled to the wire with Field Pass barely prevailing.

The victory, the fourth stakes triumph and second Grade 3 win for Field Pass, was worth $60,000 and increased the colt's bankroll to $418,610.

Field Pass is a Maryland-bred son of Lemon Drop Kid out of the Runaway Groom mare Only Me.

Sent off as the favorite in the field of 10, Field Pass returned $6.40, $4.40 and $3.60. Street Ready paid $12.60 and $7.60 and finished a neck ahead of Fancy Liquor, who paid $5.20 to show under Florent Geroux.

It was another half-length back to City Man, who was followed in order by Spanish Kingdom, Bama Breeze, Irish Mias, Vintage Print, Kinenos and Juggernaut.

In partnership with Keeneland, sponsor Kentucky Utilities has provided $7,500 in matching funds to support God's Pantry Food Bank and Nourish Lexington, two programs that are teaming to provide meals to those in need in Lexington during the current COVID-19 outbreak.

Keeneland is a proud founding partner of Nourish Lexington, which uses the skills and talents of displaced hospitality employees to prepare and serve these meals. Since its inception on April 1, Nourish Lexington has served more than 80,000 meals.

God's Pantry is critical to Nourish Lexington because many ingredients for meals are from the food bank.

To support this effort, please click here.

Kentucky Utilities Transylvania Quotes
Ricardo Santana Jr.: “He was sitting behind the speed, perfect. Turning for home, I took him out. He got in the clear and started running. Every time he saw those two horses on the inside he kept fighting.”

Mike Maker: “This horse loves to win. He's all heart. As Ricardo said, he never really doubted (Field Pass) would win. When he thought he was getting the lead, he started kinda backing off. When he felt the pressure, he dug back in.”

Will he get better in longer races for 3-year-olds? “I think so. We're gonna find out.”

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Pricey Vintage Print Back at Keeneland for Transylvania

OXO Equine’s $1.8-million Keeneland September yearling Vintage Print (Curlin) returns to Lexington for Sunday’s GIII Kentucky Utilities Transylvania S. The Chad Brown trainee didn’t show much in a pair of main-track efforts in New York last fall, but looked like a different horse when trying turf to graduate at Gulfstream Feb. 22. The son of GISW Molly Morgan (Ghostzapper) ran down speedy Mike Maker pupil Fancy Liquor (Lookin At Lucky) to clear his first-level allowance condition at Churchill June 11.

Another Transylvania pair who made up a Churchill exacta last time are Fancy Liquor’s stablemate Field Pass (Lemon Drop Kid) and lightly raced Bama Breeze (Honor Code)–they exit the June 20 Audubon S. The former took the Dania Beach S. at Gulfstream Feb. 1 and the GIII Jeff Ruby Steaks over the Turfway all-weather Mar. 14. He was third from very far back in Churchill’s War Front S. May 23, but set an easy pace in the Audubon.

Bama Breeze, meanwhile, belied 23-1 odds to score first out for trainer Ben Colebrook and Miacomet Farm under the Twin Spires in September. Acquired privately by Ashbrook Farm and BBN Racing and turned over to Rusty Arnold, he was ninth in the War Chant after being hampered down inside before working out a cleaner trip but being left with a bit too much to do last time.

New Jersey-bred Irish Mias (Sky Mesa) annexed last September’s Laurel Futurity over a field that included Field Pass. He split Triple Crown contenders Sole Volante (Karakontie {Jpn}) and King Guillermo (Uncle Mo) in Gulfstream’s Nov. 30 Pulpit S., but has been off since finishing fourth as the favorite in the GIII Kitten’s Joy S. Jan. 4. Irish Mias has reportedly been gelded since his last outing.

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War Of Will Adds To Grade 1 Résumé With Maker’s Mark Mile Victory On Keeneland Turf

Gary Barber's War of Will eased past longshot Parlor in the final yards to win the 32nd running of the $300,000 Maker's Mark Mile (G1) for 4-year-olds and up by a nose Friday afternoon at Keeneland in Lexington, Ky.

With Tyler Gaffalione aboard, War of Will raced in the clear after breaking from post 10 and tracked the pace set by High Crime and Parlor, who raced through fractions of :23.17 and :46.91.

Approaching the stretch, Parlor put away High Crime, completing six furlongs in 1:11.09. Under Florent Geroux, Parlor opened a daylight advantage but was unable to hold off the final surge from War of Will and Gaffalione.

“Getting the last race out of the way (May 25 Shoemaker Mile-G1 at Santa Anita on the turf) got the nerves out,” said Gaffalione. “Taking the blinkers off helped him relax beautifully going around there. And when I called on him he finished up nicely.”

Trained by Mark Casse, War of Will covered the mile on a firm turf course in 1:34.55. It is the first Maker's Mark victory for Casse and Gaffalione.

“We're so excited,” said Casse, who was not at Keeneland, where War of Will was saddled by assistant trainer David Carroll. “It's great for everybody. We're just so excited.

“Tyler gave him a tremendous ride,” Casse added. “I wasn't sure (at the finish if he won). I wasn't sure until they put (his number) up. (My wife) Tina and I were just jumping up and down. It's means so much to the horse. We love him so much. And it means so much for a stallion prospect and everything (to be a Grade 1 winner on dirt and turf). Gary Barber and I will have to talk about (if he goes back to dirt or remains on turf). But everyone knows how much we love him, and it's so wonderful.”

The victory was worth $180,000 and increased War of Will's earnings to $1,796,069 with a record of 16-5-1-2 that includes a Grade 1 dirt victory in last year's Preakness.

A Keeneland sale graduate, War of Will is a 4-year-old Kentucky-bred son of War Front out of the Sadler's Wells mare Visions of Clarity (IRE).

War of Will returned $13.80, $6.80 and $3.60. Parlor paid $20.40 and $7 and finished a neck in front of favored Raging Bull (FR), who paid $2.40 to show under Joel Rosario.

It was another half-length back to Without Parole (GB), who was followed in order by Emmaus (IRE), English Bee, Hembree, High Crime, Everfast and Next Shares.

“That was a tough one to lose,” said Mike Maker, Parlor's trainer. “He's had a tough trip last couple of times and I thought he had a good chance today. He ran his race. I sure thought he was going to hang on. He got out of the gate well and handled the turf well. No excuse. He was just second best.”

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Pegasus Turf Winner Zulu Alpha Headlines Sunday’s Elkhorn At Keeneland

Michael Hui's six-time graded stakes winner Zulu Alpha will shoot for his third victory of 2020 when he headlines a field of 13 grass marathoners Sunday in the 35th running of the $175,000 TVG Elkhorn (G2) at Keeneland.

The TVG Elkhorn will be contested over 1½ miles over the Keeneland turf course and be run as the final race of the five-day Summer Meet. First post time Sunday is 1:05 p.m. with the TVG Elkhorn going as the ninth race with a 5:30 post time.

NBCSN will provide live coverage of the TVG Elkhorn from 5-7 p.m.

Winner of the 2018 Sycamore (G3) and third as the favorite in the 2019 Dixiana Elkhorn, Zulu Alpha started his 2020 campaign with a victory in the Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational Presented by Runhappy (G1) and followed that with a triumph in the Mac Diarmida (G2). In his most recent start, Zulu Alpha was second in the Kitten's Joy Pan American (G2) going 1½ miles.

Mike Maker trains Zulu Alpha, who will break from post position five under Tyler Gaffalione in the TVG Elkhorn.

Figuring to be the major rival to Zulu Alpha is $1.8 million earner Arklow.

Owned by Donegal Racing, Joseph Bulger and Peter Coneway, Arklow won the Joe Hirsch Turf Classic (G1) last fall at Belmont Park. Trained by Brad Cox, Arklow finished second in the Louisville (G3) in his most recent start that came off a 4½-month layoff. Arklow will exit post 10 under Florent Geroux.

The field for the TVG Elkhorn, with riders and weights from the rail, is: Apreciado (Gerardo Corrales, 118 pounds), Nakamura (John Velazquez, 118), Ramsey Solution (Julio Garcia, 118), Postulation (Julien Leparoux, 118), Zulu Alpha (Gaffalione, 120), Jais's Solitude (Corey Lanerie, 118), He's No Lemon (Rafael Bejarano, 118), Hellorhighwater (James Graham, 118), Oscar Dominguez (IRE) (Joel Rosario, 118), Arklow (Geroux, 123), Ry's the Guy (Chris Landeros, 118), Hierarchy (Brian Hernandez Jr., 118), Henley's Joy (Ricardo Santana Jr., 118).

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