Making the Grade, which will run through the 2021 Triple Crown races, focuses on the winners or top performers of the key races, usually from the previous weekend, who could make an impact on the Triple Crown. We’ll be taking a close look at impressive winners and evaluating their chances to win classic races based upon ability, running style, connections (owner, trainer, jockey), and pedigree.
Tag: Racing
Previous Winners Bound For Nowhere, Imprimis Clash In 2021 Shakertown
Wesley Ward's Bound for Nowhere and Breeze Easy's Imprimis, respective winners of the 2018 and 2019 runnings of the Shakertown (G2), headline a field of 13 3-year-olds and up entered Tuesday for Saturday's 25th edition of the $200,000 race going 5½ furlongs on the grass course at Keeneland.
The Shakertown will go as the eighth race on Saturday afternoon's 11-race program with a 4:57 p.m. post time.
Also trained by Ward, Bound for Nowhere was caught late in the past two runnings of the Shakertown, finishing a neck behind Imprimis in 2019 when running second, and a neck behind Leinster and Totally Boss in last year's running that was his most recent start. Joel Rosario has the mount and will break from post position 13.
Trained by Joe Orseno, Imprimis has a victory and a runner-up finish in his 2021 starts. He ended last season with a troubled trip in the Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint (G1) here in which he finished 13th. Paco Lopez has the mount Saturday and will exit post position two.
Soaring Free (2004-2005) is the only two-time winner of the Shakertown.
The field for the Shakertown, with riders and weights from the inside, is: Smart Remark (Rafael Bejarano, 122 pounds), Imprimis (Lopez, 124), Chess Master (Jesus Castanon, 122), Hollis (Gabriel Saez, 124), Turned Aside (Chris Landeros, 124), Readyforprimetime (Mitchell Murrill, 122), Kanthaka (Javier Castellano, 122), American Butterfly (Drayden Van Dyke, 122), Just Might (Colby Hernandez, 122), Johnny Unleashed (Gerardo Corrales, 122), High Crime (Julien Leparoux, 122), The Critical Way (Luis Saez, 124) and Bound for Nowhere (Rosario, 122).
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Bell’s The One Returns In Saturday’s Grade 1 Madison At Keeneland
Lothenbach Stables' Bell's the One, winner of the Derby City Distaff (G1) and third in the Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Sprint (G1), headlines a field of seven fillies and mares entered Tuesday for the 20th running of the $300,000 Madison (G1) for fillies and mares going 7 furlongs on the main track at Keeneland.
The Madison, one of six graded stakes on Saturday's 11-race program, will be run as the 10th race with a 6:02 p.m. post time. First post time Saturday is 1:05 p.m.
Trained by Neil Pessin, Bell's the One will be making her 2021 debut in the Madison. Winner of the 2019 Raven Run (G2) here, Bell's the One will be ridden by Corey Lanerie and break from post position four.
Also exiting the Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Sprint and making her 2021 debut is Sconsin, who finished a half-length behind Bell's the One in the Breeders' Cup. Owned by Lloyd Madison Farms IV and trained by Greg Foley, Sconsin will be ridden by James Graham and break from post position six.
Another Grade 1 winner in the field is Godolphin's homebred Fair Maiden, winner of the La Brea in December at Santa Anita.
Trained by Eoin Harty, Fair Maiden was a troubled fourth in last fall's Qatar Fort Springs here on the Breeders' Cup undercard. Brian Hernandez Jr. has the mount and will break from post position seven.
The field for the Madison, with riders and weights from the rail out, is: Sanenus (Javier Castellano, 118 pounds), Estilo Talentoso (Jesus Castanon, 118), Mundaye Call (Florent Geroux, 118), Bell's the One (Lanerie, 120), Kimari (Joel Rosario, 118), Sconsin (Graham, 118) and Fair Maiden (Hernandez, 123).
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Simply Ravishing Squares Off With Undefeated Malathaat In Ashland
Shadwell Stable's undefeated Malathaat and Harold Lerner, Magdalena Racing and Nehoc Stables' Simply Ravishing headline a field of six 3-year-old fillies for Saturday's 84th running of the $400,000 Central Bank Ashland (G1) going 1 1/16 miles on the main track at Keeneland.
The Central Bank Ashland carries 170 points toward qualification for the Kentucky Oaks (G1) on April 30 at Churchill Downs on a 100-40-20-10 scale for the first- through fourth-place finishers. The stakes will go as the ninth race on Saturday's 11-race program with a 5:30 p.m. ET post time. First post time Saturday is 1:05 p.m.
A total of 34 fillies that have run in the Central Bank Ashland have gone on to win the Kentucky Oaks, most recently champion Monomoy Girl in 2018.
Favored at 9-5 on Mike Battaglia's morning line is Malathaat, who is making her 2021 debut. Trained by Todd Pletcher, Malathaat closed her 2020 campaign with a victory in the Demoiselle (G2) at Aqueduct. Joel Rosario, who won the 2014 Central Bank Ashland with Rosalind (who won the race in a dead heat with Room Service), has the mount and will break from post five.
Trained by two-time race winner Kenny McPeek, Simply Ravishing (5-2) romped to a 6¼-length victory in last fall's Darley Alcibiades (G1) before finishing a troubled fourth in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1). The Central Bank Ashland will mark her 2021 debut.
Luis Saez, who has been aboard for all three of Simply Ravishing's victories, has the mount and will break from post position three.
Four fillies have completed the Alcibiades-Ashland double with the most recent being Take Charge Lady in 2001-2002. McPeek trained Take Charge Lady.
Other to have done it are Silverbulletday (1998-1999), Optimistic Gal (1975-1976) and Doubledogdare (1955-1956).
Willis Horton Racing's Honeybee (G3) winner Will's Secret is the third choice at 7-2. Trained by Dallas Stewart, who won the 2019 Central Bank Ashland with Out for a Spin, Will's Secret has won her past three races, including the Martha Washington (L) at Oaklawn Park. Jon Court has the mount and will break from post six.
The field for the Central Bank Ashland, with riders from the rail out, is: Curlin's Catch (Chris Landeros, 8-1), Pass the Champagne (Javier Castellano, 4-1), Simply Ravishing (Saez, 5-2), Moon Swag (Adam Beschizza, 10-1), Malathaat (Rosario, 9-5), Will's Secret (Court, 7-2). All starters will carry 121 pounds.
CENTRAL BANK ASHLAND POST POSITION DRAW QUOTE
Kenny McPeek, trainer of Simply Ravishing (post 3; Luis Saez to ride)
“It will be good to get her going. She has been ready for a while. It will be nice to be back to Keeneland, where she won the Alcibiades (G1). She has been ready since early to mid-March, but I did not want to ship her from Florida. I have (Alcibiades) runner-up Crazy Beautiful, and I did not want to run them against each other in the Gulfstream Park Oaks (G2) (won by Crazy Beautiful.) Simply Ravishing is extremely talented and she won the Alcibiades, so it just seemed logical to run her back in the Ashland.”
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