There are 195 calendar days, and plenty of races to be run before the gates open on the 162nd edition of Canada's most famous horse race.

While it's far too early to speculate as to which horses will go postward in the $1 million, 1 ¼ mile classic at Woodbine on August 22, the horseman with three early contenders attached to his name is sporting a big smile these days.

“I think it's very special,” said Clancy, who bred the trio of Giant Waters, Smiley Sobotka, and Stephen. “I'm happy and proud.”

Clancy owns one of the three Thoroughbreds, namely, Giant Waters. Smiley Sobotka, a chestnut son of Brody's Cause, is owned by Albaugh Family Stables LLC, and Stephen, a bay son of Constitution, is owned by father and son team Al & Bill Ulwelling.

One would expect, understandably, that Clancy would be rooting for Giant Waters to take all the spoils in the oldest continually run stakes race in North America.

Not so.

For the longtime horse racing fan, a win by any of the three would be a dream realized.

But that being said, a victory by Giant Waters would be money in the bank – literally.

“I get as much enjoyment out of other people winning with horses that I bred,” offered Clancy. “In this case, I wouldn't say it's [wanting Giant Waters to win the Plate] 100 per cent true. Given the money part, I guess that would be better for me.”

Trained by two-time Plate winner Dan Vella, Giant Waters has a record of 0-2-2 from four starts. Despite his maiden status, the son of Giant Gizmo-Green Waters has looked sharp in all of his races to date, including third-place efforts in both the Cup & Saucer Stakes and Coronation Futurity, run last October and November, respectively.

Vella, who won the 1994 Plate with Basqueian and the 2012 running with Strait of Dover, has high praise for his sophomore colt.

“Distance is his friend,” said the conditioner with nearly 850 lifetime victories. “That's a big thing for any racehorse. You can win a lot of races going short, but you don't win the big ones. He likes both surfaces, but probably prefers the turf a little bit. He handles both well. He shouldn't be a maiden – he had such a tough trip in his second race – but that is a benefit to us now. He's at Classic Mile [Florida] right now and we're looking forward to seeing him get his first start of the year.”

A meticulous breeder, Clancy, owner of Clancy CPA & Co., a Toronto-based accounting firm, dedicates hours upon hours to homework when it comes to adding broodmares and planning matings to his band at his farm in Tottenham, Ontario.

The hope, as always, is to produce competitive and versatile runners, horses that can flourish at Woodbine Racetrack and beyond.

Giant Waters is a prime example of Clancy's breeding blueprint approach.

“I bought his granddam, Countervail, at the Keeneland November 2011 sale. I think it was one of those sales where people were sleeping at that moment, and I managed to buy her at a pretty cheap price in relation to her pedigree. Giant Waters' mother [Green Waters], I bought her through a claim as a first-time starter as a racing prospect and obviously liked the family. Unfortunately, her racing career had some injury issues along the way, but I had faith that Green Waters would be a successful broodmare.”

Clancy's unwavering belief and patience paid off in the form of Giant Waters.

He's not the only one in his family that became an instant fan of the horse.

“My grandson Jason told me not to sell him,” recalled Clancy. “He said, 'Grandpa, he's going to be a good racer, do not sell him!' He loves that horse. His farm nickname is “Guinness,” but Jason calls him “Root Beer.” He really likes Green Waters too. She's his favourite in the paddock. She's kind of the boss of the paddock.”

There is the same pride in Clancy's voice when he speaks of Smiley Sobotka and Stephen.

Fashioning a win and a pair of seconds from four starts, Smiley Sobotka has yet to race at Woodbine, contesting races at Ellis Park, Keeneland, Churchill Downs and Tampa Bay Downs, to date.

He was ninth in the Grade 3, $250,000 Sam F. Davis on February 6.

“I bought the dam, Dance Thewayouare, at Fasig-Tipton in 2013. I always thought she had a great pedigree even though she wasn't a great racehorse. Interestingly, she is from the same family of [breeder] David Anderson's horse Gretzky the Great, and she is in foal to Nyquist, the sire of Gretzky the Great, arguably the present favourite for this year's Queen's Plate. I really thought that was a nice horse to pick up. I kept her first foal, a filly named Dance Ready, who was claimed and then I claimed her back with my partner on many horses, Donald Whalen. I like that family a lot. I think she'll be a nice mare down the road as well.”

After an eighth-place finish in his debut last August at Woodbine, Stephen finished second in his next start, following it up with an ultra-impressive score in the Coronation Futurity on November 1.

The Kevin Attard trainee is in Ontario in preparation for the start of the 2021 Woodbine Thoroughbred campaign, slated for April 17.

“Stephen, his dam is Naughty Holiday. I also owned her mother, Mrs. Coolidge. I really, really liked that mare and had her for a few years. When I saw Naughty Holiday at the 2017 November Keeneland sale – she was in foal to what would become Stephen – I bought her. I kind of lucked out buying her at a very reasonable price. I was happy that I was able to get back into that family. I told people that I liked the mother so much that I bought the daughter.”

Clancy, who would venture to Woodbine on weekends in his younger days hoping to put some money in his pockets by handicapping the races, also loves racing so much that he decided to get into the sport in a different capacity in the mid-2000s.

In 2005, he purchased a pub in Burlington, Ontario, and shortly thereafter obtained an off-track betting parlour for the establishment. He was later introduced to Woodbine-based trainer Steve Attard, and sales consignor and breeder Susan Foreman, who sold and partnered with Clancy on his first yearling.

The horse, Keino West, is a nod to Kenyan track legend Kip Keino, a gold medalist at the 1968 and 1972 Olympics.

Trained by Attard, Keino West broke his maiden at the end of his two-year-old campaign.

At three, the son of Kissin Kris competed in all three legs of the 2009 Canadian Triple Crown Series. He was sixth in the Queen's Plate, fourth in the Prince of Wales, and fifth in the Breeders' Stakes.

Now, some 12 years later, Clancy could be back in the spotlight once again, perhaps with three chances to win the country's most coveted race.

An accomplished track & field competitor in his day – he would classify himself as a decent allowance horse – Clancy doesn't need to be reminded that pacing oneself on the path to the Queen's Plate is paramount.

“The breeding game is definitely a marathon and not a sprint. It takes a lot of patience. It has its ups and downs like a marathon does. Sometimes you're running well and something happens, you get a cramp and fall back, and breeding is the same thing with setbacks. You have to have that fortitude to handle the mental issues that come with the territory in horse racing.”

None of it prevents Clancy from dreaming big when it comes to his trio of Plate hopefuls.

“The first horse I ever bought made it to the Queen's Plate. The race is a big goal and objective, for sure. It would be pretty cool to win it one day, either as a breeder or an owner.”

Or, with a little racing luck and the perfect trip, perhaps both.

The post Owner-Breeder David Clancy Has An Early Trifecta For 2021 Queen’s Plate appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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The Sam F. Davis is one of four stakes on a 12-race Festival Preview Day 41 Presented by Lambholm South card set to begin at 11:50 a.m. Scheduled as the 11th race, it will be preceded (in order) by the Grade 3, $175,000 Tampa Bay Stakes, for horses 4-years-old-and-upward at a mile-and-a-sixteenth on the turf course; the $150,000 Suncoast Stakes for 3-year-old fillies, at a mile-and-40-yards on the main track; and the Grade 3, $175,000 Lambholm South Endeavour Stakes, for older fillies and mares at a mile-and-a-sixteenth on the turf.

Approximate post time for the Sam F. Davis is 5:02 p.m. There is a carryover pool of $9,057.70 into the Super High-5 wager in the first race.

The Albaugh Family Stables, LLC-owned colt Smiley Sobotka has been established as the 3-1 morning-line favorite for the Sam F. Davis, run at a distance of a mile-and-a-sixteenth on the main track. Trained by Dale Romans, Smiley Sobotka will be ridden by Daniel Centeno while breaking from the No. 5 post position.

Smiley Sobotka won at the Sam F. Davis distance when he broke his maiden in October at Keeneland. He finished second at the same distance in the Grade 2 Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes on Nov. 28 at Churchill Downs.

The Sam F. Davis awards points on a 10-4-2-1 scale to the first four finishers toward qualifying for the Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve on May 1 at Churchill Downs.

Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott and future Hall of Famer Todd Pletcher each have two horses entered in the Sam F. Davis. Mott's runners are breeder-owner Michael Shanley's colt Nova Rags, who won the 7-furlong Pasco Stakes here on Jan. 16, and Frank Fletcher Racing Operations' colt Candy Man Rocket, an eye-popping maiden special weight winner on Jan. 9 at Gulfstream Park.

Nova Rags will again be ridden by Samy Camacho. Junior Alvarado is the pilot on Candy Man Rocket.

Pletcher, who has won the Sam F. Davis a record six times (no other trainer has won it more than twice), will counter with Known Agenda, a St. Elias Stables-owned homebred who finished third on Dec. 5 in the Grade 2 Remsen Stakes at Aqueduct in his most recent start, and Millean, a Jan. 10 maiden claiming winner at Gulfstream Park owned by Donegal Racing.

Velazquez will ride Known Agenda. Roberto Alvarado, Jr., has been named on Millean.

Smiley Sobotka and seven others will vie to keep the Mott and Pletcher-trained sophomores from the winner's circle, but Mott suggested Friday the biggest surprise in the Sam F. Davis would be a result that winds up surprising hardly anyone.

The race appears that wide-open.

“Both of our horses have been training well, and we're anxiously awaiting the outcome to see if we have horses good enough to go on and come back for the (Grade 2 Lambholm South) Tampa Bay Derby (on March 6),” Mott said today from his south Florida base. “It's a big test for both horses, and we have no great expectations. Candy Man Rocket hasn't been beyond 6 ½ furlongs and Nova Rags hasn't raced around two turns yet, so they need to be tested to find out how far they want to go.”

At this early stage, there are no true standouts entering the race. The only stakes winner in the field other than Nova Rags is Florida-bred gelding Boca Boy, who captured the restricted Florida Thoroughbred Breeders' and Owners' Association Florida Sire In Reality Stakes on Sept. 26 at Gulfstream. Antonio Gallardo rides Boca Boy.

Mott, who has also entered 4-year-old filly New York Girl in the Lambholm South Endeavour and Florida-bred Jade Empress in the Suncoast, hopes having won the Pasco here will be an extra advantage for Nova Rags.

“It's a safe racetrack and it's a very challenging racetrack,” Mott said. “It's deep and tiring, and you see some horses that don't run well on it. So with Nova Rags, it's a good thing he has that race (the Pasco) over the surface.”

Hidden Stash, who won his last two races as a 2-year-old, both around two turns, will break from the No. 1 post under jockey Hector Diaz, Jr. Among the others, trainer Patrick Biancone, who won last year's Sam F. Davis with Sole Volante, will attempt a repeat with Lucky Law, and George “Rusty” Arnold, II takes a shot with Runway Magic, to be ridden by Leparoux.

The post Favorite Smiley Sobotka Likes The Distance, But Sam Davis Foes Carry High Hopes On Derby Trail appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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“We wanted to get him a little experience over the ground and get him used to the sights,” said Ken Winebaugh. “We didn't want to throw everything at him at once.”

Friday's workout on the Oldsmar main track with jockey Antonio Gallardo in the saddle went as well as the couple could have hoped for, as Boca Boy breezed five furlongs in 1:01 4/5, the fastest of 11 works at the distance. “We had heard the (dirt) track here was a little deeper and cuppier (than Gulfstream), and Antonio said he handled it real well,” Ken said. “He came out of it great, and I think he's ready for a really good race.”

Undoubtedly, he will need it. Boca Boy is expected to face eight or nine rivals in the Sam F. Davis, which awards Kentucky Derby qualifying points to the first four finishers and is likely to draw horses from the barns of such training behemoths as Todd Pletcher, Bill Mott, Christophe Clement and Dale Romans.

The Sam F. Davis is one of four stakes, three graded, on Saturday's card, which offers stakes purse money of $750,000. Entries for the entire card will be taken Wednesday.

Also scheduled Saturday are the G3, $175,000 Lambholm South Endeavour Stakes, for fillies and mares 4-years-old-and-upward racing a 1 1/16 miles on the turf; the G3, $175,000 Tampa Bay Stakes, for horses 4-and-up at 1 1/16 miles on the turf; and the $150,000 Suncoast Stakes, for 3-year-old fillies racing a mile-and-40-yards on the main dirt track.

The Suncoast Stakes awards Longines Kentucky Oaks qualifying points to the first four finishers on the same 10-4-2-1 basis as the Davis.

Boca Boy's previous start on Sept. 26 resulted in a virtual gate-to-wire victory on a sloppy Gulfstream surface in the $400,000 Florida Thoroughbred Breeders' and Owners' Association Florida Sire In Reality Stakes. The two-length victory was achieved in a time of 1:46.34 for 1 1/16 miles, the same distance as the Sam F. Davis.

The Winebaughs and Boca Boy's owner, Kenneth Fishbein, hoped to start him in the G2 Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes on Nov. 28 at Churchill Downs. But when he popped a splint bone (an injury similar to shin splints in runners) during an Oct. 24 workout, the connections put on the brakes.

Ken Winebaugh thinks the setback might have been a blessing in disguise. “He has really grown up since then. He's filled out and gotten taller, so instead of being a baby, he looks more like a racehorse,” he said. “He has matured a lot, and he has already shown he can handle racing around two turns. He has a lot of heart, and I have high hopes for him.”

Gallardo is expected to ride Boca Boy on Saturday.

Smiley Sobotka, who finished second in the race Boca Boy missed, the Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes, is expected to compete for owner Albaugh Family Stables and Romans.

Other probables for the Sam F. Davis include Candy Man Rocket, owned by Frank Fletcher Racing Operations and trained by Mott; Broadway, owned by Robert S. Evans and trained by Clement; Known Agenda, owned by St. Elias Stables and trained by Pletcher; and Lucky Law, owned by Sanford Bacon, Mrs. Paul Shanahan, Horse France America and Patrick L. Biancone Racing and trained by Biancone, who won last year's Sam F. Davis with Sole Volante.

Also, Hidden Stash, owned by BBN Racing and trained by Victoria Oliver; Ricochet, owned by Whiskey Hollow Thoroughbreds and trained by Kelsey Danner; and Runway Magic, owned by Hill 'n' Dale Equine Holdings and Bruce Lunsford and trained by George “Rusty” Arnold, II.

On that list of probables, Boca Boy is the lone stakes winner, and also the only Florida-bred. He is a son of Prospective – who finished second in the 2012 Sam F. Davis and won the G2 Lambholm South Tampa Bay Derby – out of the Gimmeawink mare Baliwink.

“I think this race will be a step up (in competition), but all he has to do is finish well and show he is not outclassed and he will go on from here,” Winebaugh said.

Due to COVID-19 restrictions, Tampa Bay Downs is limiting general-admission attendance for the Festival Preview Day 41 Presented by Lambholm South card to 2,500 spectators. Tickets, which are $10 each plus a service fee, are being sold online through Eventbrite.com and at the program stands.

Horsemen, box-seat holders and season-ticket holders do not need to purchase tickets, but must present their passes at the gate to gain admittance.

Seating will be available on a first-come, first-serve basis unless patrons have prior arrangements in the Skye Terrace Dining Room, Sports Gallery, Clubhouse Carrels or Legends Bar, but the purchase of a general-admission ticket is still required to gain admittance.

The track is also selling a limited number of tables in the Backyard Picnic Area for $50 each plus a service fee; that price includes admission for six people.

Here is the link for Festival Preview Day 41 tickets and picnic-area seating:

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/festival-preview-day-41-presented-by-lambholm-south-tickets-135338604409

Everyone will be required to wear masks or face coverings and maintain appropriate social distancing.

The post Missed Start In Kentucky ‘Blessing In Disguise’ For Sam F. Davis Contender Boca Boy appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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The Mucho Macho Man will headline a program with four other stakes that will be renewed this year Lasix-free, including the $75,000 Ginger Brew, the $75,000 Dania Beach, the $75,000 Limehouse, and the $75,000 Glitter Woman.

Dale Romans-trained Smiley Sobotka and Sittin On Go are both sons of Albaugh Family Stables LLC's Brody's Cause, whom Romans saddled for victories in the 2015 Breeders' Futurity (G1) and 2016 Blue Grass (G1).

Smiley Sobotka followed up a dominating maiden score at Keeneland with a close-up second in the Nov. 28 Kentucky Jockey Club (G2) at Churchill last time out. The Ontario-bred colt was pressured while setting or prompting the pace from the inside throughout the 1 1/16-mile race but held gamely to finish less than a length behind Keepmeinmind.

Sittin On Go finished an even sixth in the Kentucky Jockey Club and finished well back in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile (G1) at Keeneland, but the Kentucky-bred colt had won his previous two races, including the Iroquois (G3) at Churchill.

Romans is also represented on the list of nominations by Jim Bakke and Gerry Isbister's Ultimate Badger, who finished off the board in the Kentucky Jockey Club.

Shadwell Stable's Mutasaabeq, a winner on both turf and dirt, is also a Mucho Macho Man nominee with a high profile. After 4 ½-length debut winner and third-place finisher over Saratoga's main track, Mutasaabeq earned graded-stakes status with a going-away 2 ½-length romp in the Bourbon (G2) over Keeneland's turf course. The Todd Pletcher-trained son of Into Mischief turned in a disappointing off-the-board finish in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf (G1) at Keeneland in his 2020 finale. Mutasaabeq is also nominated to the Dania Beach and the Limehouse.

Repole Stable, St. Elias Stable and Stonestreet Stables LLC's Likeable, an impressive maiden winner at Belmont prior to finishing off the board in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile (G1) at Keeneland, is also nominated.

Trainer Gustavo Delgado is represented on the noms list by a pair of impressive debut winners, OGMA Investments LLC and Off the Hook LLC's Jirafales and Top Racing LLC's Ocean Ride. Jirafales overcame a jump at the start of his Gulfstream Park West debut to pull away by nearly five lengths Nov. 19. Ocean Ride overcame the rail post, a slow start and a bump to graduate at first asking at Gulfstream Park West Nov. 28. Both colts are also nominated to the Limehouse.

Breeze Easy LLC's Easy Time, a Mark Casse-trained son of Not This Time, has been nominated to the Mucho Macho Man off a strong debut score at Woodbine.

Alex and Joanne Lieblong's Big Thorn, a David Fawkes-trained son of The Big Beast, earned a Mucho Macho Man nomination while winning the Gulfstream Park West Juvenile Sprint by 4 ½ lengths.

Trainer Kathy Ritvo, who saddled Mucho Macho Man for a victory in the $5 million Breeders' Cup Classic (G1) at Santa Anita in 2013, is represented on the noms list by Raison d'Air, who graduated by 13 ½ lengths before finishing fourth in the Armed Forces. Reeves Thoroughbred Racing, who campaigned Mucho Macho Man, owns Raison d'Air.

The Ginger Brew, a mile turf stakes for 3-year-old fillies, drew 20 nominations, including multiple stakes-placed Con Lima, a Pletcher-trained daughter of Commissioner who scored by more than five lengths in her recent turf debut at Gulfstream.

The Dania Beach, a mile turf stakes for 3-year-olds attracted 21 nominations, including Patricia's Hope LLC's Like a Saltshaker, who finished second in the Awad on turf at Belmont two starts back and previously won a stakes over Presque Isle Downs' synthetic surface.

The Limehouse, a six-furlong sprint for 3-year-olds, received 18 including a trio of highly promising colts trained by Saffie Joseph Jr.

The Glitter Woman, a 6 ½-furlong sprint for 3-year-old fillies, draw 17 nominations, including Mark Casse-trained Dirty Dangle, a stakes winner at Woodbine before finishing off the board in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Filly Turf (G1).

Three stakes will ring in the New Year on the Jan. 1 program – the $75,000 Cash Run, a mile stakes for fillies and mares, the $75,000 Abundantia, a five-furlong turf sprint for fillies and mares, and the $75,000 Janus, a five-furlong turf dash for 4-year-olds and up.

Saturday Rainbow 6 Guarantee $400,000
The 20-cent Rainbow 6 will have a guaranteed pool of $400,000 when racing resumes Saturday, Dec. 26.

The sequence will begin with the H. Allen Jerkens at two miles and include the Tropical Park Derby and Tropical Park Oaks.

The jackpot pool is only paid out when there is a single unique ticket sold with all six winners. On days when there is no unique ticket, 70 percent of that day's pool goes back to those bettors holding tickets with the most winners, while 30 percent is carried over to the jackpot pool.

The post Romans Has Trio Nominated To Jan. 2 Mucho Macho Man At Gulfstream Park appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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“He’s 2-for-2 at Churchill Downs so we know he really likes it here,” said trainer Ken McPeek. “We’ve added blinkers to him in hopes to get him to the next level. I think they could add to his focus and really get him there. His only two blemishes came at Keeneland, so we’re excited to get him back to Churchill.”

McPeek will attempt to add his second win in the Kentucky Jockey Club following Signalman in 2018.

Dale Romans offers a three-pronged attack, led by GIII Iroquois S. winner Sittin On Go (Brody’s Cause). Campaigned by the Albaugh Family, the chestnut launched his career with a five-furlong win at Ellis in August before taking his route bow in the Iroquois. He was most recently ninth in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile. Running for the same connections, Smiley Sobotka (Brody’s Cause) was runner-up in his career bow while negotiating 6 1/2 furlongs at Ellis in August before graduating in his route unveiling at Keeneland Oct. 4. Rounding out the Romans triumvirate is Ultimate Badger (Commissioner), who won his latest start in a optional claimer over track and trip Oct. 25.

Looking for a class break is Keepmeinmind (Laoban), on the board in all three prior starts, including a second in the Breeders’ Futurity followed by a third in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile. David Cohen, aboard for the bay’s first two career starts, reunites with the colt Saturday.

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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.

The post Keepmeinmind Faces Stakes Winners King Fury, Sittin On Go In Saturday’s Kentucky Jockey Club appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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“It was a really great week to win both the Pocahontas (Grade 3) and Iroquois (G3),” Romans said. “We're coming into the Breeders' Cup with some good chances and ready to take our shot. I think that across the board each of the Breeders' Cup races are shaping up to be competitive. It's fun getting to compete on this stage and seeing who is the best of the best.”

Sittin On Go, a 2-year-old undefeated son of former Romans-trained Brody's Cause, is one of the top contenders for the $2 million Breeders' Cup Juvenile (G1). Also scheduled to join him in the starting gate is Albaugh's maiden winner Smiley Sobotka.

Girl Daddy, who won the $200,000 Pocahontas by two lengths, is likely to face seven rivals in the $2 million Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1).

“Obviously, long term, you always have next year's Kentucky Derby and Oaks in the back of your mind,” Romans said. “These horses have shown they have potential to get to that level in the future.”

Romans also pre-entered CJ Thoroughbreds, Left Turn Racing and Casner Racing's $500,000 Derby City Distaff (GI) third-place finisher Sally's Curlin to the $1 million Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint (GI) and Jim Bakke and Gerald Isbister's $200,000 Fayette (GII) hero Mr Freeze to the $1 million Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile (GI).

All five horses are expected to have their final works prior to the Breeders' Cup Friday or Saturday. They will ship to Keeneland on Monday, according to Romans.

The post ‘Ready To Take Our Shot’: Romans’ Breeders’ Cup Brigade Led By Juveniles Girl Daddy, Sittin On GO appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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