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American Pharoah’s Maven too Fast for Them at Keeneland

8th-Keeneland, $79,935, Alw, 7-8, 3yo, 5 1/2fT, 1:03.02, gd.
MAVEN (c, 3, American Pharoah–Richies Party Girl {MSW, $357,085}, by Any Given Saturday), the less fancied of a pair of Wesley Ward runners at 3-1, turned this event into a one-horse affair for a barn that wins more than its fair share of sprints on the Lexington lawn. A debut winner while earning a strong 84 Beyer Speed Figure in April of his 2-year-old season, the chestnut traveled overseas to annex Chantilly’s G3 Prix du Bois that June. He had been off since finishing 10th in Goodwood’s G3 Molecomb S. July 31, but showed some upbeat drills over the local turf for this. Hard ridden to seize command early, Maven doled out an opening quarter of :21.62 as his stakes-winning female stablemate Cambria (Speightstown) was forced to take up sharply around the turn. Maven continued into the lane unopposed and, despite never switching leads, streaked home 2 3/4 lengths to the good of of big longshot Johnny Unleashed (Colonel John). Cambria never recovered from the trouble and checked in 10th. The winner is the lone registered foal out of Richies Party Girl, who took the 2013 Juvenile Turf Sprint on Breeders’ Cup weekend and added two more turf sprint stakes the following season. Sales history: £725,000 RNA 2yo ’19 GOFLON. Lifetime Record: GSW-Fr, 4-3-0-0, $143,488. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.
O-Richard Ravin; B/T-Wesley Ward (KY).

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Report: Martin Garcia Tests Positive for COVID-19

Jockey Martin Garcia has tested positive for COVID-19 and was forced to miss his scheduled ride aboard Miss T Too (Into Mischief) for trainer Bill Mott in Wednesday night’s GIII Indiana Oaks. Daily Racing Form was first to report the news after speaking to Garcia’s agent Jay Fedor. Garcia was replaced by Julien Leparoux.

DRF said that Garcia, who had ridden at Ellis Park, Los Alamitos and Prairie Meadows in the last seven days, was tested Tuesday at Keeneland, a requirement to ride at the meeting which began Wednesday afternoon. Garcia rode at Churchill Downs for most of the month of June, DRF reported, but tested negative at that time. Fedor told DRF that Garcia was not displaying any of the coronavirus symptoms.

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Runhappy Gets Impressive First Winner at Indiana Grand

Dismissed at longshot odds after drawing in from the also-eligible list, Libertyrun (Runhappy) sprinted clear in the final furlong to get his sire (by Super Saver) off the mark in Wednesday’s fourth race at Indiana Grand. Debuting in the colors of owner/breeder Jim McIngvale as a 23-1 gamble, the Louisiana-bred jumped well and put himself right into the mix, settling about four off the inside and just off the pace into the turn. Between rivals on the bend, Libertyrun was confidently handled by Miguel Mena, responded when set down in upper stretch and kicked clear to score by an impressive 6 1/2 lengths. Paquime (Cinco Charlie) was second.

“He’s not a very big horse, but he is very professional,” said Mena. “He came out of the gate great. When we got to the stretch, he had his ears pricked and I hit him once and he took off running. I hit him one more time and he continued on again. I think he is a very nice horse.”

“I’m very emotional right now. It’s absolutely wonderful,” said Kelly Wohlers, who serves as assistant to trainer Laura Wohlers, McIngvale’s sister in law, of the much-anticipated first win for the well-advertised Runhappy.

Of Libertyrun, she said “He’s a very nice athlete. He’s got Runhappy’s mind, but he’s got a little more pep in his step. Runhappy had pep in his step when he got to the paddock. But this horse is all the time on go. He loves what he does.”

Runhappy was himself a debut winner at Turfway Park in 2014, overcoming his inexperience for an eye-catching 8 1/4-length success. Himself a five-length allowance winner at this track almost five years ago to the day, Runhappy went on to win the GI King’s Bishop S., the GI Breeders’ Cup Sprint and GI Malibu S. en route to Eclipse-champion sprinter honors that season.

Libertyrun hails from the family of fellow champion Points Offthebench (Benchmark) and has a full-brother foaled this term. Dam Slews Return (Came Home) was bred back to Ready’s Image. Runhappy, who stood the 2020 breeding season for an advertised fee of $25,000, is represented by 94 juveniles from his first crop. He was the second-leading freshman sire of yearlings in 2019, per TDN Sales Statistics, and is in the same spot with 2-year-old sellers, including colts for $475,000 and $435,000 and an $800,000 RNA.

4th-Indiana Grand, $31,000, Msw, 7-8, 2yo, 5 1/2f, 1:05.63, ft.
LIBERTYRUN (c, 2, Runhappy–Slews Return, by Came Home) Lifetime Record: 1-1-0-0, $18,600. Click for the Equibase.com chart.
O/B-James McIngvale (LA); T-Laura Wohlers.

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Tiz the Law Breezes Towards, Max Player Aiming For Runhappy Travers

Tiz the Law (Constitution) continued his preparations for the $1-million GI Runhappy Travers S. Wednesday morning, working five furlongs in a solid 1:01.10 over a Belmont main track labeled as fast. It was the New York-bred’s second breeze since winning the GI Belmont S. June 20. He went a maintenance half-mile in :50.06 July 1.

“He looked perfect,” trainer Barclay Tagg said. “He’s got a lot of energy. He wouldn’t blow out a candle.”

Tiz the Law is perfect in three starts this season, having won the GIII Holy Bull S. Feb. 1 ahead of a smooth success in the GI Curlin Florida Derby Mar. 28. He defeated Dr Post (Quality Road) by 3 3/4 lengths in the first leg of this year’s reconstituted Triple Crown last month.

“It’s just a matter of keeping him happy and healthy for seven weeks between now and the Travers,” said Jack Knowlton, operations manager for owner Sackatoga Stable. “[Assistant trainer] Robin [Smullen] says nothing phases him. If you watch him around the stable, on the track, and during his races it all seems to be true. Fortunately, [jockey] Manny [Franco] has gotten to know what he has under him and has done a great job. Hopefully we can continue the roll that we’re on.”

Trainer Linda Rice confirmed that GIII Withers S. hero and Belmont third placegetter Max Player (Honor Code) is also being prepared for the 10-furlong ‘Midsummer Derby’ at Saratoga, having also considered other options over the coming weeks.

“We’re leaning towards running in the Travers,” Rice said. “We looked at some other options with the [Grade I] Haskell [at Monmouth] or the [Grade III] Peter Pan [July 16 at Saratoga], but we are going to point right to the Travers.”

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