Thorn Song, Square Eddie and Indyanne earned automatic berths in the Breeders’ Cup World Championships at Santa Anita on October 24-25 with their victories Saturday at Keeneland.

Thorn Song, the favorite, won the $600,000, Grade 1 Shadwell Turf Mile only 30 minutes after Square Eddie, an invader from England, scored a mild upset in the $500,000, Grade 1 Lane’s End Breeders’ Futurity.  Later in the day, Indyanne scored a narrow win in the $300,000, Grade 3 Thoroughbred Club of America Stakes.

Keeneland’s 10-race program Saturday featured five stakes races—four graded—worth $1.8 million.  The stakes extravaganza began with Sing Baby Sing taking the $242,000, Grade 3 Phoenix.  Then, Chamberlain Bridge won the $150,000 Woodford Stakes.

Robby Albarado, the regular jockey for Curlin, rode both Thorn Song and Indyanne. More than 19,000 people watched racing Saturday at Keeneland under sunny skies with temperatures in the low 70s.

Thorn Song took the lead at the start under Albarado and led all the way to win the Shadwell Turf Mile. The gray son of Unbridled’s Song ran the distance in 1:34.97 on the firm course and finished 1 ¼ lengths in front of Shakis (IRE).  He rallied from 11th place in the 12-horse field to finish second.  War Monger was a nose back in third.

Thorn Song added the Shadwell Turf Mile to a previous victory this year in the one-mile Firecracker (G2) at Churchill on July 4.  He earned $372,000, increasing his career bankroll to $912,981 and an automatic berth in the $2 million Breeders’ Cup Mile (G1).

“He’s got a high cruising speed,” said Albarado.  “(Trainer) Dale (Romans) said to open up two lengths and see where you’re at.  I know I was going awfully quick on the backside.  But I felt like he was doing it within himself.

“He had his ears up, he was comfortable and he sprinted home.  He just kept the same pace throughout the race.”

Romans trains Thorn Song for Ahmed Zayat.  The winner paid $8.40, $4.60 and $2.80 as the favorite.  Shakis returned $5.20 and $3.40 and War Monger paid $3.40 to show.

Lane’s End Breeders’ Futurity
Square Eddie, who arrived only Wednesday from England, took the lead at the top of the stretch under jockey Rafael Bejarano and drew away to an authoritative win in the Lane’s End Breeders’ Futurity.

The victory earned the son of Smart Strike an automatic berth in the Bessemer Trust Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (G1).

Square Eddie ran the 1 1/16 miles on the fast Polytrack in 1:43.04 and finished 4 ¾ lengths in front of Terrain, who was awarded the win in the Arlington-Washington Futurity (G3) via disqualification in his last start.  It was 3 ¼ lengths back to third-place Pioneerof the Nile.

Making his first start for owner J. Paul Reddam in the Breeders’ Futurity, Square Eddie had made his four previous starts in England. The winner’s purse of $310,000 increased Square Eddie’s career earnings to $341,666.

“The horse was very comfortable in the race, and he was very professional,” said jockey Rafael Bejarano.  “I was right next to the speed and when it came to the turn, I felt like I had a lot of speed.  The horse gave me everything.”

Keeneland sold Square Eddie for $200,000 at the 2007 September Yearling Sale.

Square Eddie, who was one of three invaders in the race trained by John Best, paid $20.20, $9.60 and $6.20.  Terrain returned $5.40 and $4 and Pioneerof the Nile paid $4.

 

Indyanne held on to win the Thoroughbred Club of America Stakes for her fifth victory in six career starts.  With the head decision, she spoiled runner-up Wild Gams’ bid for a second consecutive win in the six-furlong sprint for fillies and mares.

 

“It’s easy when you ride great fillies like her,” said Albarado.  “She was very kind about everything she did today.  I didn’t like being in the one hole today, but she broke well and I was kind of committed.  She’s very talented and shows it.”

The winner ran six furlongs in 1:08.50 on the fast track and paid $5.40, $3.40 and $2.80 as the 17-10 favorite in the eighth-horse field.  Wild Gams, fresh off a half-length win in the $400,000 Presque Isle Downs Masters last month, finished four lengths in front of third-place Sugar Swirl.

David and Jill Heerensperger’s Indyanne was the first horse ever saddled at Keeneland by Greg Gilchrist, a Northern California-based trainer who also conditioned champion sprinter Lost in the Fog. 

Indyanne’s lone defeat was a second-place finish in the Victory Ride Stakes (G3) at Saratoga in August.  She earned $186,000 on Saturday to increase her career bankroll to $434,870.

“She should really have been undefeated,” said Gilchrist.  “She got left (at the gate) up there in Saratoga.”
             
Phoenix

Sing Baby Sing, who last raced in New Mexico, wore down favored Talent Search in the final sixteenth of a mile to win the Phoenix (G3) for three-year-olds and upward, giving trainer Jack Bruner his first victory in a graded stakes race.

Three-quarters of a length separated Sing Baby Sing and Talent Search at the finish of the six-furlong sprint, which was timed in l:08.48 on the fast Polytrack surface.  It was a neck back to third-place Carnacks Choice in the field of 10.

Sing Baby Sing won for the seventh time in 17 career starts and earned $155,000 for owner Tom Durant.  Justin Shepherd rode the winner, a 5-year-old son of Unbridled’s Song.

“They were going fast in the front of us,” said Shepherd, who was winning his second graded stakes race at Keeneland.  “My main concern, really, was if he’d like this track, and he seemed to love it today.”

Sing Baby Sing, a 26-1 outsider, paid $55.20 and increased his career earnings to $399,620.
Woodford

Jockey Jamie Theriot, who was involved in a frightening fall on Friday at Keeneland, guided Chamberlain Bridge to a front-running victory in the $150,000 Woodford Stakes on the turf.

“My horse is a very quick horse and I let him run his race,” said Theriot.  “That’s where we wanted to be was on the lead and my horse put me there and I just rode him from there.”

 

Chamberlain Bridge took the lead soon after the start of the 5 ½-furlong sprint on the turf and held off favored Smart Enough by 1 ½ lengths.  Fort Prado, seeking a second consecutive win in the race, was a neck back in third.

 

Chamberlain Bridge ran the distance in 1:02.39 and paid $39.40.  The 4-year-old son of War Chant earned $93,000 for Carl R. Moore Management LLC and won for the sixth time in 12 career starts.

 

The winner, who is trained by Bret Calhoun, was claimed for $35,000 in March.