MOTT HAS BREEDERS’ CUP PLANS FOR MUSHKA, MR. SIDNEY
Brushwood Stable’s Mushka, who was named the winner of Sunday’s Juddmonte Spinster (G1) upon the disqualification of Proviso (GB), and Circle E Racing’s Mr. Sidney, who was third in Saturday’s Shadwell Turf Mile (G1), will remain at Keeneland until about a week before the Breeders’ Cup World Championships, according to trainer Bill Mott on Monday morning.
Mott reported that Mushka, a 4-year-old daughter of Empire Maker, came out of the Spinster well.
“This morning, she looks good,” said Mott, who recorded his first victory in the Spinster. Mushka was ridden by Kent Desormeaux, who won the race in 1999 on Keeper Hill and last year on Carriage Trail.
With the Spinster victory, Mushka earned a start in the $2 million Breeders’ Cup Ladies’ Classic (G1) on November 6 at the Spinster distance of 1 1/8 miles. Prior to the Spinster, she had made four previous starts on turf, winning the Glens Falls (G3) at Saratoga. Mushka is undefeated in two career races on Keeneland’s Polytrack.
Mott said Mr. Sidney would make his next start in either the $1 million Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile (G1) on the all-weather surface at Santa Anita or on turf in the $2 million TVG Breeders’ Cup Mile (G1). Mr. Sidney, who won Keeneland’s Maker’s Mark Mile (G1) on turf in April, has made one start on an all-weather surface, finishing second over Keeneland’s Polytrack in October 2008 in a 1 1/8-mile allowance race.
Mott’s second starter in the Juddmonte Spinster, Indescribable, finished ninth in the race and has been retired, the trainer said. A homebred racing for Donald Adam, the 5-year-old daughter of Pleasant Tap entered the Juddmonte Spinster off a victory in the Kentucky Cup Distaff (G3) at Turfway Park on September 26.
In her career, Indescribable won seven races in 23 starts and earned $476,159. She won Keeneland’s Doubledogdare (G3) in April and captured the Arlington Matron (G3) in 2008. Last year, Indescribable was third behind Ginger Punch in the Go for Wand (G1)
BOURBON WINNER INTERACTIF HEADS TO NEW YORK TO PREPARE FOR BREEDERS’ CUP
Wertheimer and Frere’s Interactif, the stylish winner of Sunday’s Grade 3 Bourbon Stakes, is headed back to trainer Todd Pletcher’s home base at Belmont Park on Monday along with Dixiana Breeders’ Futurity (G1) runner-up Aikenite.
Interactif qualified for a spot in the starting gate for the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf (G2) with the Woodford win, and Aikenite is headed for the Grey Goose Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (G1). Both races are scheduled to be run November 7 at Santa Anita.
Pletcher was on hand at Keeneland on Sunday for Interactif’s score, the third in the Bourbon in the past four years for Pletcher.
“I thought it was a good run yesterday. He came out of the race well and we hope he can continue on,” Pletcher said. “We think he could be a special horse. He has had two big races on the grass and he is impressive working on the grass. He showed he can run on soft turf, which is a sigh of relief for later on.”
Aikenite, owned by Dogwood Stable, added his Breeders’ Futurity placing to a third-place finish in the Grade 1 Hopeful, which came in his second start.
“Aikenite is still trying to figure it out,” Pletcher said. “I am not surprised he ran that well after his race in the Hopeful. I thought he was going to get that other horse (winner Noble’s Promise), but that horse hit another gear.”
Pletcher said both colts would train at Belmont Park for the Breeders’ Cup and then ship to Santa Anita on November 3.
GALLOPING OUT
Nuno Santos, who is overseeing trainer Bobby Frankel’s Keeneland string, reported Monday morning that Proviso (GB) came out of Sunday’s Juddmonte Spinster (G1) in good order.
“She is doing well this morning, but I don’t know what their plans are for her,” Santos said of the Juddmonte Farms’ runner who was disqualified from first place and placed second after bearing out in front of Mushka. “She may be here for another day or two. She just flew here from France last week. She spent one day in New York and then came here.”
Trainer Michael Stidham said that Darley Stable’s Tizaqueena, runner-up to Diamondrella (GB) in Saturday’s First Lady (G1), may be headed to California next month.
“She came out of the race good and there is a Grade 2 race on the Breeders’ Cup undercard (on November 6), the Las Palmas, at a mile on the turf. We will nominate her to that,” said Stidham, who had indicated Saturday that Tizaqueena likely would not go to the Emirates Airline Breeders’ Cup Filly & Turf (G1) because of the 1 ¼-mile distance.
Trainer Wayne Catalano said Nancy Mazzoni’s Grade 3 winner She Be Wild, second to Negligee in Friday’s Darley Alcibiades (G1), will remain at Keeneland at least for another week before shipping to Santa Anita to prepare for the $2 million Grey Goose Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1) on November 6. Catalano said Darrell and Evelyn Yates’ Dixie Band, the previously unbeaten Grade 3 winner who finished 10th in Saturday’s Dixiana Breeders’ Futurity (G1), most likely would make his next start on dirt at Churchill Downs.
On Sunday, Mario Donato and Chris Wagner’s Helicopter broke Keeneland’s 1 ¼-mile Polytrack record when he won the sixth race in 2:02.95. Brandon Meier rode the 3-year-old Three Wonders gelding, who has won seven of his last 10 races, for trainer Larry Rivelli. Stratostar set the previous mark of 2:04.78 in October 2008.
Nelson McMakin’s Hot Cha Cha, an invitee to Saturday’s 26th running of the Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup (G1) for 3-year-old fillies going 1 1/8 miles on the Haggin Course, worked five furlongs around the “dogs” on a “good” turf course in 1:04 on Monday morning with jockey James Graham up.
Trained by Phillip Sims, Hot Cha Cha sped through the final quarter mile in 23 seconds flat, according to Keeneland clockers. Hot Cha Cha has won four of nine starts this year and in her most recent start won the Pucker Up (G3) at Arlington Park under Graham.
In other QE II news, Farnsworth Stables’ Gozzip Girl is scheduled to arrive at Keeneland on Monday and Newmarket Thoroughbred Racing’s Hameildaeme (GB) is due to arrive Tuesday.
Trained by Tom Albertrani, Gozzip Girl ran second in this spring’s Ashland (G1) on the main track and has posted graded stakes wins on turf in the Herecomesthebride (G3), Sands Point (G2) and the American Oaks Invitational (G1).
The Southern California-based Hameildaeme is trained by James Lloyd. In her most recent start, Hameildaene ran fourth behind Hot Cha Cha in the Pucker Up on September 7.
WEDNESDAY HANDICAPPING CONTEST
On Wednesday, Keeneland and its partner Daily Racing Form will host a $2,500 Handicapping Contest on races 3-9. Entry fee is $10; the first 200 participants receive a free Daily Racing Form.
2009 FALL MEET SPECIAL EVENTS
Wednesday, October 14 – Make-A-Wish Day – Keeneland and members of the Central Kentucky Thoroughbred industry are once again partnering with the Make-A-Wish Foundation to hold Make-A-Wish Day. Nine Kentucky children and their families will enjoy a VIP afternoon at Keeneland with activities including lunch and a behind-the-scenes tour of the track with the opportunity to meet jockeys. The children will present the trophy for the race named after the sponsoring farm and will watch the race from the winner’s circle.
Thursday, October 15 – Peb Day – Keeneland salutes famous equine cartoonist Pierre Bellocq, also known as Peb. World-renown for his murals and caricatures of noted members of the Thoroughbred industry, Peb will be at the track to sign autographs and make a special announcement at 11:30 a.m. with Keeneland and the Daily Racing Form.
2009 KEENELAND FALL MEET LEADERS
(Stats Through Sunday, October 11)
Current Meet Leading Jockeys
Name Sts 1st 2nd 3rd Purses
Robby Albarado 28 6 3 2 $524,886
Rajiv Maragh 15 5 5 1 $906,468
Julien Leparoux 27 3 3 5 $369,117
Kent Desormeaux 19 3 0 5 $510,708
Jamie Theriot 19 2 3 0 $146,682
James Graham 12 2 2 0 $ 82,028
Nine jockeys are tied with 1 win each.
Current Meet Leading Trainers
Name Sts 1st 2nd 3rd Purses
Ken McPeek 17 3 0 5 $447,418
George Arnold II 5 2 3 0 $202,000
Jonathan Sheppard 6 2 0 2 $219,769
23 trainers are tied with 1 win each.