It’s all about the 3-year-olds this week as Keeneland offers a pair of graded stake races for fillies and colts.
Keeneland
Grade III Perryville
(7th race, 1:12 p.m.)
The boys are up first, going 7 furlongs, with 12 entering in a race where we might see a couple return for the Breeders’ Cup in two weeks.
Chief Wallabee (William Mott, Junior Alvarado) is probably the most familiar name in the field as he was fourth in both the Kentucky Derby and the Belmont Stakes, losing each to Golden Tempo. He drops back to a sprint for the first time since his debut back in January where he came out a winner at Gulfstream. I don’t think he wants to be on the lead early but by shortening the distance – who knows.
Street Beast (Ben Colebrook, Luan Machado) has not run a sprint since last year where he was first and second in two efforts. He was fourth in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf last year to end his first year. This year he has seen nothing but stake company, but his performances have been average at best. If you want to find something to like, take what you can with going from a route to a sprint, the barn hits as 31 percent.
Doublecents (Brett Creighton, Francisco Arrieta) is the son of Goldencents and has won three of six starts this year. Only one was a stake race and that came in the last start, the $300,000 Harrods Creek at Churchill Downs. He stalked the pace that day, took the lead at the top of the lane and went on to win by over a length.
Obliteration (Steve Asmussen, Flavien Prat) deserves your attention on the connections alone. He has hit the board in five of six starts this year with two wins, a second, and two thirds. He had a nice streak on the main track, winning the Chick Lang at Laurel in May. Then running third in the Grade I Woody Stephens in June at Saratoga, then third in the Grade II Amsterdam in July, also at Saratoga. In his last start, the Grade II Mint Franklin-Simpson at Kentucky Downs on Sept. 7, he tried the turf and was sixth. Now he comes back to the main track and has every right to be a contender.
Grade II Raven Run
(9th race, 2:16 p.m.)
It is time for the 3-year-old fillies to go seven furlongs in what looks like a contentious race.
Hen Party (Eoin Harty, Rafeal Bejarano) has hit the board in her last three starts, all graded stake races. In her latest, she was third in the Grade III Prioress at Saratoga on Sept. 6. Before then she was second in the Grade III Soaring Softly on June 7, also at Saratoga. She likes to come from off the pace.
A Fine Chardonnay (Ian Wilkes, Brian Hernandez Jr.) has hit the board in four of her six starts this year. The lone win came back on April 3 in the Grade II Beaumont at Keeneland. She hasn’t won since then but has run well in some good races. She was third in the Grade III Victory Ride at Saratoga on July 10 and followed that on August 9 with second in the $200,000 Audubon Oaks at Ellis Park.
Conceit (Brad Cox, Irad Ortiz) has run off wins in three consecutive starts. The latest was the Grade III Dogwood on Sept. 19 at Churchill where she charged down the lane to get up by a head. Before then it was a win in the $200,000 Audubon Oaks at Ellis Park, and before then it was a $116,000 allowance race June 26 at Churchill.
Mashallah (Brendan Walsh, Tyler Gaffalione) has won two straight, with the last coming Sept. 6 at Saratoga in the Grade III Prioress, basically wiring the field to win by five. There is a lot of speed here and will be a big player in the pace.
With a Kiss (Todd Pletcher, John Velazquez) is a horse I might to see start in a stake race before thinking much, but with these connections, it’s a solid career path. First started Oct. 25 of last year against straight maidens at Aqueduct and won by four lengths. Needed some time off and didn’t come back for almost a year, running Sept. 6 at Saratoga in a $55,000 optional claimer and battled to win by a neck. A big jump here but once again, consider the connections and she warrants a long look.