The Keeneland Spring meet is complete and it was a grand success. Eighteen stakes races were hosted over the 15 day meet. Having cancelled the 2020 Spring meet, due to the pandemic, Keeneland reported a nearly 15 percent increase in daily wagering, and approached an 8 percent rise in all sources wagering, since Spring 2019. Feast your eyes upon this talent, listed by stakes race: winner, by horse/jockey and /trainer:
- Palisades Turf Sprint: Chasing Artie/Joel Rosario/Wesley Ward
- Beaumont : Twenty Carat/Luis Saez/Wesley Ward
- Transylvania: Scarlet Sky/Joel Rosario/Claude McGaughey III
- Appalachian: Jouster/Luis Saez/Todd Pletcher
- Commonwealth: Flagstaff/Joel Rosario/John Sadler
- Shakertown: Bound for Nowhere/Joel Rosario/Wesley Ward
- Ashland: Malathaat/Joel Rosario/Todd Pletcher
- Madison: Kimari/Joel Rosario/Wesley Ward
- Blue Grass: Essential Quality/Luis Saez/Brad Cox
- Limestone: Tobys Heart/Javier Castellano/Brian Lynch
- Maker’s Mark Mile: Raging bull (FR), Irad Ortiz, Jr./Chad Brown
- Ben Ali: Silver Dust/Adam Beschizza/W. Calhoun
- Giant’s Causeway: Change of Control/Colby J. Hernandez/Michelle Lovell
- Lexington: King Fury/Kenneth McPeek/Brian Hernandez, Jr,
- Jenny Wiley: Juliet Foxtrot (GB)/Tyler Gaffalione/Brad Cox
- Baird Doubledogdare: Bonny South/Florent Geroux/Brad Cox
- Elkhorn: Say the Word/Luis Saez/Philip D’Amato
- Bewitch: War Like Goddess/Julien R. Leparoux/William Mott
This meet’s racing graduates will go on to influence thoroughbred racing within the days and years to come. Looking to this weekend, the first Saturday in May, it is likely that early favorites, Malathaat and Essential Quality, will be strong contenders in the Kentucky Oaks and Kentucky Derby fields. I am beyond ecstatic to report that Keeneland had an injury free race meet, thus all may race on!
Keenland’s Spring meet was full of winning connections as well:
Top Trainers: Wesley Ward (20 wins), Brad Cox (10), Todd Pletcher (9)
Top Jockeys: Luis Saez (29 wins), Joel Rosario (22), Tyler Gaffalione(12)
Top Owners: Juddmonte (6 wins) and a 3 way tie- Lothenbach Stables(3), Stonestreet Stables (3), Three Diamonds Farm (3)
I was thrilled to attend some of this meet live. I have included a few pictures throughout. I do not expect to visit Churchill for the Oaks or Derby but I do plan to post some before and after stories. Thank you for sharing the love of racing with me. Check back this week for Kentucky Derby information and excitation. May all of our racing dreams come true, most happily ever after!
