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Keeneland Race du Jour- Day 1 (Friday, October 3, 2008)
In addition to the Horse du Jour, which will appear every evening prior to a racing day by 11:00 PM EDT, the Racing Dispatch will debut a new feature for the Keeneland meet called the Race du Jour. The Race du Jour will be an extended analysis of one race on each Keeneland program. It will not always be the featured event or a stakes race but will always offer an in-depth look at the contenders and a bankroll play with a limit of $50 will be offered at the end of the analysis.
The Race du Jour for opening day at Keeneland is the $400,000 First Lady (G1) at 1 mile on the turf for older fillies and mares. Over the years this has been one of the most exciting and competitive races of the fall meet. Last year Vacare won a stretch-long duel with Precious Kitten to score by a half-length and the year before Gorella defeated Karen’s Caper after a spirited battle to the wire. That win was enough for Gorella to be made the favorite in the 2006 Breeders’ Cup Mile despite facing males.
This year’s First Lady has all the necessary elements of a terrific race. There is a good bit of early speed between #2 DREAMING OF ANNA and #5 BAYOU’S LASSIE. There are classy fillies like #1 PRECIOUS KITTEN and #3 RUTHERIENNE and there are horses who might have the most upside like the fresh #4 ROSHANI and the accomplished #6 FOREVER TOGETHER.
The morning line favorite is #1 PRECIOUS KITTEN and she is a mare who always receives plenty of support at the windows. A failed bid in the Beverly D. should not turn you away as that race was about a furlong too far for this gal, who has always preferred anywhere from a mile to a mile and a sixteenth. The advantage she has this afternoon is that she’ll get the jump on the late runners once the speedsters start to tire, which will occur at some point. She just worked well for trainer Bobby Frankel, who admitted over the summer that this daughter of Catienus was having trouble with quarter cracks. She’s certainly the one to beat but 2-1 is a bit too short.
The 2006 Eclipse Award winning juvenile filly, #2 DREAMING OF ANNA finished out of the money for the first time on turf in the Beverly D. last time out. Like Precious Kitten, she prefers a bit shorter route as all of her best efforts have come at distances between 8 and 9 furlongs. She will have to deal with #5 BAYOU’S LASSIE in the early stages this afternoon and that could be problematic given that both do their best running when in control of the pace.
#3 RUTHERIENNE has scored the biggest win over this turf course of any competitor in here as she scored in the Jenny Wiley (G2) back in April. She is winless since that score and has actually run third in four consecutive races. Her kick seems to be dulled going longer than a mile, so the cutback in distance should help her chances immensely. The old Keeneland turf “horse for course” angle applies to this gal perfectly and her price is going to be right this afternoon. She’s the pick to win it all.
The layoff of #4 ROSHANI is troublesome as you hate seeing a horse who was very hot go to the shelf and then return almost five months later. I’d never question trainer Todd Pletcher’s ability to get one ready off the bench but this gal was still a cut below these before the respite. She has the right type of running style for this particular race as the pace will play into her hands and is one that should probably be included in the late Pick 4.
The wire-to-wire win of #5 BAYOU’S LASSIE in the Distaff Turf Mile (G3) on Derby day this year was arguably the biggest upset of the weekend as there looked to be a great deal of early speed signed on in that particular race. She has struggled since that win as she’s been unable to get to a clear early lead and back the pace down. She will probably be unable to get clear once again and that makes her a definite outsider.
After a nifty off the pace score in the Diana, #6 FOREVER TOGETHER seemed to be a rising start in the turf distaff division. Her trainer, Jonathan Sheppard, opted to send her to Woodbine for the Canadian (G2) in early September and she rallied gamely that day to finish third. The pace worked against her in the Canadian and she just didn’t have that same kick that she had at Saratoga. She’s now been given a month off and re-surfaces here, on a turf course that always plays kindly to closers, in a race that’s full of speed.
#7 ROSINKA was a very consistent filly last year and she came back looking like her 5 year-old season might be her best yet. Poor efforts in the Robert G. Dick at 1/5 and the Beverly D have de-railed those plans and she is now being shortened up to a distance at which she has never been successful. She hasn’t proven she can run with these types at a mile and seems like a longshot to hit the board.
#8 STORMY WEST ran a very nice race to finish second to Rutherienne in the Jenny Wiley earlier this year but has fallen on hard times since as her trainer began to struggle in the middle of the summer. It’s always encouraging when a horse is returning to what may be their favorite racetrack at their preferred distance, but this gal is a few notches below the best in this event.
DAY 1 RACE DU JOUR PLAY:
$35 Win on #3 Rutherienne
$5 Exactas 1,4,6 with 3
TOTAL: $50
Good luck!
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In addition to the Horse du Jour, which will appear every evening prior to a racing day by 11:00 PM EDT, the Racing Dispatch will debut a new feature for the Keeneland meet called the Race du Jour. The Race du Jour will be an extended analysis of one race on each Keeneland program. It will not always be the featured event or a stakes race but will always offer an in-depth look at the contenders and a bankroll play with a limit of $50 will be offered at the end of the analysis.
The Race du Jour for opening day at Keeneland is the $400,000 First Lady (G1) at 1 mile on the turf for older fillies and mares. Over the years this has been one of the most exciting and competitive races of the fall meet. Last year Vacare won a stretch-long duel with Precious Kitten to score by a half-length and the year before Gorella defeated Karen’s Caper after a spirited battle to the wire. That win was enough for Gorella to be made the favorite in the 2006 Breeders’ Cup Mile despite facing males.
This year’s First Lady has all the necessary elements of a terrific race. There is a good bit of early speed between #2 DREAMING OF ANNA and #5 BAYOU’S LASSIE. There are classy fillies like #1 PRECIOUS KITTEN and #3 RUTHERIENNE and there are horses who might have the most upside like the fresh #4 ROSHANI and the accomplished #6 FOREVER TOGETHER.
The morning line favorite is #1 PRECIOUS KITTEN and she is a mare who always receives plenty of support at the windows. A failed bid in the Beverly D. should not turn you away as that race was about a furlong too far for this gal, who has always preferred anywhere from a mile to a mile and a sixteenth. The advantage she has this afternoon is that she’ll get the jump on the late runners once the speedsters start to tire, which will occur at some point. She just worked well for trainer Bobby Frankel, who admitted over the summer that this daughter of Catienus was having trouble with quarter cracks. She’s certainly the one to beat but 2-1 is a bit too short.
The 2006 Eclipse Award winning juvenile filly, #2 DREAMING OF ANNA finished out of the money for the first time on turf in the Beverly D. last time out. Like Precious Kitten, she prefers a bit shorter route as all of her best efforts have come at distances between 8 and 9 furlongs. She will have to deal with #5 BAYOU’S LASSIE in the early stages this afternoon and that could be problematic given that both do their best running when in control of the pace.
#3 RUTHERIENNE has scored the biggest win over this turf course of any competitor in here as she scored in the Jenny Wiley (G2) back in April. She is winless since that score and has actually run third in four consecutive races. Her kick seems to be dulled going longer than a mile, so the cutback in distance should help her chances immensely. The old Keeneland turf “horse for course” angle applies to this gal perfectly and her price is going to be right this afternoon. She’s the pick to win it all.
The layoff of #4 ROSHANI is troublesome as you hate seeing a horse who was very hot go to the shelf and then return almost five months later. I’d never question trainer Todd Pletcher’s ability to get one ready off the bench but this gal was still a cut below these before the respite. She has the right type of running style for this particular race as the pace will play into her hands and is one that should probably be included in the late Pick 4.
The wire-to-wire win of #5 BAYOU’S LASSIE in the Distaff Turf Mile (G3) on Derby day this year was arguably the biggest upset of the weekend as there looked to be a great deal of early speed signed on in that particular race. She has struggled since that win as she’s been unable to get to a clear early lead and back the pace down. She will probably be unable to get clear once again and that makes her a definite outsider.
After a nifty off the pace score in the Diana, #6 FOREVER TOGETHER seemed to be a rising start in the turf distaff division. Her trainer, Jonathan Sheppard, opted to send her to Woodbine for the Canadian (G2) in early September and she rallied gamely that day to finish third. The pace worked against her in the Canadian and she just didn’t have that same kick that she had at Saratoga. She’s now been given a month off and re-surfaces here, on a turf course that always plays kindly to closers, in a race that’s full of speed.
#7 ROSINKA was a very consistent filly last year and she came back looking like her 5 year-old season might be her best yet. Poor efforts in the Robert G. Dick at 1/5 and the Beverly D have de-railed those plans and she is now being shortened up to a distance at which she has never been successful. She hasn’t proven she can run with these types at a mile and seems like a longshot to hit the board.
#8 STORMY WEST ran a very nice race to finish second to Rutherienne in the Jenny Wiley earlier this year but has fallen on hard times since as her trainer began to struggle in the middle of the summer. It’s always encouraging when a horse is returning to what may be their favorite racetrack at their preferred distance, but this gal is a few notches below the best in this event.
DAY 1 RACE DU JOUR PLAY:
$35 Win on #3 Rutherienne
$5 Exactas 1,4,6 with 3
TOTAL: $50
Good luck!
3 Comments
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Good Luck Nick, I will box your pick #3 Rutherienne with my pick #6 Forever Together