Opening Day at Keeneland Thursday

By Emily Shields

There is Del Mar and Saratoga in the summer, and Keeneland in the spring. One of the most anticipated meets of the year opens Thursday with an eight-race card, headlined by the new Palisades Turf Sprint for sophomores on the grass. It also features one of the first juvenile races of the year with a 4 ½ furlong sprint set as Race 1.

The Palisades Turf Sprint is slated as Race 7, and drew an oversubscribed field of 16. Two runners are also-eligibles, leaving a stacked field of 14 including Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint winner #12 Bulletin. The unbeaten son of City Zip will have Javier Castellano up for Todd Pletcher. He has not raced since the Breeders’ Cup November 2, but has had four five-furlong workouts in March.

The horse who ran second in the Breeders’ Cup, #13 Chelsea Cloisters, has drawn alongside. The daughter of First Samurai is conditioned by Wesley Ward. She takes blinkers off for this, and was second by a neck here in a stakes race last October. Ward also has #9 Abyssinian, a daughter of Cairo Prince who has won her last two starts by a combined 13 ¾ lengths, and #7 Hawaiian Noises, winner of the Animal Kingdom Stakes last out.

#14 Dom Carlos (Ire) makes his United States debut for trainer Mark Casse after being conditioned by Joseph O’Brien across the pond. The son of Gale Force Ten has not raced since June 23, but has been working at Palm Meadows including a move on the grass March 15. Casse will also start #1 Yes I Am Free, unbeaten in two career starts including the Texas Glitter at Gulfstream Park on February 23.

#8 Gladiator King, who just won the Hutcheson (G3) at Gulfstream on March 23, will make his fourth start on grass and the 13^thof his career. He is two for three at the distance. 

The Keeneland spring meet is a boutique three weeks featuring 18 stakes races. Saturday’s card will have the $1 million Toyota Blue Grass (G2), the $500,000 Central Bank Ashland (G1), the $300,000 Madison (G1), the $250,000 Commonwealth (G3), and the $200,000 Shakertown (G2). The Blue Grass and Ashland are worth 100 Kentucky Derby or Oaks points, respectively, to the winner. The $200,000 Stonestreet Lexington (G3) on April 13 is the final Kentucky Derby prep of the season.