Transylvania Stakes Draws Tough Crowd

By Emily Shields

A ten-race card at Keeneland on Friday is topped by the $150,000 Kentucky Utilities Transylvania Stakes, a grade 3 race for sophomore colts and geldings going 1 1/16 miles on the grass. The race drew 11 runners, with seven of them already being stakes winners, and another undefeated in two starts.

#1 The Black Album (Fr) was a group 3 winner in France last year before coming over for the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf (G1). He had a rough trip that day to finish eighth, and has been training in Florida since. Rodolphe Brisset trains, Jose Ortiz will ride.

#2 Onthewaytonevrland (Ire) is a son of No Nay Never for Wesley Ward. Last out the quick gelding won the Rushaway Stakes on the synthetic at Turfway Park, but broke his maiden on the grass at Gulfstream in December. He debuted here last April and was second before a lengthy layoff, but is in good form now.

#3 Go Away is two for five lifetime – both wins on grass – and has never been worse than third. This will be his first try against stakes company. The son of Scat Daddy goes for Eddie Kenneally.

#4 Avie’s Flatter is using this as the start of his 2019 march to the Queen’s Plate, for which he is the Winterbook Favorite. He won both the Coronation Futurity and Cup and Saucer Stakes last year and was fourth in the Summer Stakes (G1). He has wins on both turf and synthetic and from 5 furlongs to 1 1/8 miles for trainer Josie Carroll. Javier Castellano will ride.

#5 Weekly Call ships in from California. Doug O’Neill trains the son of Will Take Charge, who broke his maiden on the grass at Del Mar in November and has run fifth in two stakes races since. 

#6 Dunph will be making his seventh start, but first on grass. He was a stakes winner sprinting on the dirt at Churchill Downs in October, and was third in the Springboard Mile in December, but has been off the board in two starts since. The son of Temple City goes for Mike Maker with Keeneland standout Julien Leparoux aboard.

#7 Louder Than Bombs is already a stakes winner at a mile on the grass, but that was in September. He has been third and second in his last two starts, both going two turns on the turf at Gulfstream Park. The son of Violence hopes to be running on late.

#8 War Film is royally bred, being by Declaration of War out of the standout mare Film Maker. He is unbeaten in two starts, both on the grass, for trainer Steve Asmussen. Florent Geroux will be up on this colt, who is already a winner over the course.

#9 Hawaiian Noises is also entered for opening day. The Ward-trainee is coming off a win in the Animal Kingdom Stakes on the synthetic at Turfway sprinting, and has never been farther than 6 ½ furlongs in four starts. He did break his maiden here on the dirt October 13.

#10 Henley’s Joy is Maker’s second trainee in here. Second by a nose in the Bourbon Stakes (G3) here last fall, he wheeled back to be second last in the Breeders’ Cup. Undeterred, Henley’s Joy won the Pulpit Stakes at Gulfstream, and was second by a neck in the Kitten’s Joy Stakes. He tried dirt last out in the Risen Star, but finished well behind. He is returned to the turf today.

#11 Life Mission rounds out the field. The son of Noble Mission is trained by Ben Colebrook and was second in to Henley’s Joy in the Pulpit Stakes last out December 8. He hasn’t run since, and has never won.