Black Gold win sends Dowagiac Chief to Transylvania at Keeneland

Dowagiac Chief’s five-length romp in the Black Gold Stakes for 3-year-old grass horses Saturday yielded a career-best 88 Beyer Speed Figure. Now a three-time winner from six grass starts, Dowagiac Chief, if all goes well, runs back in the $400,000 Transylvania Stakes on April 8 at Keeneland.

“He was able to control things from start to finish Saturday,” said trainer Tom Amoss. “The question is what is he going to do when he moves into a race with more serious competition in it.”

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◗ Juju’s Map, who won the Grade 1 Alcibiades last October before finishing second behind Echo Zulu in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies, had her first work since joining trainer Brad Cox’s Fair Grounds string, going three furlongs in 36.40 seconds on Saturday.

◗ Aloha West had his first work since narrowly winning the Breeders’ Cup Sprint, breezing a half-mile in 48.40 seconds on Saturday for trainer Wayne Catalano.

◗ He’s in Charge ran Feb. 10 at Fair Grounds like a horse who needed his first race back from a seven-month layoff, and he can improve and win the featured seventh race Thursday. This six-furlong dirt sprint has a basic second-level allowance condition and is open to $40,000 claimers. It drew a field of seven and He’s In Charge would be a fair price if he hits his 4-1 morning-line odds.