Byron King's Keeneland handicapping notebook April 17

Wednesday, April 16 recap

Successful Brothers went off favored at 8-5 in the opener, but few would have backed him at 8-1 if betting had been allowed midway on the second turn of the race.

Under an all-out drive by Jeffrey Sanchez, he was floundering in fifth, 9 1/2 lengths behind the leader, and still was sixth, 5 1/2 lengths back, with a furlong to go. Yet somehow he found a way to win – getting his act together late and taking advantage of the leaders in front of him falling apart.

The next race was about as soft a maiden $80,000 claimer as one could find, drawing a short field of six runners, and as is often the case in below-average field, chaos reigned. 9-1 shot Choctaw Won barely lasted on the lead over 8-1 shot Cool Attitude, combining for a $139.80 exacta, a large payoff considering how few horses were in the race.

The exacta also blew up in the third, too – returning $318.40, after 10-1 Starforce beat 15-1 Five Afleet in a starter allowance. The comebacking Gallant Eagle was flat as the favorite in his first start of the year.

80-year-old trainer Thomas McCarthy – he of Blue Grass Stakes winner General Quarters fame from five years ago – kept the longshot parade going when 8-1 Greek Bird won the fourth race, a $20,000 N2L claimer.

For the first time all day, there was activity at the claims box for the fourth race. Three horses were taken – third-place Shimmy, fourth-place Holiday Drama, and seventh-place Frazier’s Pegasus.

Frazier’s Pegasus, the favorite, showed no energy at all, and drifted this way and that in the stretch. Off the claim, she joins trainer Merrill Scherer, who could not have been encouraged by what he saw Wednesday.

Valentino Beauty led at every call in the fifth race, a third-level allowance on the turf, furthering Tommy Drury’s reputation as a trainer that has his comebackers ready to fire. Coming off works at Drury’s base at Skylight Training Center, located about 40 minutes northeast of Louisville, the horse was ready for his first race since August.

Mark Casse continued his banner spring meet by winning the sixth with the slow-starting Conquest Top Gun, who just got up in the closing strides to catch pacesetting I’mbetterthangood in easily the fastest Polytrack race of the day. The winner ran 1 1/16 miles on the Poly in 1:44.57, a sharp time for a maiden.

His Race to Win showed heart to take the featured seventh, battling between horses to edge favored Kalamos. He was in tight quarters for much of the race, and Jose Lezcano on Kalamos did his best to keep the winner boxed in, but His Race to Win found daylight under Shaun Bridgmohan and surged to victory.

He ran 1 1/16 miles on firm turf in 1:43.07, .20 faster than the split of this third-level allowance, the fifth race won by Valentino Beauty.

The day closed out with Viola taking the nightcap at 3-1. A Tampa shipper, she went quickly early and slowly late, yet no one proved capable of catching her.

Horses to Watch

Adios Nardo
Trainer: Leo Gabriel
Last race: April 9, 2nd
Finish: 4th by 2 3/4
Beyer: 85
Was off a bit awkwardly, costing him early position and forcing him to race wide after starting from post 7. He ran well to reach contention and pulled alongside the leader with a powerful turn move, only to flatten out late. He should be an immediate force right back this summer at Arlington over a turf course where he has experienced success.

Thursday, April 17 preview

There is an autograph session of both retired and current jockeys from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. next to the paddock. Jockeys will sign photos and 2014 spring meet posters, with proceeds benefiting the Permanently Disabled Jockeys Fund.

After a stakes-free card Wednesday, the stakes on Thursday is a dandy – the Grade 3 Appalachian. It drew a large cast, headed by the 3-year-old bow of the promising turf filly Recepta and the unveiling of a couple European imports.

Jimmy Toner, trainer of Recepta, used the Appalachian three years ago as a springboard to a rewarding campaign for the classy Winter Memories, and he is doing the same with Recepta, who won the Chelsea Flower going away despite a wide trip in her final start at 2 last October at Belmont.

Joel Rosario will be aboard for the first time Thursday when she breaks from post 1, a favorable starting position in a large field on turf. She’s 9-2 on the morning line, but far more likely to go off around 3-1.

Euro invaders Lacarolina and Sweet Acclaim, both getting first-time Lasix, are among the leading contenders, though one never knows what to expect with such types. Some prove immediately ready to adapt to U.S. racing, while others break slowly and take a few starts to get accustomed.

Casse trains Lacarolina and Chad Brown trains Sweet Acclaim. Both trainers also have other fillies in the race in Resistivity and Kitten Kaboodle, respectively.

Daring Dancer is another intriguing entrant, having gone perfect in two starts last year at 2, and seemingly geared up for her first start of the year. She is trained by Graham Motion.