Byron King's Keeneland Handicapping Notebook for April 19

Friday, April 18 review

Racing on a Polytrack surface on which she won the Grade 1 Ashland and Spinster in the same year, Emollient was expected by many – including this handicapper – to win Friday’s Grade 3 Doubledogdare at Keeneland.

It didn’t happen. Though she had no excuse, she broke well and raced on the lead, she weakened to third, beaten a half-length by Sisterly Love, who had chased her early.

Due credit to Sisterly Love, who is a top Polytrack performer, but it was a disappointing performance from Emollient, coming on the heels of a similar fade in the Grade 2 Santa Ana on turf in her seasonal bow, in which she was fourth.

“You know, last year she would have just blown the race open and I was looking for her to do that going into the turn,” said Emollient’s jockey, Mike Smith. “She just didn’t fire her ‘A’ race at all.”

As for Sisterly Love, she recorded her seventh victory in 14 starts in winning the Doubledogdare, stopping the clock for 1 1/16 miles in 1:43.82.

Longshot Moment in Dixie rallied late to grab second, splitting Sisterly Love and Emollient, and creating a $396.20 exacta with the winner.

In other Friday action, trainer Tommy Drury won his second race in as many days at Keeneland when Decamp won race 2, a straight maiden race. He received a smart ride from Corey Lanerie, who patiently rode the horse on the stretch-out from a sprint to a 1 3/16-mile route.

That patient ride was in contrast to the ride Alexander Reznikov gave runner-up Large Scale, who was aggressively ridden on the lead heading into the second turn. He urged his mount, opening distance on the field, but it took a toll late, and the horse was run down.

Large Scale outran his 17-1 odds, holding second. Rezikov appeared to misjudge the finish, momentarily standing up in the irons at the sixteenth pole – where 1 1/16-mile races at Keeneland begin and end.

It didn’t affect the order of finish, as Decamp had already passed his mount, and Rezikov resumed riding after a few strides. Large Scale outlasted late-closing Arch Pearl by a half-length for the place.

Two of the more interesting races Friday required attention from racing officials. In race 4, the placing judges settled on a dead heat between Remembermealways and Electro Peg, and in race 5, heavily favored No Free Lunch was disqualified from second and placed seventh for interference.

This disqualification blew up the exotics in the fifth race. The winner, Penny’s Deputy, was 14-1, and after the change in the order of finish, that left the second through fourth finishers at odds of 21-1, 17-1 and 5-1. This resulted in a superfecta that paid $49,605.60 for $2.

It was a clear foul by No Free Lunch, who came out repeatedly under left-handing urging, and taking the worst of it was undoubtedly War Ready, who crossed the wire seventh before being elevated to sixth.

Leandro Goncalves, on No Free Lunch, could be going on suspension after the usual day-after meeting with the stewards.

Horse to Watch

Ruefully
Trainer: Jonathan Sheppard
Last race: April 19, 6th
Finish: 3rd by 4 1/4
Beyer: 58

Broke awkwardly in her debut and fell about a mile out of it, only to come on strongly down the lane to finish third in a 6 ½-furlong race on the Polytrack. She’s bred for turf and distance and has move-up potential if she shows up in a grass route.

Saturday, April 19 preview

Hard to believe, but it is already time for the final Saturday of the meet, as racing shifts to Churchill Downs next weekend.

After Saturday, there are only three racing days left this spring at Keeneland, and for that matter, in the Polytrack era at Keeneland. After going dark on Easter Sunday, Keeneland races Wednesday through Friday.

Back to Saturday’s card, it is a good one, with three stakes on tap, all within a hour of one another. The Giant’s Causeway gets things started at 4:11 p.m., followed by the Grade Ben Ali at 4:42, and the day’s feature, the Grade 3 Lexington Stakes at 5:13.

In looking at the three stakes, Believe in Charlie rates a narrow edge in the Giant’s Causeway, having gone 3 for 3 sprinting on the turf since joining the barn of trainer Tom Bush. She has jockey Javier Castellano up.

Rating close behind is Allwewantforxmas and Free As a Bird, two other skilled female turf sprinters.

Norumbega is the choice to register a mild upset in the Ben Ali, coming off a runner-up finish in the Skip Away at Gulfstream in his seasonal bow. Last fall he won at 1 1/8 miles on the Poly, the conditions over which the Ben Ali will be run.

Newsdad, 2 for 3 on the Keeneland main track and entering the race off a win in the Pan American at Gulfstream, should be tough to beat but quite likely will be much shorter than his 3-1 morning line.

And in the Lexington, the price play is 10-1 longshot Poker Player, a closer who could elevate his game with the return to Keeneland, where he won the Bourbon Stakes in an off-the-turf contest last year. He didn’t run as well in two starts this spring at Turfway on the Polytrack there, which has more kickback than the track at Keeneland.

Mr Speaker and Divine Oath will take some beating if they transfer their form from turf to Poly in the Lexington.