Championship feeling lingers at Keeneland

LEXINGTON, Ky. – When Keeneland last conducted a day of racing, a horse named American Pharoah evoked chills with his historic victory in the Breeders’ Cup Classic.

More than five months later, with all the temporary trappings from the Breeders’ Cup having disappeared, those familiar feelings will permeate Keeneland once again. Three Grade 1 races are among the fare for opening weekend of the 2016 spring meet – an intriguing running of the Blue Grass, a sensational renewal of the Ashland, and easily the best field ever assembled for the Madison – meaning another crescendo is inevitable.

It’s actually all fairly routine here at Keeneland, where winter doldrums give way to spring excitement every year without fail.

The action begins Friday with a 10-race card anchored by the $100,000 Transylvania Stakes, a Grade 3 turf race for 3-year-olds. Then comes the highlight of the entire 16-day meet: an 11-race Saturday card that features five graded races, including the Grade 1 trio that not only figures to help shape lineups for the Kentucky Derby and Kentucky Oaks but also give early definition to the filly-and-mare division.

The $1 million Blue Grass got just one graded stakes winner in its oversubscribed field: Brody’s Cause, a stretch-running colt whose victory here last fall in the Grade 1 Breeders’ Futurity spoke of his fondness for the local surface.

“Obviously, he’s got to run a lot better than he did in his first start this year,” said trainer Dale Romans, referring to a seventh-place finish as the favorite in the Tampa Bay Derby last month. “We’d love to see him do what Dullahan did four years ago” in completing a rare sweep of the Breeders’ Futurity and Blue Grass.

The $500,000 Ashland shapes up as the most important prep for the May 6 Oaks aside from any race that involves Songbird. The favorite is the unbeaten Cathryn Sophia, who came to hand in brilliant fashion over the winter in Florida for trainer John Servis. She faces two highly regarded fillies in Carina Mia and Rachel’s Valentina.

“She worked super here on Sunday and likes the track,” said Servis.

The $300,000 Madison is being likened by horsemen and fans to a Breeders’ Cup event, and no one is exaggerating. The race drew 2015 BC winners Stopchargingmaria and Wavell Avenue, along with Grade 1 winners Cavorting, Sheer Drama, Birdatthewire, and four other graded stakes winners.

Per-day purses are expected to average $651,000 at this meet, which means many of the best jockeys and trainers in North America will spend much of the next month in Kentucky – all the way through Derby week at Churchill – chasing the big money.

Hall of Fame jockeys Mike Smith, Gary Stevens, and John Velazquez will do regular battle with Florent Geroux, Julien Leparoux, Corey Lanerie, Jose Lezcano, and other top riders, while horses led over from the stable area will be saddled by the likes of Todd Pletcher, Chad Brown, Steve Asmussen, Bill Mott, and so many other standout conditioners.

Jockey Javier Castellano and Brown stand a solid chance of repeating in the Transylvania, which they won last spring with Night Prowler. They’ll team Friday with Converge, the winner of the Grade 3 Palm Beach at Gulfstream Park in his last start.

“He’s sharp, and he’s fit,” said Brown, who also will send out Catapult, with Leparoux riding.

The Friday card opens with a 4 1/2-furlong race for 2-year-olds, and as usual, Wesley Ward is in a starring role. Ward has the favorites in the uncoupled duo of Arcelor and Big City Dreamin, both fillies in a race open to both genders.

“They both act like they can run a little bit,” said Ward.

Keeneland’s melting-pot effect is one of its many alluring aspects, and it will come into play when horseplayers are challenged Saturday by a multitrack pick four wager that combines the Blue Grass and Madison with the Wood Memorial and Bay Shore from Aqueduct. The 50-cent bet carries a 19 percent takeout and is scheduled to start at 4:52 p.m. Eastern. There is no pool guarantee, although Jim Goodman, director of mutuels and simulcasting at Keeneland, said he is optimistic that the “Blue Grass-Big Apple” wager will handle $750,000 or more.

Weather-wise, there have been more pleasant opening weekends here: The Friday forecast calls for a high of 54 and possible showers, while the Saturday high will be just 43.

NBC Sports Network will be on site Saturday, when the Blue Grass is part of a live telecast with the Wood and Santa Anita Derby. TVG will be here throughout the meet, with the ever-popular Simon Bray making his first local appearance since he was diagnosed last summer with multiple myeloma.

This will be the final meet for director of racing Rogers Beasley, a longtime senior official at Keeneland. He is retiring in June after 34 years with the association.

First post daily is 1:05 p.m. Eastern, except for the first two Saturdays, when racing will start at 12:35. The meet runs through April 29.