Distance the wild card in Dowager Stakes

LEXINGTON, Ky. – Whether or not experience around three turns is important toward the 27th Dowager Stakes will be a matter of intense pre-race speculation Sunday at Keeneland when all but one of the 10 starters will enter off shorter races.

Vexatious, one of the likely favorites, last raced at the Dowager distance of 1 1/2 miles, but all nine of her opponents will be stretching out to varying degrees in what shapes up as an intriguing renewal of the Grade 3, $125,000 turf race for fillies and mares.

Most of the Dowager starters have competed at what would be considered a stamina-demanding distance – 1 1/4 miles or longer – but several will be making their first foray into that great unknown, including Viva Vegas, who will break from post 1 when ridden by Tyler Gaffalione.

Trained by Derek Ryan, Viva Vegas most recently was a sharp second in the Grade 3 Violet Stakes going 1 1/8 miles at her Monmouth Park base.

“That was her best race yet,” said Ryan, who will be starting a horse at Keeneland for the first time. “We’ve always thought a lot of her.”

Viva Vegas is entered to sell at the Keeneland November sale that begins Nov. 5.

“This will be her last start for us, so we were headed this way anyway,” he said. “The mile and a half really doesn’t bother me. She’s fit, and she’s sitting on a big one, I do believe.”

Viva Vegas figures on or near the early lead, probably in the company of Daring Duchess, an habitual front-runner listed as the 5-2 program favorite. Trained by Mike Maker, Daring Duchess (post 5, Jose Ortiz) is a multiple stakes winner who will be looking to rebound off a subpar effort in the Grade 2 Canadian at Woodbine last month.

Vexatious (post 10, Florent Geroux), based in Southern California, also is here by way of Canada, having run seventh versus male rivals in the Grade 1 Northern Dancer at Woodbine. Clearly, a too-fast pace Sunday would favor her late-running style.

Other prime considerations include a second Southern California stretch runner, Amboseli (post 6, Mike Smith), and Res Ipsa (post 8, Julien Leparoux), seeking her first victory since capturing a turf allowance here last fall.

Rounding out the Dowager lineup are English Affair, Savannah Belle, Shezaprado, Beach Flower, and Rahway.

The Dowager was first run in 1992. It goes as the eighth of nine races on a Sunday card to be run amid sunny but cold (high of 52 degrees) conditions. First post is 1:05 p.m. Eastern, with the feature set for 4:57. The 2017 winner was Apple Betty for Shug McGaughey and John Velazquez.

After Sunday, Keeneland goes dark for two days before the final four-day stretch of the meet starts Wednesday with an eight-race card. The lone remaining stakes is the Grade 2 Fayette on closing day, Saturday. Churchill Downs opens its fall meet next Sunday (Oct. 28) with a Stars of Tomorrow card.