Dueling Grounds Oaks another stamina test for overachieving Safeen
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The 3-year-old filly Safeen already has made her $18,000 auction price look ridiculous, and even greater riches await Sunday at Kentucky Downs in the $1 million Dueling Grounds Oaks.
Safeen is one of 13 entered in the Dueling Grounds Oaks, a race that encompasses one circuit around the undulating Kentucky Downs course. The race is limited to a dozen runners and carded for 1 5/16 miles, though with a considerable run-up the distance will be closer to 1 3/8 miles.
Owned by Fergus Galvin and Rebecca Hillen, Safeen was purchased at Keeneland’s January sale in 2022 for a mere $18,000 and already has banked more than $372,000. Bred by Shadwell Stable, Safeen is by War Front out of the Dynaformer mare, Tafaneen. Tafaneen was campaigned over distances as long as two miles and produced a horse named Tamleek, who finished second in England racing at 1 9/16 miles.
Safeen stretched out to 1 1/8 miles in her most recent start and won the Pucker Up Stakes at Ellis Park. Sunday’s longer trip should not trouble her.
“You never know until they do it, and the key is whether a horse will settle and relax in the early part of the race,” trainer Eddie Kenneally said of this longer trip.
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Kenneally said Safeen, 7-2 on the morning line, has learned to settle, which is evident watching her races, and she has won stakes this season from a pressing position at Ellis Park and from farther off the pace at Horseshoe Indianapolis, where Safeen showed a decent turn of foot.
Two races ago, in the Tepin at Ellis, Safeen raced just behind the pace while along the rail and tried to come up the fence in upper stretch. The pacesetter closed the hole, Safeen had to be taken up, and that probably cost her another victory.
She won the Pucker Up last out despite failing to change leads in the homestretch, which has not been her habit.
“I wouldn’t make too much of that,” Kenneally said. “I’d think she’s coming into this race as good as she can be.”
Kenneally is 0 for 19 in Kentucky Downs stakes, but none of his dozen such starters over the last five years looked as live as Safeen. Tyler Gaffalione takes over for injured jockey Luis Saez.
The competition doesn’t look especially strong. Flashy Gem is 4-1 on the morning line but raced on Lasix when equaling her career-best 85 Beyer Speed Figure winning an Ellis turf allowance last out. Lasix isn’t permitted here, and Flashy Gem two starts ago was beaten at odds-on without Lasix in a lesser race at Canterbury Park. Trainer Brad Cox has done well in Kentucky Downs stakes the last two years, going 13-4-3-0.
Freydis the Red was third in the Pucker Up and has solid grass form, but while she finished about as fast as Safeen last out, she lacks Safeen’s tactical speed.
Trainer Jonathan Thomas entered two: Lady Astor, who has an outside win chance, and Selenaia, who has sufficient raw ability but drew post 12, a tough spot at this trip. Selenaia pulled too hard early in the Grade 3 Honeymoon Stakes going nine furlongs at Santa Anita but easily won that race nonetheless. She appeared to loathe soft going when all but eased Aug. 4 in the Saratoga Oaks Invitational. As an Irish-bred, she runs for half the $1 million purse.
Sun Bee, 20-1 on the morning line, is an improving grinder who ought to stay the trip.
A ‘League’ handicap
The creation of the National Thoroughbred League was announced earlier this year with plans to buy horses and have restricted stakes races at venues around the country. What remains of the concept, for now, is a race Sunday bearing the organization’s name, the $500,000 National Thoroughbred League Handicap contested over one mile. Jockeys will wear the silks of the NTL teams, but the horses aren’t owned by the league.
Kentucky Downs kingpin Mike Maker runs two, with King Cause the pick over Field Pass. Both horses carry 118 pounds, three fewer than top-weighted Fuerteventura.
King Cause ran terribly last out at Ellis but has a good second over the Kentucky Downs course last year and form throughout 2023 to fit this spot.
Long layoff comeback runner Accredit merits consideration at a price. He won the 2021 Dueling Grounds Derby and turned in two solid showings in similar spots at the 2022 Kentucky Downs meet.
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