Hofburg can make Fayette Stakes all his
LEXINGTON, Ky. – Some fans may think Keeneland is running a Getaway Day Special when the 17-day fall meet ends Saturday: a free-space winner in Hofburg, making their multi-race wagers a bit easier in their last trip to this picturesque track until next April.
Of course, there’s no such guarantee, but it sure looks as though Hofburg could have six older opponents at his mercy in the closing-day feature, the Grade 2, $200,000 Fayette Stakes. Long regarded as a star in waiting, Hofburg should have every chance to make amends for a disappointing last couple of months when he comes heavily favored in the 1 1/8-mile race.
Bred and owned by Juddmonte Farms, Hofburg will have Jose Ortiz aboard when he breaks from post 6 in the 61st Fayette, the ninth of 10 Saturday races. The 3-year-old Tapit colt strongly suggested he was poised to join the racing elite when he earned a 100 Beyer Speed Figure in a five-length romp in the Curlin Stakes at Saratoga in late July, but a subsequent fever precluded him from running back in the Travers, after which he was soundly defeated when fourth behind McKinzie last month in the Pennsylvania Derby at Parx Racing in suburban Philadelphia.
“I don’t think he was in love with that racetrack over in Philadelphia,” said Bill Mott, his Hall of Fame trainer. “It just looked like he was swimming.”
Instead of pushing on toward the Breeders’ Cup, Mott decided on a less resistant path in giving Hofburg an opportunity to make another climb toward the top. Assuming a solid effort Saturday, Hofburg could go next in the Grade 1 Clark Handicap on Nov. 23 at Churchill Downs, which then could open doors to the major older-horse events of 2019.
But first things first.
In a Monday breeze at Churchill Downs, Hofburg went five furlongs in company in 1:00.60. “I was very happy with his work,” Mott said
As for the opposition in the Fayette, Leofric (post 5, Florent Geroux) looks like he’ll definitely be the horse to catch in a race otherwise lacking in speed. Trained by Brad Cox for Arkansas car dealer Steve Landers, Leofric finished third after forcing the pace eight weeks ago in his most recent start, the Grade 1 Woodward at Saratoga.
Hofburg along with Prime Attraction (post 1, Kent Desormeaux) and Nice Not Nice (post 2, Gabriel Saez) could be giving closest pursuit to Leofric down the backstretch, while the others figure to be lagging farther back: Hence (post 3, Ricardo Santana Jr.), Scuba (post 4, Tyler Gaffalione), and Rated R Superstar (post 7, Brian Hernandez Jr.).
Rated R Superstar, trained by Kenny McPeek, might have an edge in that a little more than six months ago he won Keeneland’s spring counterpart to the Fayette, the Grade 3 Ben Ali, a race that also appeared similarly void of speed on paper.
The Fayette, sponsored by the Hagyard Equine Medical Institute of Lexington, culminates a schedule of 18 stakes races at the fall meet, which began Oct. 5. Royal Harmony, trained by Pat Devereux Sr., is the only three-time winner (1969-71) of a fixture dating to 1959. The 2017 winner was The Player, who continues to recover at Indian Ridge Farm in nearby Frankfort from serious injuries suffered in March.
Three allowances (races 7, 8, 10) surround the Fayette in making up a late pick four that ends the meet. First post is 1:05 p.m. Eastern, with the Fayette going at 5:30. Churchill starts its 21-day fall meet Sunday with an 11-race card of all 2-year-old races.
