Imprimis, Just Might marquee horses in Shakertown Stakes

Imprimis and Just Might both defeated Extravagant Kid in stakes early this year. Last week, Extravagant Kid delivered a virtuoso performance in winning the Group 1 Al Quoz Sprint in Dubai. After being thus flattered, Imprimis and Just Might meet Saturday in the Grade 2, $200,000 Shakertown Stakes at Keeneland.

The Shakertown (race 8) is among six stakes on the card, highlighted by the Grade 2 Blue Grass Stakes, Grade 1 Madison, and Grade 1 Ashland. The other stakes on the card are the Grade 3, $200,000 Commonwealth (race 7) for main-track sprinters and the Grade 2, $200,000 Appalachian Stakes (race 6) for 3-year-old fillies on turf. The Commonwealth begins an all-stakes pick five, while the Shakertown, with a large and competitive field of 13, is the first leg of an all-stakes pick four.

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Imprimis, a 7-year-old gelding trained by Joe Orseno, won the 2019 edition of the Shakertown. Last year, he established himself as one of the favorites for the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint by crossing the line first in the Grade 3 Troy at Saratoga, although he was disqualified for causing interference, and winning the Grade 3 Kentucky Downs Turf Sprint. In the Breeders’ Cup on Nov. 7 at Keeneland, he was shut off hard in the stretch and finished 13th – defeating only Just Might. The race was won by Glass Slipper, with Extravagant Kid beaten about a length in fourth.

Imprimis got back in action on New Year’s Day with a win in the Janus at Gulfstream, besting Extravagant Kid by a neck in a return Orseno was glad to get out of the way.

“I even said, ‘I’m feeling more pressure today than I did at the Breeders’ Cup, and today he’s supposed to win,’” Orseno said.

“When Extravagant Kid got the jump on him, I thought I was in trouble, because he’s a good horse.”

Imprimis then finished second by a half-length in the Turf Dash on Feb. 24 at Tampa to The Critical Way, who returns in the Shakertown. The Critical Way had been third by a neck in the Janus before his front-running win at Tampa.

Just Might finished third last year in the Grade 2 Twin Spires Turf Sprint at Churchill Downs and in the Grade 2 Woodford at Keeneland, won by Leinster with Extravagant Kid second. Following the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint, he enjoyed a solid winter at Fair Grounds, running second in both the Richard R. Scherer Memorial and Duncan F. Kenner Stakes before winning an off-the-turf edition of the Colonel Power over Extravagant Kid in February.

Bound for Nowhere, trained by Wesley Ward and based at Keeneland, makes a fourth appearance in the Shakertown. He won the race in 2018 and was second to Imprimis in 2019. Bound for Nowhere finished third in this race last July, and makes his first start since that race Saturday.

Turned Aside won two stakes last year, the Grade 3 Quick Call at Saratoga and the listed Aqueduct Turf Sprint Championship. He was sold for $725,000 at Keeneland January as part of a dispersal of the late Paul Pompa Jr.’s stock. Transferred from Linda Rice to trainer Mark Casse, he was fourth in the Tampa Turf Dash after forcing the pace.

High Crime was second to Leinster after setting the pace in the Grade 3 Gulfstream Turf Sprint on Feb. 13.

Commonwealth Stakes

The mercurial Hidden Scroll was regarded as a rising star off his 14-length debut win more than two years ago, but failed to connect in four graded stakes attempts for Juddmonte Farms and Bill Mott. He was sold for $525,000 at Keeneland November, moved to Brad Cox by new owner Marc Detampel, and promptly won an allowance sprint at Oaklawn in January.

Hidden Scroll gets another chance at a graded stakes win Saturday in the Commonwealth Stakes for 4-year-olds and up going seven furlongs.

Cox said he was looking to run Hidden Scroll back in another allowance race, but thought the distance of the Commonwealth would suit him.

Hidden Scroll has acted up at the gate in the past. Cox said he schooled kindly on Thursday morning at Keeneland.

“He was really good,” Cox said. “He’s doing really well.”

Flagstaff has tangled with the sprint division’s stars. Last year, he was second to eventual champion Whitmore in the Grade 3 Count Fleet at Oaklawn before finishing second to C Z Rocket in a pair of graded stakes in California. He was most recently third behind C Z Rocket and Whitmore in the Hot Springs on March 13 at Oaklawn and emerged from that effort to work a half-mile in 47.40 seconds, the best of 40 works at the distance that morning at Oaklawn.

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Appalachian Stakes

Plum Ali and Spanish Loveaffair return to Keeneland for the one-mile Appalachian after distinguishing themselves well enough as juveniles to start in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf here last November.

Plum Ali won her first three starts, including the Juvenile Fillies at Kentucky Downs and the Grade 2 Miss Grillo at Belmont. Spanish Loveaffair won the Sharp Susan at Gulfstream and was second in the Grade 2 Jessamine at Keeneland to Aunt Pearl. Aunt Pearl won at the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf, with Plum Ali fifth and Spanish Loveaffair sixth.

Plum Ali is making her seasonal debut in the Appalachian for trainer Christophe Clement. Spanish Loveaffair, trained by Mark Casse, crossed the line first by 2 3/4 lengths in the Grade 3 Herecomesthebride on Feb. 27 at Gulfstream, but was demoted to fourth for interference.

Jouster this year won two races at Gulfstream in front-running fashion, then was second by a nose in the Grade 3 Florida Oaks at Tampa. She is well drawn on the inside of this six-horse field to utilize her speed.

Flown was second to Plum Ali at Kentucky Downs last September, while Saranya was most recently second in the Allen “Black Cat” Lacombe Memorial Stakes at Fair Grounds. Gift List is making her U.S. debut after finishing first or second in five starts, all in England.