Keen Pauline on fence for Locust Grove

Keen Pauline comes in fresh and gets some class relief for a potential meeting with her elders in the $100,000 Locust Grove Stakes, the second of a pair of stakes for fillies and mares on the first Saturday card of the Churchill Downs September meeting.

Keen Pauline scored her biggest victory in the Grade 2 Black-Eyed Susan at Pimlico on Preakness weekend, wiring the field by 2 3/4 lengths. The runner-up, Include Betty, subsequently became a Grade 1 winner in the Mother Goose Stakes and finished third in the Grade 1 Coaching Club American Oaks on July 26 at Saratoga. Keen Pauline weakened to sixth in that race, beaten 7 3/4 lengths.

“She trains well every day and gets better and better,” said trainer Dale Romans. “Saratoga, you either love it or hate it. She never really did seem to like it.”

Romans said he might scratch Keen Pauline and await the Grade 1, $1 million Cotillion Stakes on Sept. 19 at Parx, though he said Keen Pauline facing older horses in the Locust Grove isn’t causing hesitation.

“I’m not worried about going against older horses at this time of year,” Romans said. “History has proven this is about the time we all start to become the same.”

Keen Pauline, who prefers to be forwardly placed early, drew post 10 of 12 under Paco Lopez, who rides her for the first time.

Chief among the older entrants in the Locust Grove is Frivolous, a two-time Grade 2 winner at Churchill Downs with scores in the Falls City Handicap last November and this year’s Fleur de Lis Handicap for trainer Vicky Oliver. In the Fleur de Lis, the mare defeated Sheer Drama. She then finished second to that rival July 18 in the Grade 1 Delaware Handicap in her most recent start. Sheer Drama went on to flatter Frivolous’s form with a win in the Grade 1 Personal Ensign.

Call Pat comes in off a half-length victory Aug. 8 in the Grade 3 Groupie Doll Stakes at Ellis Park, while Diva’s Diamond enters off a pair of minor stakes wins at Prairie Meadows. Diva’s Diamond finished second to champion Untapable in the Grade 1 Apple Blossom earlier this year.

Graded stakes winner Flashy American won the 2013 Locust Grove but is winless since April 2014.

Also on Saturday’s card is the $100,000 Open Mind Stakes (race 5) for fillies and mares going six furlongs. The field includes three runners who are graded stakes-placed at Churchill Downs – Bird Maker, Heykittykittykitty, and Elusive Fate. The most recent of those placings came when Heykittykittykitty finished second in the Grade 2 Winning Colors Stakes in May.

Anusara never has finished worse than third in five starts at Churchill Downs, with an allowance victory in May. She most recently finished second by a half-length in the Brandywine Stakes at Indiana Grand.

Locust Grove

Key contenders

Keen Pauline (Last 3 Beyers: 79-93-73)

* Will prefer to be forwardly placed. Although she wired the field in the Black-Eyed Susan, she has shown the ability to sit in second or third.

Frivolous (Last 3 Beyers: 93-96-59)

* Two-time graded stakes winner at Churchill Downs also prefers to be forwardly placed and might have a slight advantage early as she breaks from post 6 under regular rider Jon Court.

Call Pat (Last 3 Beyers: 94-91-71)

* Brad Cox trainee posted the field’s highest last-out Beyer Speed Figure when winning the Groupie Doll.

* Drew to the extreme outside in post 12 under Shaun Bridgmohan.