Keeneland: Hall of Fame trio involved in Dowager

LEXINGTON, Ky. – One of the common denominators that earned Jonathan Sheppard, Roger Attfield, and Bill Mott their Hall of Fame plaques was their ability to get a horse to win over a distance of ground. Those collective talents will be tested against one another Sunday at Keeneland when each trainer sends out a viable contender in the $125,000 Dowager, a 1 1/2-mile turf race that drew a well-matched field of 10 fillies and mares.

Sheppard has an uncoupled entry in the 22nd Dowager in Sheppard’s Pie and Angel Terrace, the latter of whom has to be considered a major threat when seeking her first victory since she came flying late here last fall to win a division of the Grade 3 Valley View.

Bred and owned by the Augustin Stable of George Strawbridge Jr., Angel Terrace will be ridden by Rosie Napravnik when breaking from post 4 in the Dowager, a three-turn race carded as the eighth of nine Sunday races.

Attfield will be represented by the lukewarm 7-2 program favorite, Kissable (post 8), who comes off a decent fifth-place finish when facing some of the best filly-and-mare turfers in the land in her last start in the Grade 1 Flower Bowl at Belmont Park.

Alan Garcia, who enjoyed a big Thursday when riding three straight winners here, has the call on Kissable, a 5-year-old Irish-bred.

Mott counters with a Juddmonte Farms filly named Preferential (post 2, Leandro Goncalves), a British import whose North American form was rather sluggish before she put in a big effort when second in the Kentucky Downs Ladies Marathon last month.

“The filly had been disappointing, but it really did seem like she turned the corner with that last race,” said Kenny McCarthy, a longtime Mott assistant. “She’s trained really well since then, too, so hopefully she’ll run another big one Sunday.”

Other considerations include Janicellaine (post 3, Javier Castellano), third in the Dowager last year; Beijoca (post 9, Shaun Bridgmohan), a prototypical grinder with an honest bent; and Left a Message (post 10, Robby Albarado), a two-back winner in a similar kind of race on the Woodbine turf.

The early pace in the Dowager likely will tilt toward fast, at least if the rail-drawn mare, Cash for Clunkers (post 1, Joe Rocco Jr.), shows her usual tendencies. She ships in from New York for Rick Violette when switching surfaces and stretching out.

First post Sunday is 1:05 p.m. Eastern, with the Dowager set for 4:49.

After Sunday, Keeneland goes dark for two days before the final four-day stretch of the 17-day fall meet commences Wednesday. The only stakes remaining is the Grade 2, $200,000 Fayette on closing day next Saturday, Oct. 26.