Keeneland: Marine Patrol, Bingo Kitten hard to separate in Wednesday feature
LEXINGTON, Ky. – There are any number of tell-tale signs that another Keeneland meet is nearing its end, not the least of which is the dearth of major events on the calendar.
For example, Wednesday kicks off the final four-day stretch of the fall meet at this historic track, and only so much as one allowance race is on the nine-race card. Its saving grace: It’s a highly competitive race with a full field, perpetuating a constant theme since this 17-day stand began Oct. 4.
Wayne Catalano will not be the leading trainer at the meet – as he was in record fashion at Arlington Park this summer and at Kentucky Downs last month – but the 57-year-old conditioner would have to say it’s been a productive few weeks nonetheless, as one of his four wins to date came with Poker Player in the Grade 3 Bourbon on the first weekend of the meet.
Catalano will send out the uncoupled entry of Marine Patrol and Bingo Kitten in the nominal feature, a $58,000, first-level turf mile, and he – as will most horseplayers – has a hard time separating them on paper, as both come off impressive maiden victories.
“They’ve both trained very well,” Catalano said Monday. “For Marine Patrol, it was actually the second time he won,” although the colt was disqualified in his July 4 debut at Arlington. “He really kicked home there at Churchill” in a Sept. 15 triumph.
Marine Patrol, owned by Gary and Mary West, is a lukewarm 3-1 morning-line favorite in the oversubscribed field. The Tapit colt was assigned post 8 in a field that numbers 14, including two also-eligibles. Shaun Bridgmohan has the call.
Bingo Kitten, a Ken and Sarah Ramsey homebred, will be ridden by Channing Hill as the co-second choice at 7-2. The son of the red-hot sire Kitten’s Joy won at first asking at Kentucky Downs.
“I thought it was a great performance for a first-time starter,” Catalano said. “He’s one of the Kitten’s Joys that really seems to have a lot of ability.”
Middleburg (post 1, Rosie Napravnik), a Lemon Drop Kid colt making his first start in nearly seven months when shipping in from New York for Christophe Clement, is the other runner listed at 7-2 on the program.
First post Wednesday is 1:05 p.m. Eastern, with the feature going at 4:49. Wednesday brings the weekly “WINS-day” handicapping challenge, which comes with a free Daily Racing Form with a $10 entry fee.