Keeneland: My Conquestadory back in training
As an impressive winner of the Grade 1 Darley Alcibiades Stakes at Keeneland last fall, My Conquestadory logically would have been a major candidate for the Grade 1 Ashland Stakes here Saturday.
But the 3-year-old filly pulled a muscle in her hip while training this winter in Florida, delaying her return to racing.
“We’ve had to give her enough time to come back to herself,” trainer Mark Casse said Friday. “I’m happy to report that this morning in Ocala, she had her first breeze back for my assistant. We’re happy with how she’s progressing and hope to have her ready for the Selene.”
The Selene is a Grade 3 Polytrack race May 18 at Woodbine.
My Conquestadory, by Artie Schiller, is owned by Conquest Stables. She won the Grade 2 Summer Stakes at Woodbine in her career debut, then captured the Alcibiades Stakes with an eye-catching run before finishing fourth in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf in her only subsequent start. She had two December breezes at Palm Meadows before being sidelined.
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Casse was on hand Friday at Keeneland to watch Coastline breeze five furlongs in 1:00.60 over Polytrack with jockey Stewart Elliott aboard. Coastline, third in a three-way photo in the March 22 Spiral Stakes at Turfway, is part of what is expected to be an oversubscribed field for the Grade 1 Blue Grass Stakes on April 12.
Rice has six on Sunday card
Given 100 guesses as to which trainer has the most entries on the nine-race Sunday card, not many people could come up with the correct answer.
It’s Wayne Rice, of course.
Rice has six horses entered, more than Mike Maker, who has four, or anyone else. Rice has an entry in the first race and said he believes Gentle One, a winner here last spring at a $51.80 mutuel, rates the best chance of all his Sunday runners.
Rice, 52, owns a farm in Ocala, where he worked for years as a pinhooker before starting a stable that now comprises 24 horses. He disdained the travel required by racetrack life while raising his three children. His oldest, Taylor Rice, is currently enjoying success as an apprentice rider at Aqueduct. Wayne Rice is the older brother of noted New York trainer Linda Rice.
All six of his Sunday horses will be ridden by his girlfriend, Arienne Cox, except for part of the first-race entry, Laila Dundee, who will have Rosie Napravnik up. All have been training on his farm since making their respective last starts in September or October.
“I take everything home for the winter,” he said.
