Keeneland notes: It’s Tea Time tops strong allowance

An excellent Thursday undercard at Keeneland includes back-to-back filly-mare allowance routes (races 6, 7), the latter being a third-level Polytrack race that drew stakes-caliber runners It’s Tea Time and Bizzy Caroline.

It’s Tea Time has earned more than $450,000 while somehow remaining eligible for this third-level allowance condition, while in her most recent start, Bizzy Caroline was the runner-up to Marketing Mix in the Grade 2 Mrs. Revere Stakes last fall at Churchill. Marketing Mix was an impressive winner in her return to action in a turf allowance earlier in the Keeneland meet.

Among the possible upsetters in the $62,000 allowance are Artemus Kitten, winner of the Bayou Handicap at Fair Grounds last out, and Don’t Tell Sophia, who loomed and hung in an opening-day race.

“I might’ve had her just one work short,” said Phil Sims, trainer of Don’t Tell Sophia. “She ought to really move up off the race.”

Elkhorn draws field of nine

A field of nine older horses has been entered for the closing-day feature on Friday at Keeneland, the Grade 2, $150,000 Elkhorn Stakes. From the rail out, this is the field for the 1 1/2-mile turf race: Musketier, Point of Entry, Wilkinson, Newsdad, Simmard, Skipshot, Tahoe Lake, Suntracer, and Center Divider.

The Elkhorn goes as the ninth of 10 races. The undercard includes an allowance race that matches Stately Victor, Rescue Squad, and four other older horses at 1 1/8 miles on Polytrack.