Keeneland notes: Meet titles still up in the air

LEXINGTON, Ky. – As the 17-day Keeneland fall meet enters its final four-day stretch, races are tight for top honors among jockeys and trainers.

Wednesday begins with five riders within one win of each other atop the standings: Rosie Napravnik and Shaun Bridgmohan have 11, followed closely by Corey Lanerie, Julien Leparoux, and Paco Lopez, with 10 each.

Graham Motion and Todd Pletcher are deadlocked atop the trainer standings with six wins each, followed by Wesley Ward (five) and eight others with four apiece.

Departing set for Fayette start

Keeneland racing officials are expecting at least six older horses for the closing-day feature, the Grade 2, $200,000 Fayette Stakes on Saturday, led by Departing and Long River.

Departing had his final breeze toward the 1 1/8-mile race when going a half-mile in 48.80 seconds over a fast track Sunday at Churchill.

Others Fayette probable includes Call Me George, Coltimus Prime, Pick of the Litter, and Stephanoatsee. Entries will be drawn Wednesday.

Race form holding strong

Favorites and second-choices continue to win at a very high rate at this meet. Through the first 13 days (123 races), favorites had won 46 races (37 percent), while second choices had won 30 (24 percent). Together, that’s 62 percent.

In addition, an exacta box of the top two choices has come through 31 times (25 percent). Exceptions to the opposite extreme have occurred, of course, most notably the seventh race Saturday when Sweet Nkosi (37-1) and Fancita Mae (54-1) combined for a $2 exacta paying $2,304.40.

Field size is averaging 8.42 horses per race. Last fall, the average was 9.85.

◗ One of the more poignant moments of the meet occurred on opening weekend, when Rusticana won the first race Oct. 4. Not only was it the first victory for owner-trainer Jeff Thornbury since his son, Jeff Jr., was killed in a Sept. 10 car accident, but it came at their longtime home track, Keeneland. Rusticana, a 5-year-old homebred mare, is back in the entries in the second race Thursday.

◗ Trainer Mike Stidham, who sent out a nice-looking debut winner last week in Toutsie Rules, is just two victories away from the 1,500-win milestone entering this week. Toutsie Rules, a 2-year-old filly by Roman Ruler, earned a 79 Beyer Speed Figure in a gate-to-wire, two-length triumph Friday. Stidham notched his first winner in 1980.