Keeneland notes: Temeraine at top of game for Sycamore

LEXINGTON, Ky. – Tom Proctor gave one of the more flippant answers ever aired on a post-race television interview after Temeraine won the $400,000 Kentucky Turf Cup last month at Kentucky Downs.

Asked what was next for the horse, Proctor replied with mock seriousness: “Give him a bath.”

All kidding aside, Proctor is looking forward to the next start for Temeraine, and that’s the $100,000 Sycamore Stakes, a Grade 3 turf marathon to be run Thursday at Keeneland.

“He fits in there, but he’s no standout,” said Proctor, who sent out three winners last weekend at Keeneland. “He’s run three good races in a row and I’m hoping it’ll be four.”

Temeraine is one of nine older horses in the 1 1/2-mile Sycamore, the first of four stakes this week at Keeneland. Off that neck victory as a 2-1 favorite in the Grade 3 Kentucky Turf Cup – which followed a runner-up finish in the Arlington Handicap and a decent fifth-place effort in the Arlington Million – the 4-year-old gelding figures among a core of lukewarm favorites in a race that also drew such specialists as Rahystrada, Suntracer, Najjaar, and Tricky Hat.

The Sycamore will be followed by the Pin Oak Valley View on Friday, the Raven Run on Saturday, and the Rood and Riddle Dowager on Sunday.

Pablo Del Monte airs

Sunday racegoers were treated to a terrific performance by a 2-year-old colt named Pablo Del Monte, who turned what was supposed to be a two-horse race into a solo procession. Sent away the 7-5 second choice in a field of first-level allowance sprinters, Pablo Del Monte put away the 6-5 favorite, Cool Cowboy, before drawing off to win by 7 1/2 lengths.

Pablo Del Monte, by Giant’s Causeway out of One Hot Wish, is trained by his owner-breeder, Wesley Ward. He earned a 90 Beyer Speed Figure for Sunday’s race, his only start since a similarly impressive win in a 4 1/2-furlong maiden race here in early April. Ward also trained the dam, who set a Keeneland course record that still stands in winning a 4 1/2-furlong maiden race in 48.87 seconds in April 2007.

Pablo Del Monte “had a little breathing problem that we just gave some time, no surgery,” said Ward. “I want to take my time with him and get him home to Florida and see if we’ve got something for the big races next year.”

The win was the second of the weekend for Hall of Fame jockey Kent Desormeaux, following the Franklin County Stakes on Friday with 30-1 shot Queen’s Award. The Franklin County broke a 34-race stakes drought for Desormeaux, with his prior score coming in the Oklahoma Derby aboard the Ward-trained Politicallycorrect on Sept. 30, 2012.

Football fans boost attendance

The combined attendance of 72,451 Friday through Sunday was a record for a three-day weekend at a Keeneland fall meet. The numbers clearly were bolstered by the Alabama-Kentucky football game Saturday night, with thousands of fans for both teams coming to the races throughout the weekend.

The Friday crowd of 22,807 was a fall record for a Friday, while the 32,717 here Saturday was an all-time fall record. The Sunday attendance was 16,927.

The all-time Keeneland record is 40,617, set on Blue Grass Stakes Day in April 2012. In fact, the attendance for six spring dates still rank ahead of the new fall record.

Ramseys in a runaway

With Wednesday marking the midpoint of the 17-day card, the only question in regard to the owners’ race is whether Ken and Sarah Ramsey will break their own fall-meet record for wins, which they set last fall with 12. The Ramseys have won with 8 of their first 34 starters.

The trainer and jockey races are much tighter, with Mike Maker and John Velazquez holding slim leads in those respective categories. Velazquez has been riding here mostly because of his stakes engagements but will not be here on a regular basis through the end of the meet, Oct. 26.

Stakes winner Hoofit euthanized

Hoofit, winner of the Grade 3 Phoenix at Keeneland in 2011, was euthanized Monday after suffering from a leg infection, said trainer Graham Motion. The 6-year-old gelding won 4 of 32 starts and $283,952.

Imported from New Zealand in 2011 by Mrs. S.K. Johnston Jr., Hoofit won his first two starts in the United States, but never won again in 14 tries, ending with a ninth-place finish on Oct. 5 in another run at the Phoenix.

“He survived an earthquake, hurricane, and shipping across the world, but this was too much,” Motion said via Twitter.

Kassen scores double

Dave Kassen enjoyed a memorable Sunday by sending out a pair of fillies to win maiden races, starting in the second race with a first-time starter named J L’s Princess for his longtime friend, football legend Paul Hornung.

Kassen, a former jockey who turned to training in the early 1970s, also won the seventh race with Celebrity Star. Both horses were ridden by Eddie Castro.