Keeneland notes: Ward loaded, as usual, for 'baby races'

There are all those great stakes races, yes, but the spring meet at Keeneland is so much more.

For example, there are the “baby races,” the first appearances of the year by 2-year-olds in Kentucky. Those races have been the dominion of trainer Wesley Ward in recent years, and fans can expect more of the same when the 15-day Keeneland meet starts Friday in Lexington.

Eight 4 1/2-furlong races are in the condition book for the meet, starting with opening day.

“Most likely, I’ll have a horse for every race,” Ward said. “In fact, I’ll probably double up in a few spots.”

Since 2007, the first year he brought a sizable stable north, Ward has gone 20 for 57 in 2-year-old races at Keeneland spring meets, including a 5-for-8 mark last year. Including fall meets, when the races are longer, he is 35 for 120.

As usual, Ward has spent long hours in Florida this winter preparing his young horses and now is on hand at Keeneland with a full barn, ready to roll. He said Circle of Love and Time Out of Mind will run opening weekend, and that a filly named Asia, a half-sister to Pablo del Monte, won’t be long behind them.

“I wouldn’t say I have one as good as No Nay Never,” said Ward, referring to the once-beaten colt who easily won his debut last spring at Keeneland, “but the overall quality is a touch higher than anything I’ve ever had.”

Two-year-old races are scheduled for April 4, 5, 9, 10, 16, 17, 24, and 25.

Few rivals for Wise Dan

Keeneland racing secretary Ben Huffman said Saturday that the list of opponents for Wise Dan in the April 11 Maker’s 46 Mile is growing “very slowly,” but with 27 nominations to the Grade 1 turf race, “hopefully we’ll round up a decent bunch. So far, we’ve only got Lochte and Reload confirmed, but hopefully we’ll have four or five to try him.”

Meanwhile, both the Grade 1 Ashland Stakes and the Grade 1 Blue Grass Stakes are shaping up with bigger fields, Huffman said.

The Ashland, to be run Saturday, April 5, should get 10 or more 3-year-old fillies, led by Testa Rossi, Rosalind, Macaroon, On the Backstreets, and Resistivity.

The April 12 Blue Grass also already has at least 10 probables, with Bobby’s Kitten, Coastline, Dance With Fate, Gala Award, Harry’s Holiday, and Vinceremos the top names.

The opening-day feature, the Grade 3 Transylvania, drew 46 nominations, “so we’re thinking maybe eight or nine will be in there,” Huffman said. Entries for the Friday opener will be drawn Tuesday.

Rosario tops strong colony

Joel Rosario, who set a Keeneland spring-meet record by riding 38 winners last year, will ride the full meet again this spring, with the exception of riding elsewhere April 11-12, according to agent Ron Anderson.

Many of the top jockeys from last spring will be back, including Julien Leparoux, a nine-time Keeneland riding champion, and Rosie Napravnik, who topped the 2013 fall meet with 17 wins and once again was the leading jockey at Fair Grounds this winter.

Napravnik will continue to be represented by agent Derek Ducoing, who in prior years had stayed in Louisiana.

Javier Castellano, the Eclipse Award-winning jockey of 2013, also will be riding every day except Saturday and Sunday of opening weekend, agent Matt Muzikar said. Other top jockeys who will be at Keeneland from the Gulfstream Park meet include John Velazquez, Jose Lezcano, Luis Saez, and Edgar Prado.

◗ First post at Keeneland will be 1:05 p.m. Eastern except for Blue Grass Day, when it will be 12:35. There will be no racing April 20 because of the Easter holiday. Closing day is April 25.

◗ Matt Metz will replace the retired Jack Valentine in teaming with Steve Peery in compiling Equibase charts on the Kentucky circuit. Metz, 28, has more than 10 years of experience with Equibase.