Keeneland: This year, FallStars Weekend has added meaning

LEXINGTON, Ky. – There’s always a sense of anticipation at Keeneland as summer comes to an end and the fall meet looms. But this year is different, as the first Breeders’ Cup in track history will follow the 17-day fall meet that starts Friday with the three-day FallStars Weekend.

“I’m not going to say it’s the same as before the Kentucky Derby, but there’s a real electricity in the air,” said Rogers Beasley, Keeneland vice president of racing. “Everybody is excited about the Breeders’ Cup.”

The fall meet officially runs through Oct. 24, after which Keeneland will be dark for four days as final preparations continue toward the 32nd Breeders’ Cup, which will be run Oct. 30-31. “Prelude to the Cup,” as Keeneland is calling it, will be run the Thursday before, Oct. 29.

As always, the meet will get away to a flying start with a slew of BC preps on FallStars Weekend. Nine graded stakes will be run Friday through Sunday, with all but two of them (the First Lady and Woodford), designated as Win and You’re In events for the Breeders’ Cup. An eighth Win and You’re In race, the Jessamine Stakes, will be run the first Thursday of the meet, Oct. 8.

The $1 million Shadwell Turf Mile, the richest race of the regular meet, is one of three Grade 1 races, and five stakes, on a huge Saturday card. Lacking the recently retired Wise Dan, the Shadwell is shaping up with its biggest field in years, with The Pizza Man, Grand Arch, Seek Again, and King Kreesa among the likely favorites.

“I wish we could run, obviously,” said Charlie LoPresti, who trained Wise Dan to two Horse of the Year titles (2012-13). As dawn broke Monday at Keeneland, LoPresti said he is “still smarting” from having to retire the 8-year-old gelding because of a tendon injury.

“I’ll never have another one like him,” said LoPresti. “I don’t know if anybody will.”

Keeneland is planning to have Wise Dan paraded in front of the large crowd Saturday in honoring his numerous accomplishments, including seven graded wins at Keeneland and two Breeders’ Cup Mile victories at Santa Anita. Final details were being nailed down Monday.

As for some of the other FallStars features, the Grade 1 Juddmonte Spinster Stakes on Sunday is expected to get Untapable and Lovely Maria in the first matchup of Kentucky Oaks winners in more than 15 years. Other notables include Work All Week and Runhappy in the Phoenix on Friday, Tepin in the First Lady on Saturday, and Judy the Beauty in the Thoroughbred Club of America on Saturday.

Entries for Friday were to be drawn Tuesday, with the Saturday card drawn Wednesday.

As of Monday morning, not many horses were training at Keeneland because the stable area was only reopened to active runners over the weekend following the September yearling sale. Wesley Ward and Wayne Catalano had the most representation, but they’ll soon be joined by a host of other nationally prominent trainers, including Todd Pletcher, Chad Brown, Mark Casse, Mike Maker, Bill Mott, Graham Motion, Kiaran McLaughlin, Shug McGaughey, and Mike Stidham.

The jockey colony will have its usual depth, although the top New York riders who spend most of April at Keeneland will make only spot appearances here this fall. That will leave more business for the likes of Julien Leparoux, Florent Geroux, Corey Lanerie, Paco Lopez, Joe Bravo, Shaun Bridgmohan, and Robby Albarado.

Following the likelihood of rain earlier in the week, the weekend weather was supposed to turn nice, with a high of 63 forecast for Friday.

This will be the third meet for the dirt surface, which was constructed after the 2014 spring meet, the last one for Polytrack.