King preview: Two stakes the highlight of card
Although not as loaded as the stakes-filled card Saturday, Sunday’s races at Keeneland feature two stakes: the Bourbon for 2-year-olds on the grass and the Spinster at 1 1/8 miles on the dirt for fillies and mares. Both Win and You’re In contests, they will produce Breeders’ Cup starters.
Here is a look at the stakes, a couple spot plays on the card, and the early changes.
Race 8: Dixiana Bourbon (5:08 p.m.)
Take note, there is a key scratch. CONQUEST TSUNAMI (#7, 7-2) is out, having run in yesterday’s Breeders’ Futurity on dirt. So expect odds on many of the horses to drop below their morning-line prices. His scratch also takes out a speed horse from the race.
CAN’T HAPPEN HERE (#8, 7-2) is the choice, having overcome a tardy break and some bumping to win his debut when racing in one of those top-quality turf maiden races at Saratoga. He acts like a horse with a future, and trainer Chad Brown excels with lightly raced 2-year-old stakes runners on turf.
DANNY BOY (#4, 3-1) won his debut at Ellis on turf over next-out winner Lawn Ranger and ran a respectable fourth in the Iroquois on dirt at Churchill. He is short on speed and, as a result, likely will need a lively pace to rally in time.
CHIEF KITTEN (#9, 10-1) is another Brown entrant and might slip past the public a little bit due to having run in races restricted to New York-breds. Respect this horse. He ran second first out to the With Anticipation winner Startup Nation and returned to win going away in a Sept. 14 race at Belmont.
Race 9: Spinster (5:45 p.m.)
With a short field of six and very little speed in the race to go with the favored CLOSE HATCHES (#2, 3-5), the latter looks like a short-priced winner. Besides that tactical advantage, she is in top form, being unbeaten in four starts this year following a runner-up finish to Beholder in last year’s Breeders’ Cup Distaff.
DON’T TELL SOPHIA (#5, 9-2), purchased for a mere $1,000 at Keeneland in September 2009, has made more than $679,000 – quite a nice return on investment. She was sharp in her comeback in the Locust Grove at Churchill last month, and though a late runner, she doesn't need hot splits to run well.
MOLLY MORGAN (#6, 5-1) ran second to Don’t Tell Sophia at Churchill last month after a surprisingly hard-fought Gardenia win at Ellis Park in August. She appears a few lengths off her top form from the spring, when she was second in the La Troienne and won the Fleur De Lis.
Spot Plays
Race 4: SINORICE (#2, 2-1): He was pulled up in his last race – typically a cause for alarm – but he has trained regularly since for trainer Nick Zito, who won a race yesterday at Keeneland on the dirt, and he keeps him running for a rich tag. Based on those encouraging signals, this horse would seem to be in adequate health. Two starts ago, he won a tough starter $20,000 race at Belmont.
Race 10: ARCANE (#8, 2-1) finished well to grab third at Kentucky Downs last month, just missing second in a photo. Encouraged by how trainer Graham Motion showed confidence to ship him down there for that rich allowance after the horse previously had won only a maiden contest at Penn National. Believe this horse has further upside.
Early Changes
Race 3
#4 Golden Moon – first start since reported as gelding)
Race 5
#10 Victoria Blu – scratched
Race 6
#11 (MTO) Silver Allure – scratched
#12 (MTO) Winding Bay – scratched
Race 8
#7 Conquest Tsunami – scratched