King's preview: Deep field for Franklin County Stakes

Friday, Oct. 10, preview

Despite overnight rain, the scheduled turf races at Keeneland on Friday remain on the grass – at least as of this writing at 10:30 a.m. Eastern. But horseplayers are advised to keep close tabs on the weather, should any more rain fall and conditions change.

Keeneland was calling the main track “fast” on its website this morning, but that be an optimistic assessment given that the turf course is yielding. Expect some moisture in the surface.

The day’s feature is a good one, the $100,000 Buffalo Trace Franklin County, a deep 5 1/2-furlong grass sprint for fillies and mares that has a field of 12 left intact following the scratches of #8 To My Valentine, #11 Jewel of a Cat, and the two also-eligibles, #13 Liz Pendens and #16 Soft Whisper.

The late-running AGELESS (#2, 4-1) is the selection, though she doesn’t have much margin for error, being a late runner in a closely matched group of runners. She won three stakes in a row on turf before a third in the Grade 2 Masters on the synthetic Tapeta surface. Now she returns to the grass, and she likes give in the ground, having won a stakes race at Pimlico over wet, tiring going in May.

FREE AS A BIRD (#12, 4-1) is another highly effective late-running turf sprinter. She is riding a four-race win streak and is another with proven wet-course form, but she was edged when she met Ageless on this turf course in April.

QUALITY LASS (#9, 6-1) might be the best of the front-runners and yet another who has performed well on wet turf courses. She last won the Turf Amazon at Parx on “good” turf Sept. 1.

Spot Plays

Race 2: COMO SE LLAMA (#4, 5-2) blew away $16,000 claimers off the bench at Churchill last month. He possesses back class, and this looks like a quality starter horse in the making.

Race 5: SONGOFICEANDFIRE (#6, 4-1) enters this race off a number of promising turf efforts and has the pedigree to enjoy the stretch-out to 1 1/2 miles, being by Dynaformer out of a mare who won the Group 1 Yorkshire Oaks.

Race 8: PEACENQUIET (#9, 4-1) tired to be a distant fourth at Churchill on Sept. 13 in his debut but drilled a bullet there Sept. 29 and is likely better than what he showed first out. Look for him to drift up from his 4-1 morning line.

Early Changes

1st Race
#2 Untietheknot, + 2 lbs.

3rd Race
#5 Raku, First start since reported as gelding

4th Race
#8 Holy Change, Jockey change to James Graham

5th Race
#1A Make it Snappy, SCRATCHED

7th Race
#4 Super Soldier, SCRATCHED
#8 Infinite Magic, SCRATCHED
#14 Class Leader, SCRATCHED
#15 Serendip, SCRATCHED
#16 For Greater Glory, SCRATCHED

8th Race
#1 Alazano, SCRATCHED

9th Race
#8 To My Valentine, SCRATCHED
#11 Jewel of a Cat, SCRATCHED
#15 Liz Pendens, SCRATCHED
#16 Soft Whisper, SCRATCHED

10th Race
#9 Green Juice, SCRATCHED