Pair of allowances get final week of meet started
LEXINGTON, Ky. – Once was, Keeneland played out the string as the fall meet neared its end. In recent years, the Fayette was the only stakes left when the final four-day stretch began on a Wednesday.
But with purses at record levels, the stakes schedule was expanded to 22 this fall, and suddenly the meet isn’t quite as top-heavy. An eight-race Wednesday card hints at a newly created end-of-meet momentum with a couple of co-featured allowances to presage what still remains.
Race 6 is an $86,000 first-level allowance that drew eight 3-year-olds and up going six furlongs on what should be a fast main track. Ready to Answer, with Florent Geroux riding for trainer Rusty Arnold, is a lukewarm program favorite over Speitful Sam and Name Rejected.
Race 7 is an $88,000 second-level allowance with an oversubscribed field of fillies and mares scheduled to go 1 1/16 miles over a turf course that could be rated in the good range. More Than Unusual, Jezebel’s Kitten, and Vividly are among the top considerations in a competitive race limited to 12 starters.
With only two turf races on the card, there is no Keeneland Turf Pick 3 for Wednesday. The $3-minimum bet resumes Thursday.
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First post daily is 1 p.m. Eastern. Following a wet Sunday and Monday, the local forecast for Wednesday calls for mostly sunny skies and a high of 61 ahead of what could be a rainy last few days. A high chance of rain is being predicted for Thursday and Friday and even possibly continuing through Saturday, closing day.
Five more stakes are set for the last two cards of the 17-day meet. The Grade 3 Valley View is now being run later than it traditionally had been, as it is now teamed on a terrific Friday card with the Myrtlewood, which is being run for just the second time. The Fayette anchors an outstanding finale Saturday with the Bryan Station, which has been run sporadically through the years, and the newly created Bowman Mill.
The fall meet, by necessity, long has been front-loaded with important Breeders’ Cup preps being held on the opening three-day FallStars weekend.
“With more available purse money, we thought it best to keep interest as high as possible to the very end of the meet,” said Gatewood Bell, who is completing his first year as Keeneland’s vice president of racing.
Churchill Downs begins its fall meet Sunday.