Personal Diary has big class edge in allowance
LEXINGTON, Ky. – These are good times for the family Humphrey. Not only will the 32nd Breeders’ Cup be run next weekend at Keeneland in what is essentially their backyard, but the stable is hitting on all cylinders, with Frivolous headed to the BC Distaff and horses such as She’s Not Here and Annulment winning high-end races in the last couple of months.
Family patriarch G. Watts Humphrey Jr., a Yale graduate and a part owner of the St. Louis Cardinals, among his numerous business dealings, employs his daughter, Vicki Oliver, as the primary trainer of his regally bred Thoroughbreds. Two of those, Personal Diary and Candy Crush, will make a formidable entry when the $60,000 feature at 1 1/8 miles on turf is run at Keeneland on Friday.
Personal Diary is a Grade 1 winner who hasn’t competed outside of graded company in nearly 15 months and therefore is the main reason the entry has been pegged as the 6-5 morning-line favorite in the ninth of 10 races. A 4-year-old filly by City Zip, Personal Diary won the Grade 1 Del Mar Oaks in 2014 and figures to be extremely competitive when dropping in for a second-level allowance condition under Corey Lanerie.
Two other allowances (races 6 and 8) also are on tap for Friday, when first post is 1:05 p.m. Eastern.
RACE 9
KEY CONTENDERS
Personal Diary (Last 3 Beyers: 85-90-85)
◗ Humphrey bred and owns this late-running filly in partnership with the St. George’s Farm of Ian Banwell, and they’ve seen her somehow stay eligible for this allowance condition despite having amassed more than $350,000 in earnings.
◗ Fans surely will notice her running lines, which are filled with names such as Tepin, Ball Dancing, and Coffee Clique, when making her their solid favorite.
Candy Crush (Last 3 Beyers: 79-80-76)
◗ Like her stablemate, this Candy Ride filly employs a come-from-behind running style that tends to make her a stretch threat; was a two-back winner at Ellis Park in getting through her first allowance condition.
Al’s Gal (Last 3 Beyers: 82-49-82)
◗ Main threat to the Humphrey entry comes favorably drawn on the rail for Ken and Sarah Ramsey, who have absolutely overrun the entry box this week in shooting for a record 16th Keeneland owners’ title; filly enters off a sharp just-miss effort in a restricted Parx stakes for trainer Mike Maker.
Share the Sugar (Last 3 Beyers: 79-73-73)
◗ Useful sort comes off a couple of decent efforts for Ken McPeek, who has enjoyed a solid fall meet by sending out six winners from his first 31 starters.