The question in Thursday feature: Which Dennis' Moment will show up?

There is no stakes race on Thursday’s card at Keeneland, but the seventh race, a second-level allowance for 3-year-olds and up, drew a stakes-caliber field. The lineup for the seven-furlong race includes Grade 3 winner Dennis’ Moment, Grade 1-placed stakes winner Shoplifted, Grade 2-placed Bourbon War and Hozier, stakes winner Flap Jack, and stakes-placed Lamartine.

The enigmatic Dennis’ Moment has been brilliant on his day for trainer Dale Romans, but has not won a race in more than two years. After losing his rider on debut in 2019, Dennis’ Moment won a maiden race by 19 1/4 lengths and then the Grade 3 Iroquois at Churchill. That made him the favorite for the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile, but he went to his knees at the start and never recovered. He has gone winless in just four starts since.

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“He’s been a very frustrating horse, obviously, ever since the Breeders’ Cup a few years ago,” said Jason Loutsch, racing manager for owner Albaugh Family Stable. “Tremendous amount of talent, but we still haven’t gotten to the bottom of him. We’re trying to find that form. We know it’s there – in the mornings he shows it in the way he trains. I just think he needs to get his confidence back.”

Dennis’ Moment returned to action from a nine-month layoff in August at Ellis Park, finishing second by a head with a solid 87 Beyer Speed Figure in allowance company. On Sept. 18, he flashed speed and faded to fifth in the Louisville Thoroughbred Society at Churchill.

Loutsch said Dennis’ Moment’s performance in the allowance race prompted a shot at the Louisville Thoroughbred Society Stakes.

“It was a great comeback race, and that’s why we thought we could put him in the stake,” he said. “Unfortunately, he drew the one hole and had no real option other than to go, and the fractions were a little fast and he didn’t finish strong. And so we’ve put him back in an allowance race trying to get him some confidence, and hoping he performs well so we can get him back to stakes quality going into winter.”

Corey Lanerie, aboard Dennis’ Moment in both outings this year, retains the mount on the colt, who has again drawn toward the inside, in post 2.

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Meanwhile, Tyler Gaffalione, leading the Keeneland rider standings entering the week, takes the mount on Shoplifted for Steve Asmussen. Winner of the 2019 Springboard Mile, Shoplifted has placed three times in Grade 1 stakes at this seven-furlong distance, having finished second in the 2019 Hopeful and third last year in the H. Allen Jerkens at Saratoga and Woody Stephens at Belmont. This year, he has posted two runner-up efforts in allowances from six starts.

Hozier, second in the Grade 2 Rebel at Oaklawn earlier this year, has won once from four starts since being moved from Bob Baffert to Rodolphe Brisset, with that win coming in a mile allowance at Ellis.

Bourbon War also made a barn change this year, moving from Mark Hennig to Ian Wilkes. In three starts for Wilkes after coming back from a year layoff, he has one second in an allowance.

Sounion is the only horse in this field without stakes form, but is the only entrant coming off a win as he took an allowance on Sept. 16 at Churchill.