Rallies by Keepmeinmind, Travel Column produce key victories

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – The last would be first in the Grade 2 twins Saturday at Churchill Downs as Keepmeinmind and Travel Column both rallied from the trailer position in capturing their respective races.

Keepmeinmind, favored despite being a maiden, passed all eight of his opponents in the final quarter-mile of the $200,000 Kentucky Jockey Club, while Travel Column also flew home late in winning $200,000 Golden Rod.

Both 1 1/16-mile fixtures were part of a 12-race card restricted to 2-year-olds, with all of them run over a fast main track on a sunny autumn day that bled into a chilly but pleasant evening. Both races were worth 10-4-2-1 qualifying points toward their respective classics here next spring, the April 30 Kentucky Oaks and May 1 Kentucky Derby.

This is the 16th straight year Churchill has held two Stars of Tomorrow cards during the fall meet.

:: Start earning weekly cashback on your wagering today. Click to learn more.

Keepmeinmind ($6) wins KJC

Second in the Grade 1 Breeders’ Futurity and third in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile, Keepmeinmind entered the 94th Kentucky Jockey Club as a maiden in three starts, albeit one with $275,280 in career earnings.

That record held up well when the Kentucky-bred colt surged home to prevail by three-quarters of a length over Smiley Sobotka, returning $6 after finishing in 1:44.52. Arabian Prince was another 1 3/4 lengths back in third, followed by Swill, the 3-1 second choice.

After trailing to the quarter-pole, “I split some horses and got a nice trip to tip out at the top of the lane without losing any momentum,” said David Cohen, who was aboard Keepmeinmind for trainer Robertino Diodoro and the ownership partners of Cypress Creek and Arnold Bennewith. “That seemed to be the difference today.”

Diodoro said Keepmeinmind “will run all day. He’s a big good-looking horse with a long stride. He’s still an immature horse. He’s getting better and better every day. He’s everything you want in a young horse at this time of year.”

Keepmeinmind now has earned $394,320. Diodoro said the Laoban colt will get a brief rest at WinStar Farm before heading to Oaklawn Park for the balance of the winter to point to the series of 3-year-old Derby preps there.

For Diodoro, one of the leading trainers on the continent in wins in recent years, it was his first-ever stakes win in Kentucky and his first graded win since Sky Promise took the Canadian Derby and British Columbia Derby in the summer of 2018.

For Cohen, a longtime mainstay of the New York circuit, it was his first graded win since he began riding regularly in Kentucky.

The $2 exacta (4-1) paid $22, the $1 trifecta (4-1-3) returned $71.40, and the 10-cent superfecta (4-1-3-2) was worth $30.23.

Travel Column ($11.80) in Golden Rod

An hour earlier, Travel Column overcame a difficult trip to win the 77th Golden Rod by a length over Clairiere as heavily favored Simply Ravishing faded to fourth.

Ridden by Florent Geroux, Travel Column was last of nine through the early stages before following the path of Clariere while looping into contention in the final turn. While Clairiere swung wide for the drive, Geroux elected to shift slightly inward, just in behind Simply Ravishing, who was running in place as the 7-10 favorite.

“I was in a pocket, and I was trying to follow Simply Ravishing, but she got a little flat down the stretch,” Geroux said. “I thought she was going to bring me a little bit farther. I tipped my filly out at the end and she was able to run down the other horse.”

Indeed, a determined late surge is what gave Travel Column her second win in three career starts and her first in a stakes. A gray Kentucky-bred by Frosted, she paid $11.80 as second choice after finishing in 1:43.98.

Travel Column, an $850,000 yearling purchase by the OXO Equine of Larry Best, effectively turned the tables on Simply Ravishing after having finished third behind her in the Grade 1 Alcibiades last month at Keeneland.

Travel Column became the 30th graded winner this year for trainer Brad Cox, extending his career high for a single season. Cox said the filly is “a touch hot-blooded, so there’s a fine line with what you can do with her. It’s going to be a matter of her getting more mature, learning more in her training. She’ll come around.”

A second Cox trainee, Coach, incurred her first defeat in four starts when finishing third, another 2 1/2 lengths behind Clariere. Simply Ravishing was another half-length back.

Simply Ravishing, the only Grade 1 winner active on the day, had no mishap when finishing four lengths behind the winner. “No excuse,” jockey Robby Albarado said.

Cox had two other winners on the card, with first-time starter Southern Grayce ($14.20) taking a maiden-special and Mandaloun ($4.20) an allowance. It was also an otherwise successful afternoon for Kenny McPeek, the trainer of Simply Ravishing, as he won a maiden race with Warrior in Chief ($67.20) and an allowance with Oliviaofthedesert ($12).

The $2 exacta (5-6) paid $61.20, the $1 trifecta (5-6-3) returned $162.10, and the 10-cent superfecta (5-6-3-8) was worth $32.56.

** Sunday is closing day of the 24-day Churchill fall meet, with payouts of all wagering pools being mandated. Four months of winter racing begins Wednesday evening at Turfway Park in northern Kentucky.