Stakes-caliber allowance on tap for Sunday

LEXINGTON, Ky. – By itself, the sixth race at Keeneland Sunday would serve as an alluring feature, but it’s overshadowed by the Grade 2 Appalachian and Grade 3 Beaumont. Nonetheless, the $82,000 turf allowance with wide-open conditions could be a key race toward more high-profile events, given the oversubscribed field is composed almost entirely of stakes winners, and many of those graded winners.

Offering Plan, a New York-bred trained by Chad Brown, could come a slight favorite in the 1 1/16-mile race, which also drew such accomplished runners as Are You Kidding Me, Blacktype, Inspector Lynley, Shakhimat, and the Indian champion Serjeant At Arms.

:: KEENELAND CLOCKER REPORT: Get workout grades and comments for the spring meet

One-mile dirt races ahead

The first one-mile dirt race of the spring meet – assuming the Appalachian isn’t forced off the turf Sunday and run at a mile on the main track – is in the condition book for next Friday (April 13). It’s a second-level allowance for fillies and mares with a $78,000 purse, and it’ll be the first of a handful of such races through the end of the meet, April 27.

Despite the 1 1/16-mile circumference of its main track, which makes for a short run into the first turn (even with a 70-yard run-up), Keeneland first began running one-mile dirt races at the 2015 fall meet, ahead of the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile.

◗ Keeneland issued a release this week saying its antenna system has been upgraded by Verizon, which should minimize any problems with smartphone reception.

◗ April 23 will be the first day at Churchill Downs for Kentucky Derby and Oaks horses to have their separate training period. A new time has been established – from 7:30 to 7:45 a.m. Eastern (previously 8:30-8:45) – as Churchill now will have two harrow breaks each morning instead of one.

◗ Signage atop the grandstand and over the infield winner’s pagoda at Churchill was changed Friday from 2017 to 2018 to reflect the upcoming runnings of the Derby and Oaks.