Stakes scratches Hotshot Anna and Rocky Policy meet in Sunday allowance

LEXINGTON, Ky. – Hugh Robertson and Bob Hess Jr. both said “no thanks” to the Franklin County Stakes on Friday, employing discretion as the better part of valor.

Hotshot Anna, owned by Robertson, and Rocky Policy, trained by Hess, both will run instead Sunday at Keeneland after being scratched from the Franklin County, a Grade 3 race that attracted some of the best filly-mare sprinters on the continent.

Their alternative spot, the eighth of nine Sunday races, is an $80,000 turf sprint with hybrid allowance conditions and a field of 12.

“It’s not as tough as the Franklin County, but it’s no easy spot, either,” said Hess. “We were actually hoping all along this allowance would fill. I wasn’t aware that Hotshot Anna would be eligible, but there you go.”

Fresh from winning the Grade 2 Presque Isle Masters for the second straight year, Hotshot Anna will be making her last start before going through the Keeneland sales ring in the November breeding stock sale on Nov. 6. The 6-year-old mare has won twice over synthetic and once over turf in her four starts this year and therefore is eligible under a “never won two on turf this year” clause that’s part of the race conditions.

David Cohen will be aboard Hotshot Anna when the career earner of $863,440 breaks from post 8. Mac Robertson, Hugh’s son, is the trainer of record for this race, with the elder Robertson having sent Hotshot Anna down Thursday from his main base at Hawthorne.

Rocky Policy (post 2, Javier Castellano) was claimed by Hess for $40,000 in August at Del Mar and quickly paid for herself – and more – by winning the $158,000 Turf Amazon at Parx Racing less than two months later.

“The filly has been here at Keeneland a couple weeks now,” said Hess. “She’s fresh and doing well and ready to go.”

The Sunday feature is one of three allowances that make up the late pick four (races 6-9). The only non-allowance in the sequence is race 7, a $71,000 maiden-special with an oversubscribed field.

After Sunday, Keeneland goes dark for two days before another five-day race week resumes Wednesday with an eight-race card. First post daily is 1:05 p.m. Eastern.

◗ Sunday marks the third and final day of the 11th annual Secretariat Festival, with daylong events celebrating the legendary Triple Crown winner starting at 8 a.m. in the sales pavilion.