Stall content to stay local with Tom's d'Etat for now

LEXINGTON, Ky. – Tom’s d’Etat has earned a triple-digit Beyer Speed Figure in every start since faltering in the Gulfstream Park slop in the Pegasus World Cup. His resurgence has been so strong and steady that trainer Al Stall Jr. considered running the 6-year-old horse in the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile.

“For a minute, anyway,” said Stall. “I thought it’d be a big field, that Catalina Cruiser would show up – and now Omaha Beach is in there. I’m so glad I took a powder and said there’s no need for us to go out there.”

Instead of being one of the longer shots in the Dirt Mile, Tom’s d’Etat is likely to be favored next Saturday when the 17-day Keeneland fall meet closes with the Grade 2, $200,000 Fayette Stakes. The 1 1/8-mile Fayette also is expected to get a sizable field when entries are drawn here Wednesday, but the caliber of competition will differ substantially.

“There are two fabulous races right here in Kentucky in the fall,” said Stall. “If he runs well in the Fayette, you go right back in the Clark,” the Grade 1, $500,000 fixture set for Nov. 29 at Churchill Downs. “Then, if you do well there, you’ve got the new race in Saudia Arabia and everything else right ahead.”

Owned by the GMB Racing of Gayle Benson, Tom’s d’Etat has reeled off Beyers of 101, 102, 104, and 104 since the Jan. 26 Pegasus. His lone victory during that span came in the restricted Alydar at Saratoga on Aug. 2, and he most recently was a close fourth in the Grade 1 Woodward as the 2-1 second choice on Aug. 31.

“He’s good to go right now,” said Stall. “He’ll do a little something Sunday morning at Churchill, maybe a real easy half-mile, and that should do us.”

Tom’s d’Etat will be ridden by Joel Rosario in the 62nd Fayette, which is expected to get at least seven other older horses, with a few more possible. Those confirmed include Bal Harbour, Big Dollar Bill, Blueridge Traveler, Core Beliefs, Everfast, Mocito Rojo, and The Great Day.

Amoss under the knife

Trainer Tom Amoss postponed a scheduled workout Friday at Churchill for Serengeti Empress after being hospitalized with appendicitis.

Amoss wrote on his Twitter account that he was scheduled to undergo an appendectomy and stay overnight Friday in a Louisville hospital after “a bad night” Thursday. He said he intended to push back the filly’s work “a couple days” in the hopes he can be there to watch.

Serengeti Empress, winner of the Kentucky Oaks in May for owner Joel Politi, is being pointed to the Nov. 2 Breeders’ Cup Distaff, with the BC Filly and Mare Sprint to be listed as her alternate.

Sims seeks Sunday sweep

Purely by chance, trainer Phil Sims will be seeking a rare sweep of sorts when he saddles Miss Lady Locker for the ninth and last race here Sunday.

Sims has saddled the winner of the last race on both previous Sundays at this meet, winning Oct. 6 with Summer Delivery ($6.40) and last Sunday (Oct. 13) with Royal Mesa ($42). They were Sims’s only winners from his first six starts this meet.

Miss Lady Locker, with Corey Lanerie riding, is 10-1 on the morning line.

15 BC hopefuls on grounds

There are 15 Breeders’ Cup hopefuls stabled at Keeneland, with most of them scheduled to be flown Oct. 28 or 29 to California. Here’s the list:

Abscond, Bandua, Blue Prize, Cambria, Castle Lady, Dawn the Destroyer, Four Wheel Drive, Kimari, Leinster, Lexitonian, Maxfield, Sweet Melania, Totally Boss, Vitalogy, and Walk in Marrakesh.

◗ Although numerous 5 1/2-furlong races have been run on the Keeneland dirt track in recent years, those were off-turf races forced by wet weather.

The seventh race Sunday, a $73,000 allowance for 3-year-olds, is the first time in anyone’s memory that a 5 1/2-furlong race is being intentionally run over the main track. “It has been quite a while,” said racing secretary Ben Huffman.