Surgical Strike makes 2017 debut against host of foreigners

LEXINGTON, Ky. – Several well-traveled runners have made the Bluegrass State their next stop and will converge in Keeneland’s nominal feature Wednesday, a $76,000 turf allowance. Grade 3 winner Surgical Strike is among several stakes horses in the overflow field facing talented runners from Brazil, Australia, Canada, and Barbados.

Some in Tieme won three of six starts in his native Brazil, including the Linneo de Paula Machado-Grande Criterium, rated as a Group 1 event, in 2015; he was elevated to first in last year’s Group 1 Gran Premio Latinoamericano via disqualification. After making his first two U.S. starts for trainer Paulo Lobo, going unplaced in California, he moves to Ken McPeek’s barn for his Kentucky debut.

Turbo Street, stakes-placed in his native Australia, is making his second U.S. start for trainer Brian Lynch. He finished eighth in the Grade 3 Tampa Bay Stakes in February in his first outing since last July.

Mark Casse will saddle a pair, including 2014 Sovereign Award champion Conquest Typhoon. However, the gelding is looking for his first win since March 2016. The barn’s other entrant, stakes-placed Brass Compass, came off the bench to win a Gulfstream Park allowance in his season debut.

Surgical Strike makes his season debut after a productive 3-year-old campaign last year for Ben Colebrook, winning the Grade 3 Arlington Classic on turf and the John Battaglia Memorial on Polytrack. He placed in four other stakes, including a third in the Grade 2 American Turf.

Stakes winner High Noon Rider finished second in the Barbados Gold Cup last out for Mike Maker and owners Ken and Sarah Ramsey. Keeneland’s perennial leading owners are looking to snap a winless skid to open this meet.

Two 2-year-old maiden events are among the other highlights of the eight-race Wednesday card, with the fourth race featuring the first starters for two of this year’s most anticipated freshman sires. Vital, trained by Wesley Ward for the Coolmore team and Stonestreet Farm, is by juvenile champion Shanghai Bobby. Orbatron, trained by Steve Asmussen, is by Kentucky Derby winner Orb.

Ward, whose prowess with early 2-year-olds has keyed his early success at this meet, is tied atop the trainer standings with seven of the meet’s 15 days in the books. Ward and Kiaran McLaughlin, who saddled a record-tying four winners last Saturday, each have six winners at this meet. Just behind the top two, Casse and Chad Brown are tied with five winners each.