With title out of reach, Maker seeks strong end to meet

Mike Maker has enjoyed major success at Keeneland in recent years, having won four meet titles starting in spring 2013. Maker’s quest for another title will have to wait until at least the fall. He has won just two races at the meet entering the final three days of racing and trails leader Brad Cox, with 12 winners, and Wesley Ward and Chad Brown, with 10 apiece.

But Maker is poised to finish this spring season strong. Not only does he have a pair entered for the final stakes of the meet, the Grade 3 Bewitch on closing day, he holds a strong hand in the turf allowances that anchor Wednesday’s card.

Maker has cross-entered Shezaprado in both the Bewitch and in the fourth race Wednesday, a $76,000 allowance for fillies and mares going 1 1/2 miles on the turf, for which she would be one of the logical contenders. Florent Geroux would have the call Wednesday.

Shezaprado is coming off a third-place effort in the Soaring Softly Stakes going 1 3/8 miles at Gulfstream Park. Prior to that, she finished seventh in the Grade 3 The Very One Stakes there. She earned a Beyer Speed Figure of 80 in The Very One, the top number this year in the field for Wednesday’s race. She posted a 79 in the Soaring Softly.

Regardless of Shezaprado’s status, Maker will still be represented in this allowance, as he also saddles Japanese-bred Lovin Empire, who is coming off an allowance win at Gulfstream. Jose Ortiz has the mount.

Bengala is making her first start in the United States in the fourth race. The filly has only a maiden win in Ireland, but faced stakes-caliber competition the majority of last year, including a ninth-place finish in the Irish Oaks behind Enable. She is now in the care of Christophe Clement, who also saddles Secede in the fourth race.

Maker also has an intriguing candidate in Wednesday’s sixth race, an $80,000 allowance at a mile on the turf, with the comebacking Tweet Kitten. Previously trained by Chad Brown, Tweet Kitten is making his first start since April 2016. He is unbeaten in two starts on the Keeneland turf. Joel Rosario rides.

Graded stakes-placed runners Bondurant, Profiteer, and Zulu Alpha also are part of the field. Zulu Alpha has the strongest recent form, with a third-place finish in the Grade 2 Muniz Handicap last month at Fair Grounds in his most recent outing.

There is a third allowance on the Wednesday card in the eighth race, a $78,000 turf sprint for older fillies and mares.