With turf opportunities dwindling, Wednesday allowance races draw big fields

Keeneland has had strong field sizes this meet, particularly on the turf. There is no exception Wednesday, as Keeneland opens the final four-day stretch of the fall meeting.

The nominal co-features on the eight-race card are the fifth and seventh races, both $110,000 allowances at 1 1/8 miles on turf for 3-year-olds and up who have never won a race other than maiden, claiming, starter, or statebred, or who have never won two races. The races have drawn 11 and 12 entries, respectively.

Opportunities to race on turf in Kentucky in 2022 are winding down. Following the Keeneland meet, Churchill Downs opens for its fall meet. The new turf course at Churchill opened in April but was not used during the most recent meeting there. It will be used sparingly during the fall meet to protect and promote its root system. For example, there are just two turf races in the condition book for the first three cards of the meet. Following the Churchill meet, racing in Kentucky moves to Turfway, which has no turf course, until April.

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The fifth race includes two 3-year-olds who come off a strong edition of the Grade 3 Dueling Grounds Derby at Kentucky Downs – Mount Rundle and Running Bee. That race was won by the Breeders’ Cup-bound Kitodan, with Grand Sonata second.

Mount Rundle rallied for third in the Dueling Grounds Derby, beaten 7 1/2 lengths. Trained by Michelle Nihei, Mount Rundle has missed the board only once in four career starts.

Running Bee won a maiden race at Saratoga. In the Dueling Grounds Derby, he chased the pace and tired to ninth, missing the board for the first time in his four starts.

There doesn’t appear to be much speed in Wednesday’s allowance, and Running Bee, drawn in post 2 under Tyler Gaffalione, could take the initiative to control the tempo. Mount Rundle has come from far back in his last three races, but he showed speed in his debut and adds blinkers Wednesday.

Catnip ran in second into the stretch in the Grade 3 Virginia Derby at Colonial before fading to sixth. He is marooned out in post 11 under Brian Hernandez Jr.

In the seventh race, Jarreau is looking for his first win of the year. Jarreau, trained by Mike Maker, is 2 for 20 and has posted three seconds and three thirds in eight starts this year. Most recently, he missed by just a head in an allowance at Kentucky Downs last month, eating into the winner’s margin with every stride. He is cutting well back in distance, having made every start this year at 1 1/4 miles or longer. In his only start at this 1 1/8 miles, he was second in an allowance last fall at Keeneland.

Jarreau is drawn outside under Luis Saez.

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