Van Dyke to give Keeneland a try

ARCADIA, Calif. - Drayden Van Dyke, 12th in the jockey standings at the Santa Anita winter-spring meeting with 16 wins through Saturday, will be based at Keeneland for most of April, he said on Sunday.

Van Dyke said he based the decision on the preponderance of turf races run at Keeneland’s spring meeting, which runs from April 8-29, and because trainer Tom Proctor will be based there. Van Dyke has been closely allied with Proctor since he began riding in late 2013, having worked for the trainer prior to that.

“Most of my business is with turf horses,” said Van Dyke, the champion apprentice jockey of 2014. “Proctor is going and he wants me to ride a lot of horses.

“Hopefully, I can pop up there and win a stakes or something.”

One of Van Dyke’s leading mounts will be the 4-year-old filly Birdatthewire, the winner of the Grade 1 La Brea Stakes at Santa Anita in December. Birdatthewire is a candidate for the $300,000 Madison Stakes for fillies and mares at seven furlongs on April 9. Sunday at Santa Anita, Birdatthewire worked five furlongs in 1:01.

Van Dyke will be joined at Keeneland by Southern California-based riders Flavien Prat, Mike Smith, and Gary Stevens. Prat and Stevens will spend much of the month at Keeneland. Smith said on Sunday that he plans to ride major stakes at Keeneland on some weekends.

“I’ll be in California a lot of the time," Smith said. "I can stay fit and recharge my battery.

“I can fly in and out. I like doing that.”

Smith said he will ride sparingly at Los Alamitos, which has a spring meeting from April 14 to May 1.

Smith had 11 wins at the Santa Anita meet through Saturday, including six stakes. Stevens led all riders with eight stakes wins.