Well-bred maiden opens Keeneland meet with bang

LEXINGTON, Ky. – The turf course was soft, owing to heavy overnight rain, but as far as Robby Albarado was concerned, everything was just right.

“There’s definitely some cut to it,” Albarado said after riding Pico Entry to a hard-earned victory Friday in the first race of the 17-day Keeneland fall meet. “But this horse got over it perfect.”

Pico Entry, a son of Point of Entry, raced neck-and-neck with Temple ahead of 10 other maidens for virtually the entire 1 1/16-mile trip, with Pico Entry finally prevailing by a head at a $32 win mutuel. The relatively slow final time of 1:47.25 was of no consequence to winning trainer Dale Romans, who seemed happier for his longtime clients – Frank Jones Jr., Frank Shoop, and Bill Pacella, who own and bred the 2-year-old colt – than himself.

“This is the fourth foal out of his mare, C. S. Royce,” Romans said. “The other three were all nice horses,” he added, referring to 2016 Preakness runner-up Cherry Wine and two stakes-winning fillies, Sweeping Paddy and C. S. Incharge. “That’s a pretty amazing produce record, and this one might be best of them all. He’s a good horse.”

Despite the overnight storm, and the sun popping out only occasionally, humidity lingered noticeably as the 10-race opener unfolded, and you couldn’t go from one burgoo stand to another without seeing someone sweat. Intermittent showers and highs in the mid-80s were forecast throughout a three-day weekend highlighted by the traditional FallStars Weekend stakes program that was to begin later Friday over a fast main track with the Grade 2 Phoenix and Grade 1 Alcibiades.