Wise Dan highlights Keeneland opening weekend

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Wise Dan and Close Hatches are among the star horses expected to compete next weekend after Keeneland Race Course unveils its new dirt surface on Friday, opening day of its 17-day fall meet in Lexington, Ky.

Wise Dan, the reigning two-time Horse of the Year, will run in the richest race in track history, the $1 million Shadwell Turf Mile on Saturday, while Close Hatches, the leader of the filly and mare handicap division, will be heavily favored Sunday in the $500,000 Juddmonte Spinster.

The meet runs through Oct. 25.

At this early juncture, these are the known prospects for the five Grade 1 events on the opening three-day FallStars Weekend, according to Keeneland stakes coordinator Allison De Luca:

◗ $400,000 Darley Alcibiades (Friday): Fashion Alert, Milehigh Butterfly, Naval Command, Paige, Pangburn, Ryabina, Slava, Take Charge Brandi, Taylor S, and Top Decile.

◗ $1 million Shadwell Turf Mile (Saturday): Kaigun, Optimitizer, Sayaad, Seek Again, Silver Max, Summer Front, Two Notch Road, and Wise Dan.

◗ $500,000 Claiborne Breeders’ Futurity (Saturday): Bold Conquest, Carpe Diem, Conquest Tsunami, Dekabrist, Firespike, Hashtag Bourbon, Hero of Humor, Keen Ice, Sharm, and W V Jetsetter.

◗ $400,000 First Lady (Saturday): Better Lucky, Centre Court, Dayatthespa, Discreet Marq, Filimbi, Kitten’s Point, Sassy Kitten, Shuruq, and Somali Lemonade.

◗ $500,000 Juddmonte Spinster (Sunday): Close Hatches, Don’t Tell Sophia, Molly Morgan, and perhaps another two or three from a nominations list of 17 fillies and mares.

The other four graded stakes on opening weekend are the Grade 3 Phoenix (Friday), Grade 2 Thoroughbred Club of America (Saturday), Grade 3 Woodford (Saturday), and Grade 3 Bourbon (Sunday).

Of those nine stakes, only the First Lady and the Woodford are not Win and You’re In events for the Breeders’ Cup at Santa Anita. An eighth Win and You’re In race, the Grade 3 Jessamine, will be run the first Wednesday of the meet, Oct. 8.

Entries for the Friday opener will be drawn Tuesday.

This will be the first Keeneland meet with a dirt track in more than eight years. Keeneland used Polytrack as its main surface from the 2006 fall meet through last spring.