Calder-based
stakes runner will be in action in three Graded stakes on the spectacular first
weekend of the Keeneland fall meet beginning Friday, two for trainer Bill
Kaplan and another for trainer Milt Wolfson; and all three to be ridden by
jockey Juan Leyva, who has had a career season here, finishing a strong third
in the standings for the Calder meet and riding several high-profile stakes
horses.
Leyva’s
mount on the Friday opening day card will be Stride Rite Stable’s 2-year-old
Kentucky homebred filly Frolic’s Revenge in the $400,000 Alcibiades Stakes
(G1), a ‘Win and You’re In’ event guaranteeing a berth in the $2 million
Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1) to be run on Fri., Nov. 4 at Churchill
Downs.
Frolic’s
Revenge is a daughter of Vindication out of multiple stakes winner Stormy
Frolic and has made all of her five starts at Calder, winning the $75,000
Lindsay Frolic Stakes by nearly five lengths in late August and finishing
second last out as the favorite in the $100,000 Brave Raj Stakes on Sept. 17
behind wire-to-wire winner Conway Two Step.
“She
left here this morning,” said Wolfson Monday afternoon. “After she finished
second (Brave Raj) I considered not going, but the other filly Conway Two Step
was loose on the lead, but our filly actually ran a good race under the
circumstances and deserves the chance. Of course we’ll have to see if she
handles the synthetic (Polytrack).”
Kaplan
co-owns 4-year-old filly Musical Romance with Pinnacle Racing Stable as she
emerged as a top-class stakes sprinter here this summer, winning three stakes
and finishing a game second by a neck behind Sassy Image in the $350,000
Princess Rooney Handicap (G1) on Summit of Speed day, July 9.
A
Florida-bred daughter of Concorde’s Tune, Musical Romance has since shipped to
Pennsylvania where she won a hard-fought neck decision in the $400,000 Presque
Isle Masters (G2) on Sept. 10 with Leyva aboard and then shipped to Churchill
Downs where she breezed five furlongs last week.
Musical
Romance will run in Saturday’s $200,000 Thoroughbred Club of America Stakes
(G2), a ‘Win and You’re In’ test for the $1 million Breeders’ Cup Filly and
Mare Sprint (G1), also to be run on Fri., Nov. 4, although Kaplan pointed out
that she is not Breeders’ Cup eligible as yet and would need to be supplemented
at a cost of $100,000.
Kaplan
also has 4-year-old filly Tesoro de Amor at Churchill for longtime clients
Teresa and David Palmer and plans to run the homebred daughter of Medaglia d’Oro
in the $500,000 Juddmonte Spinster Stakes (G1) on Sunday, a ‘Win and You’re’
event for the $2 million Breeders’ Cup Ladies’ Classic (G1), also to be run
Fri., Nov. 4.
Tesoro
de Amor placed in several Calder stakes this summer, finishing a strong third
in the $75,000 Nancy’s Glitter Handcap here on July 23, beaten a length by
local division leader Sweet Repent. In one start since, Tesoro de Amor had an
unfortunate trip to Monmouth Park where she finished fifth in the $250,000
Molly Pitcher Handicap (G2) on Sept. 3 after stumbling at the start.
Tesoro
de Amor breezed five furlongs in 1:01 2/4 Monday morning and both she and
Musical Romance were due to van to Keeneland on Tuesday to complete
preparations for their weekend engagements.
Sweet and Vicious No Longshot in Friday Feature
Korina
Stable’s 2-year-old filly Sweet and Vicious was sent off 40-to-1 when she
finished second by a half-length in the $74,000 Catcharisingstar Stakes last
out going five furlongs on turf on Aug. 27 at Calder Casino & Race Course
for trainer Manny Azpurua, but will be a lot shorter price over the same course
and distance in Friday’s ‘a other than’ allowance feature.
A
$35,000 OBS August yearling purchase by Drewman, Sweet and Vicious was making
her turf course debut in the Catcharisingstar after winning one of six starts
on the main track, but had shown little when seventh of eight behind division
leaders Queen Drama and Redbud Road in the $125,000 Susan’s Girl Division of
the Florida Stallion Stakes in her previous start. Jockey Jose Alvarez gets the
call Friday.
Sweet
and Vicious faces seven rivals with Bathen Thoroughbreds’ All American Star
possibly the biggest threat with Daniel Centeno to ride for trainer David
Fawkes. The Florida homebred daughter of Quiet American will bid to bounce back
from a ninth-place finish last out going one mile and 70 yards in the $90,000
Brave Raj Stakes on Sept. 17, a race won by Fawkes-trained filly Conway Two
Step.