Future Prospect and General Quarters, 1-2 finishers in the WinStar Kentucky Cup (G2) at Turfway Park on September 24, will likely meet again in the 53rd running of the $150,000 Fayette (G2), a 1 1/8-mile race for three-year-olds and up on closing day at Keeneland.
Those two horses, as well as Workin for Hops, fourth in the Kentucky Cup, are among 30 nominations to the Fayette.
Future
Prospect, owned and trained by Dodson Skaggs, is seeking his fifth
consecutive victory, having notched a win at Churchill Downs and two at
Presque Isle Downs prior to the Kentucky Cup. The 7-year-old Freud
gelding has 14 wins in 29 career starts, for earnings of $475,263.
General
Quarters, who finished three-quarters of a length behind Future
Prospect, is a Grade 1 winner of the Toyota Blue Grass and Woodford
Reserve Turf Classic who has earned more than $1.2 million. The
5-year-old son of Sky Mesa is owned and trained by Thomas McCarthy.
Workin
for Hops, trained by Mike Stidham, has finished in the money in 12 of
his 18 career starts and has wins in the 2010 American Derby (G2) and
2011 Hanshin Cup (G3), both at Arlington Park. On Sunday, Workin for
Hops breezed five furlongs in :59 at Keeneland.
Owner Morton Fink and trainer Charlie Lopresti will try to defend their title in the Fayette with multiple graded stakes winner Wise Dan,
a half-brother to last year’s winner, Successful Dan. A winner in 6 of
his 12 career starts, Wise Dan captured the Firecracker (G2) and Presque
Isle Mile prior to running fourth in the Shadwell Turf Mile (G1) on
opening weekend at Keeneland.
Among others considered likely for the Fayette are Eighttofasttocatch, winner of three stakes this year at Laurel, including the $150,000 Maryland Million Classic on October 1; Decisive Moment, winner of the 2011 Jean Lafitte at Delta Downs and El Kaiser at Calder; Mission Impazible, winner of the New Orleans (G2) at Fair Grounds in March; millionaire and multiple Grade 2 winner Anak Nakal; and Ioya Bigtime, a winner at Keeneland on October 8.
Ioya
Bigtime, Workin for Hops and Anak Nakal each worked five furlongs at
Keeneland on Sunday. Ioya Bigtime went in :58.80, the fastest at that
distance; Workin for Hops was timed in :59, while Anak Nakal breezed in
1:00.60.
Mission Impazible worked four furlongs in :48.20 at Churchill on Sunday.
Entries for the Fayette will be taken Wednesday.