Competitive Field Entered for QE II Challenge Cup
Alterite, a 1 1/2-length winner of the Garden City in her North American debut last month, headlines a deep field of nine sophomore fillies entered for Saturday's 30th running of the Grade 1, $400,000 Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup to be contested at 1 1/8 miles on Keeneland's turf.
Alterite, who is one of seven graded or group winners in the field, will try to give trainer Chad Brown his second consecutive victory in the race. Brown, who won with Dayatthespa in 2012, would join Woody Stephens, John Veitch and Joe Orseno as the only trainers to win the QE II in consecutive years.
John Velazquez, who was aboard Alterite for the Garden City victory, has the call Saturday.
Returning to challenge Alterite on Saturday are two fillies she left in her wake in the Garden City: third-place finisher Concise and seventh-place runner Caroline Thomas.
Concise has been knocking on the door of success in her three starts stateside, and her connections are hopeful the door will swing open on Saturday.
"She's an improving filly," said Jane Buchanan, racing manager for trainer Graham Motion's stable. "She breezed Saturday at Fair Hill (in Maryland) and shipped here after the work."
The daughter of Lemon Drop Kid broke her maiden on an all-weather surface in her second start at Kempton Park in England but has not won since. She joined the Motion barn in early summer and made her U.S. debut at Saratoga with a fast-closing second against allowance/optional claiming company.
In her U.S. stakes debut Concise finished fourth, beaten less than a length, in the Lake Placid at Saratoga. The bay miss was third, beaten just 1 1/2 lengths and a nose, in her most recent start in the Garden City.
Edgar Prado, who rode Concise for the first time in the Garden City, will have the mount Saturday.
Caroline Thomas just missed by a nose in the Lake Placid but was elevated to first place via the disqualification of the winner. Next out came the Garden City, where the Barclay Tagg-trained chestnut was forced to race five wide rounding the turn into the lane and finished seventh, fourth lengths behind the winner. The Giant's Causeway filly, who is out of 2007 QE II winner Bit of Whimsy, had Rosie Napravnik in the irons for the Lake Placid and retains that rider for Saturday.
No daughter of a QE II winner has come back to win the race. In addition to Caroline Thomas, one other filly will have the chance to do so this year. That filly is Say, a daughter of 2002 winner Riskaverse.
Say is actually wheeling back off a week break, having finished sixth in last Saturday's First Lady against older fillies and mares at Keeneland in her U.S. bow. Trained by Aidan O'Brien, the Galileo filly is following in the path of Together, the 2011 QE II winner who was second in the First Lady the week before.
A Group 3 winner in Ireland, Say will be ridden by James Graham.
Others with a chance in the QE II include Sarach, who captured the Honeymoon Handicap and finished just 1 3/4 lengths behind in fourth in the American Oaks over the summer, and stakes victress Emotional Kitten, who was third in the Del Mar Oaks and runner-up in the American Oaks in her past two.
Lake George and Regret star Kitten's Dumplings, Ontario Colleen heroine Leigh Court and Pucker Up scorer I'm Already Sexy complete the QE II field.
Bet the QE II Challenge Cup on TwinSpires and watch it live on TwinSpiresTV!
Keeneland 2013 Fall Meet Wagering
Once again, Keeneland will offer two popular wagering opportunities during the fall meet – the Friday Pick 4 takes place the first three Fridays of the meet, with a guaranteed pool of $200,000. The $250,000 All Stakes Pick 4 on Saturday, Oct. 5, challenges Players to handicap the Thoroughbred Club of America (G2), First Lady (G1), Dixiana Breeders’ Futurity (G1), and Shadwell Turf Mile (G1).
Bet 2013 Keeneland Fall horse racing online with TwinSpires.com and watch it live on TwinSpiresTV!
Handicapping Keeneland Racecourse
From maiden races to Breeders’ Cup preps, the one thing Keeneland’s menagerie of races has in common is competitiveness, and Brisnet.com has the information you need to handicap full fields on Polytrack and turf.
Keeneland opens its 17-day fall meeting on Friday, and five Grade 1 races highlight opening weekend, including Horse of the Year Wise Dan going for a second consecutive Shadwell Turf Mile score on Saturday en route to the Breeders’ Cup Mile.
As always, Brisnet.com has you covered around the clock for Keeneland information, including Bruno With The Works workout reports from the morning to help with afternoon profits and the Kentucky Handicapper’s Sheet to help you analyze each race with comments for each horse, selections, and wagering strategy.
Also available to help you prepare for the meeting is detailed Track Stats for Keeneland to tell you who wins what kinds of races with trainer/jockey, bias, and shipper stats for the Lexington ovals.
Keeneland 2013 Fall Meet Information
Dates: October 4 through October 26
Keeneland Racecourse horse racing schedule: Wednesday through Sunday
Post Times: Post time for the first race is 1:05 p.m. ET.
Keeneland Racecourse Information
Main track (Polytrack): 1 1/16-mile oval
Length of stretch from last turn to finish line: 1,174 feet
Composition: Polytrack
Turf course: 7 1/2-furlong oval
Keeneland Racecourse Information
Main track (Polytrack): 1 1/16-mile oval
Length of stretch from last turn to finish line: 1,174 feet
Composition: Polytrack
Turf course: 7 1/2-furlong oval
Keeneland Racecourse Facts
Keeneland Racetrack is home to a number of historical firsts in horse racing. In 1948, it installed an inside aluminum rail for its spring meeting, replacing the conventional wooden one. The rail, at a cost of approximately $5,000, was the first of its kind to be used at an American racetrack. In 1958, at its spring meeting, Keeneland held daily-double wagering for the first time in its history. During the fall meeting of 1961, Keeneland became the first thoroughbred track in America to use the Visumatic Timer, which posted the various fractions and final clocking on the tote board. In the spring of 1979, Keeneland became the first horse track in Kentucky - and only the fourth in the country - to use the AmTote 300 Series Totalisator System, known as ABC (All Betting and Cashing) Mutuels. This system allowed bettors to buy and cash tickets in any amount and type at any window throughout the plant.
In 1984, the first phase of a $3-million construction project began at Keeneland, and on Oct. 11, Queen Elizabeth II attended horse races at the track. At its fall meeting in 1985, Keeneland became the first organized track in Kentucky to hold grass racing and it also installed exacta wagering for the first time. In November 1997, Keeneland's Breeding Stock Sale set an industry record for gross sales with an impressive $213 million. Also during this year, former President George H.W. Bush attended the races as the guest of W.S. Farish, the owner of Lane's End Farm. Bush presented the trophy to the owners of Favorite Trick after the undefeated colt romped to victory in the Lane's End Breeders' Futurity. It marked the first time that a former president had made a trophy presentation at Keeneland.
In terms of elegance, Keeneland is one of the best in horse racing. Filled with hearty pin oaks, sycamores and maple trees, Keeneland's paddock is among the most beautiful places you will find in Kentucky. Mornings at the Lexington track are serene, a perfect match for the colt or young filly who must be schooled in the paddock. Keeneland is one of the few races tracks in America where fans are allowed to get up close and personal with the horses.
Keeneland unveiled a Polytrack surface in time for its 2006 fall race meeting, making it the third public racetrack in North America to make a transition from a traditional dirt surface to Polytrack. Turfway Park switched to Polytrack in September 2005, and Woodbine installed a Polytrack surface in August 2006.
