Wednesday’s late Pick 5 carryover is $301,896

Selective LLC’s Chop Chop hit the front at the top of the stretch and then held off a late bid from Forever After All by a nose to win the 33rd running of the $300,000 Rood & Riddle Dowager (G3) for fillies and mares Sunday afternoon.

Ridden by Luan Machado and trained by Brad Cox, Chop Chop covered the mile and a half on a firm turf course in 2:29. The victory marked the fifth stakes win this fall for Cox, the most for any trainer during a Keeneland meet. 

The previous record for stakes wins by a trainer at a Keeneland meet was four. Six trainers share that mark: D. Wayne Lukas, Mark Casse, Graham Motion, Ben Jones, Todd Pletcher and Chad Brown.

The victory is the second in two starts over the Keeneland turf for Chop Chop, who won the 1½-mile Bewitch (G3) Presented by Keeneland Sales here in April. She joins Upperline (2012) and Kitten’s Point (2015) as the only horses to win both races in the same year.

Chop Chop was comfortable to race second just behind Surprisingly, who set fractions of :24.72, :49.94, 1:15.88 and 1:40.88. Chop Chop began to inch closer on the far turn and took the lead at the quarter pole.

Chop Chop had a daylight advantage by midstretch with the only challenge emerging from Forever After All, who received a ground-saving trip from Adam Beschizza. Forever After All had clear sailing along the rail after Surprisingly left an opening at the eighth pole and just ran out of ground.

Chop Chop is a 4-year-old Kentucky-bred daughter of City of Light out of the Giant’s Causeway mare Grand Sofia. The victory was worth $172,050 and increased Chop Chop’s earnings to $1,239,952 to with a record of 20-6-7-3.

Chop Chop returned $9.62, $5.10 and $3.72. Forever After All returned $12.88 and $7.56 and finished 2½ lengths in front of Anatolian, who paid $10.56 to show under Ricardo Santana Jr.

It was another half-length back to Mrs. Astor with favored Neecie Marie, Cozee Rags, Duvet Day (IRE), Atomic Blonde (GER), Surprisingly, Let’sbefrankbaby (AUS) and Heart Spin following in order.

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Sunday was the popular Heroes Day at Keeneland, which honored members of the military, first responders, health care workers and their families. Click here for a video of the American flag rollout on the main track by the Henry Clay High School Junior ROTC, which preceded Keeneland Bugler Steve Buttleman playing “America the Beautiful” and “God Bless America.” Tenor soloist, conductor and professor of voice Dr. Everett McCorvey then led the crowd in singing “God Bless America.”

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Racing at Keeneland resumes Wednesday for the final four days of the Fall Meet with an eight-race program that begins at 1 p.m. ET.

That day, Keeneland will offer a late Pick 5 carryover of $301,896.