Buy TicketsCan Group Wins Castle & Key Bourbon; Committee of One Takes Indian Summer Presented by Keeneland Select
LEXINGTON, KY. (Oct. 8, 2023) – Juddmonte’s homebred Idiomatic grabbed the lead at the start and never was threatened in posting a 4¼-length victory in the 68th running of the $600,000 Juddmonte Spinster (G1) for fillies and mares on Fall Stars Sunday at Keeneland.
Trained by Brad Cox and ridden by Florent Geroux, Idiomatic covered the 1 1/8 miles over the fast main track in 1:49.82. It is the second win in the race for Geroux, who piloted I’m a Chatterbox to victory in the 2016 running.
Juddmonte, which has sponsored the Spinster since 2005, earned its second victory in the prestigious race, having won previously with Emollient in 2013.
The victory provided Idiomatic with a fees-paid berth into the $2 million Breeders’ Cup Distaff (G1) to be run at Santa Anita on Nov. 4.
Also earning a Breeders’ Cup berth Sunday afternoon was D. J. Stable and Cash Is King’s Can Group, who won the 33rd running of the $350,000 Castle & Key Bourbon (G2) for 2-year-olds to gain a spot in the starting gate for the $1 million Prevagen Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf (G1) to be run Nov. 3.
Earlier on Sunday’s program, Kirk and Judy Robison’s Committee of One took the sixth running of the $250,000 Indian Summer (L) Presented by Keeneland Select for 2-year-olds.
In the Juddmonte Spinster, Geroux put Idiomatic on the lead right out of the gate, and she quickly opened a daylight margin on the field of six while producing comfortable fractions of :24.49, :48.31 and 1:12.24.
On the final turn, Bellamore attempted to close the gap only to have Idiomatic hit another gear and spurt away to cruise to victory without a challenger to the finish.
A winner of seven of her past eight races and three in a row, Idiomatic is a 4-year-old homebred daughter of Curlin out of the First Defence mare Lockdown. Sunday’s victory was worth $367,350 and increased her earnings to $1,416,840.
Idiomatic returned $4.12, $2.62 and $4.42. Le Da Vida (CHI) rallied from last to get second under Vincent Cheminaud and returned $8.04 and $8.70. She finished 2½ length in front of Bellamore, who paid $14.44 to show under Martin Garcia.
It was another 4½ lengths back to favored Nest with Sixtythreecaliber and Malloy following next in order.
Can Group springs 27-1 shocker in Castle & Key Bourbon
In the Castle & Key Bourbon, 27-1 longshot Can Group was last in the field of 12 going into the final turn of the mile and a sixteenth race but weaved his way through horses on the turn and in the stretch to nail Noted on the wire for a nose victory.
Can Group is trained by Mark Casse and was ridden by Francisco Arrieta, who not only picked up his first Keeneland stakes victory but his first Grade 2 victory. It is the fifth win in the race for Casse, who previously won with Airoforce (2015), Keep Quiet (FR) (2016), Flameaway (2017) and Peace Achieved (2019).
Fortune Seller led the field early while being tracked by Double Your Money with Noted and favored First World War heading up the second flight. The top two positions did not change going into the far turn, but things changed quickly in the upper stretch when the pack closed in.
Vote No emerged with the lead passing the eighth pole, while behind him Noted was being shuffled back and Can Group began his clear run between horses. Noted found racing room about 50 yards from the wire to hit the front only to be caught in the final jump by Can Group.
Can Group is a Kentucky-bred son of Good Samaritan out of the Street Sense mare Blue Gallina. Sunday’s victory was worth $198,013 and increased Can Group’s earnings to $307,013 with a record of 4-2-0-2.
Can Group returned $56.34, $21.32 and $13. Noted, ridden by Irad Ortiz Jr., returned $5.34 and $4.28 and finished a length in front of Vote No, who paid $9.88 to show under Gerardo Corrales.
It was another half-length back to First World War, who was followed in order by Tok Tok, Depiction, Palm Tree, Double Your Money, Coin Miner, Gorilla Trek, Fortune Seller and Nomos.
Committee of One wins Indian Summer Presented by Keeneland Select
by a nose over Amidst Waves
In the Indian Summer Presented by Keeneland Select, Committee of One earned his first career victory in dramatic fashion by outdueling the favorite, the filly Amidst Waves, by a nose.
Trained by Steve Asmussen and ridden by Cristian Torres, Committee of One completed the 5½ furlongs on a firm turf course in 1:02.40. The victory was the first at Keeneland for Torres and the second in the Indian Summer for Asmussen, who won last year with Private Creed.
Riparound shot out to a quick lead in the field of 10 with a first quarter-mile in :21.40 as Committee of One and Amidst Waves raced near the back of the pack. Riparound maintained her advantage until midstretch, when the pack closed in with Committee of One getting a clear run on the outside while Amidst Waves had to weave through traffic.
A Keeneland sales graduate, Committee of One is a Kentucky-bred son of Mendelssohn out of the Smart Strike mare Sweetest Sounds. The victory was worth $145,313 and increased Committee of One’s earnings to $190,713 with a record of 3-1-2-0.
Committee of One returned $17.34, $6.22 and $4.42. Amidst Waves, ridden by John Velazquez, returned $3.76 and $2.96 and finished a neck in front of Shards, who paid $4.70 to show under Adam Beschizza.
It was another 4 lengths back to Cowes, who was followed in order by Fairhopecurly, Bledsoe, Sponge Bath, Riparound, Pinotslilgirl and Candymaker.