Buy TicketsGina Romantica and Locked Notch Grade 1 Victories;
Yuugiri and Arzak Capture Grade 2s
Repole Stable and St. Elias Stable’s Up to the Mark edged Godolphin’s Master of The Seas (IRE) by the narrowest of noses to win the 38th running of the $1 million Coolmore Turf Mile (G1) on opening Saturday of Keeneland’s Fall Meet.
The victory provided Up to the Mark with a fees-paid berth into the $2 million FanDuel Breeders’ Cup Mile (G1) to be run Nov. 4 at Santa Anita.
Also earning Breeders’ Cup berths Saturday were Locked in the $600,000 Claiborne Breeders’ Futurity (G1) and Yuugiri in the $350,000 Thoroughbred Club of America (G2).
Other stakes winners Saturday afternoon were Gina Romantica in the $750,000 First Lady (G1) Presented by UK HealthCare and Arzak in the $350,000 Woodford (G2) Presented by FanDuel.
In the Coolmore Turf Mile, Up to the Mark and favored Master of The Seas hooked up in deep stretch after coming from the back of the pack to be separated by a nose at the finish.
Trained by Todd Pletcher and ridden by Jose Ortiz, Up to the Mark completed the mile over a firm turf course in 1:34.18. It is the third victory in the race for Pletcher, who has 70 career stakes wins at Keeneland. His other Turf Mile winners are Host (CHI) in 2005 and Annapolis in 2022.
Indestructible (IRE) led the field through fractions of :23.75 and :47.31 as Master of The Seas and Up to the Mark raced in a joint seventh place. As the field approached the final turn, James Doyle got first run with Master of The Seas and at the head of the lane swung three wide to go after Annapolis, who had assumed the lead.
Master of The Seas opened a clear advantage nearing the sixteenth pole, but Ortiz had Up to the Mark in the four path and closing rapidly to join the leader inside the sixteenth pole. He outdueled that rival to the finish.
A Keeneland sales graduate, Up to the Mark is a 4-year-old Kentucky-bred son of Not This Time out of the Ghostzapper mare Belle’s Finale. In winning his third consecutive Grade 1 event, Up to the Mark improved his record to 11-6-0-2 and boosted his earnings to $1,831,050 with Saturday’s $589,000 check.
Up to the Mark returned $6.58, $3.20 and $2.72. Master of The Seas returned $2.92 and $2.34 and finished 3 lengths in front of Set Piece (GB), who paid $3.68 to show under Tyler Gaffalione.
It was another half-length back to Annapolis, who was followed in order by English Bee, Harlan Estate, Stitched, Atone and Indestructible.
Gina Romantica upsets stablemate In Italian (GB) to win First Lady Presented by UK HealthCare
It was a Peter Brant-Chad Brown exacta in the 26th running of the First Lady (G1) Presented by UK HealthCare as Gina Romantica collared defending champion and stablemate In Italian (GB) in deep stretch to win by a head.
Ridden by Tyler Gaffalione, Gina Romantica completed the mile over a firm turf course in 1:33.70.
This is the sixth consecutive year Brown has saddled the First Lady winner. He has won the race seven times overall. This is the third consecutive First Lady victory for Brant, who now has won eight graded stakes here to earn a Keeneland Tray as part of the track’s signature Milestone Trophy Program.
In Italian, with Joel Rosario aboard, dictated the pace in the field of eight with unopposed fractions of :23.40, :46.80 and 1:10.12. In Italian brought a clear advantage into the stretch with Gina Romantica emerging as the only threat. Gina Romantica swept by passing the sixteenth pole to secure a second Grade 1 victory here to go with her win in last year’s Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup Presented by Dixiana.
A Keeneland sales graduate, Gina Romantica is a 4-year-old Kentucky-bred daughter of Into Mischief out of the Unbridled’s Song mare Special Me. The victory was worth $447,563 and increased her earnings to $1,108,603 with a record of 10-5-2-0.
Dismissed at 11-1 odds, Gina Romantica returned $25.02, $6.26 and $4.30. In Italian, the 2-5 favorite, paid $2.42 and $2.10 and finished 3½ lengths in front of Evvie Jets, who returned $5.58 to show under Jose Ortiz.
It was another half-length back to Whitebeam (GB) in fourth with Gam’s Mission, Jumbly (GB), New Year’s Eve and Thisnameisokay following in order.
Locked overcomes wide trip to win Claiborne Breeders’ Futurity
Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners and Walmac Farm’s Locked overcame a wide trip and then put away a stubborn The Wine Steward to post a half-length victory in the 110th running of the Claiborne Breeders’ Futurity (G1) for 2-year-olds.
Trained by Todd Pletcher and ridden by Jose Ortiz, Locked completed the 1 1/16 miles over a fast main track in 1:45.06. It is the fourth victory in the race for Pletcher and the second time he has won the race in consecutive years having done it with Forte last year and We Miss Artie and Carpe Diem in 2013 and 2014, respectively. Ortiz won the race in 2019 on Maxfield.
The victory also gave Pletcher a sweep of Keeneland’s premier fall 2-year-old events as Candied won Friday’s Darley Alcibiades (G1) for Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners. Other trainers to win those races in the same year are Carl Nafzger (1986), D. Wayne Lukas (1995) and Pat Byrne (1997).
With the victory, Locked earned a spot in the starting gate for the $2 million FanDuel Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (G1) to be run Nov. 3 at Santa Anita.
Breaking from the outside post 9, Locked was five wide going into the first turn and settled in midpack as Baytown Chatterbox and Just Steel led the field through fractions of :24.47 and :48.23. Ortiz kept Locked in the clear and on the final turn made a sweeping move at the leaders that propelled him on even terms with The Wine Steward at the top of the stretch.
Locked opened a narrow advantage in the upper stretch with The Wine Steward gaining a narrow advantage back in deep stretch only to have Locked go by in the final yards.
A Keeneland sales graduate, Locked is a Kentucky-bred son of Gun Runner out of the Malibu Moon mare Luna Rosa. With a record of 3-2-0-1, Locked has earned $428,400, of which $358,050 came Saturday.
Locked returned $3.52, $2.52 and $2.54. The Wine Steward, with Luis Saez aboard, returned $3.46 and $3.18 and finished 3¾ lengths in front of Generous Tipper, who paid $4.70 to show under Brian Hernandez Jr.
It was another neck back to Northern Flame in fourth with West Saratoga, Just Steel, Awesome Road and Baytown Chatterbox following in order.
Yuugiri edges Wicked Halo by a nose to win Thoroughbred Club of America
In the 43rd running of the Thoroughbred Club of America, Yuugiri and Wicked Halo hooked up at the top of stretch and dueled through the lane with Yuugiri getting her nose in front at the finish.
Owned by Mr. and Mrs. Tsunebumi Yoshihara, trained by Rodolphe Brisset and ridden by Flavien Prat, Yuugiri completed the 6 furlongs over a fast main track in 1:10.44. The win gave Brisset his first Keeneland stakes victory, and Yuugiri earned a spot in the starting gate for the $1 million PNC Bank Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint (G1) to be run Nov. 4 at Santa Anita.
Yuugiri and Happy Soul dueled through early fractions of :22.12 and :45.48 with Wicked Halo and Tyler Gaffalione lurking just behind. On the turn, Gaffalione sent Wicked Halo after the leaders and the race was on.
Wicked Halo claimed a narrow advantage in the upper stretch only to have Yuugiri fight back on the inside through the lane and prevail at the finish.
Yuugiri is a 4-year-old Kentucky-bred daughter of Shackleford out of the Medaglia d’Oro mare Yuzuru. Today’s win marks the second graded stakes victory for Yuugiri, who improved her record to 14-7-2-1 and increased her earnings to $1,190,585 with Saturday’s $212,660 check.
Yuugiri returned $5.76, $3.18 and $2.60. Wicked Halo, sent off as the slight favorite, returned $2.88 and $2.36 and finished 5 lengths in front of Last Leaf, who paid $3.80 to show under Luis Saez.
It was another length back to Fire On Time, who was followed in order by Happy Soul, Static Fire and Be Like Water.
Arzak scores 11-1 upset in Woodford Presented by Fan Duel
In the 27th running of the Woodford Presented by FanDuel, Sonata Stable’s Arzak rallied from off a rapid pace to post a 2-length victory over Our Shot.
Trained by Mike Trombetta and ridden by Joel Rosario, Arzak completed the 5½ furlongs over a firm turf course in 1:01.65. It is the second victory in the race for Rosario, who won in 2019 aboard Stubbins.
Favored Live In The Dream (IRE) shot to the front and produced fractions of :20.97 and :43.67 under Sean Kirrane until midstretch when Arzak thundered past and quickly opened up to post his seventh career victory.
A Keeneland sales graduate, Arzak is a 5-year-old Kentucky-bred son of Not This Time out of the Tapit mare Delightful Melody. It is the second graded stakes victory for Arzak, who has a record of 23-7-3-1 and a bankroll of $606,006 that includes Saturday’s $201,810 check.
Arzak returned $25.66, $11.42 and $7.40. Our Shot, ridden by Tyler Gaffalione, returned $5.82 and $4.56 and finished a nose in front of Beer Can Man, who paid $4.66 to show with Flavien Prat aboard.
It was another 1¼ lengths back to Live In The Dream with Bad Beat Brian, Let My People Go, Olympic Runner, Coppola, Kaufymaker, Kavod, Eye Witness and Foxtrotanna following in order.