Buy TicketsWith a week to go until the opening of Keeneland’s 17-day Fall Meet, fields are beginning to take shape for the Oct. 6-8 Fall Stars Weekend, which will offer 11 stakes worth $5.55 million.
Eight races are Breeders’ Cup Challenge tests (*) that award the winners fees-paid berths into corresponding races at the 40thWorld Championships, which will be held Nov. 3-4 at Santa Anita.
According to Keeneland Stakes Coordinator Allison De Luca, here are the prospective fields for the stakes:
Friday, Oct. 6. Entries taken Monday, Oct. 2
*$600,000 Darley Alcibiades (G1), 2-year-old fillies, 1 1/16 miles: Brightwork (trainer John Ortiz), Candied (Todd Pletcher), Crazy Cami (Mike Maker), Our Keepsake (D. Wayne Lukas), Shimmering Allure (Kenny McPeek), V V’s Dream (McPeek), Wine On Tap (Todd Pletcher).
*$350,000 Stoll Keenon Ogden Phoenix (G2), 3-year-olds and up, 6 furlongs: Baytown Bear (Paul McEntee), Doctor Oscar (Tim Padilla), Hoist the Gold (Dallas Stewart), Manny Wah (Wayne Catalano), Nakatomi (Wesley Ward), Sibelius (Jeremiah O’Dwyer). Possible: Bango (Greg Foley).
*$350,000 Jessamine (G2) Presented by Keeneland November, 2-year-old fillies, 1 1/16 miles (turf): Abeyance (Eoin Harty), Bella Haze (Carlos Santamaria), Crown Imperial (Ortiz), Smooth Waves (Maker), Time to Dazzle (Mark Casse).
Saturday, Oct. 7. Entries taken Monday, Oct. 2
*$1 Million Coolmore Turf Mile (G1), 3-year-olds and up, 1 mile (turf): Annapolis (Pletcher), Atone (Maker), English Bee (Graham Motion), Master of The Seas (IRE) (Charlie Appleby), Up to the Mark (Pletcher). Possibles: Carl Spackler (IRE) (Chad Brown), Gear Jockey (Rusty Arnold), Stitched (Foley).
*$600,000 Claiborne Breeders’ Futurity (G1), 2-year-olds, 1 1/16 miles: Awesome Road (Brad Cox), Django (McPeek), Just Steel (Lukas), Locked (Pletcher), Northern Flame (McPeek), The Wine Steward (Maker), West Saratoga (Larry Demeritte).
$750,000 First Lady (G1) Presented by UK HealthCare, 3-year-olds and up, fillies and mares, 1 mile (turf): Evvie Jets (Mertkan Kantarmaci), Gam’s Mission (Cherie DeVaux), In Italian (GB) (Brown), Jumbly (GB) (Joseph O’Brien), New Year’s Eve (Brendan Walsh), Whitebeam (GB) (Brown).
*$350,000 Thoroughbred Club of America (G2), 3-year-olds and up, fillies and mares, 6 furlongs: Last Leaf (Eddie Kenneally), Sharp Hero (Bradley Ross), Wicked Halo (Steve Asmussen). Possibles: Static Fire (Brian Lynch), Yuugiri (Rodolphe Brisset).
$350,000 Woodford (G2) Presented by FanDuel, 3-year-olds and up, 5½ furlongs (turf): Arzak (Mike Trombetta), Eye Witness (Ward), Kaufymaker (Ward), Live In The Dream (IRE) (Adam West), Our Shot (John Terranova II). Possible: Gear Jockey (Arnold).
Sunday, Oct. 8. Entries taken Tuesday, Oct. 3
*$600,000 Juddmonte Spinster (G1), 3-year-olds and up, fillies and mares, 1 1/8 miles: Bellamore (Santamaria), Malloy (Catalano), Misty Veil (Maker), Nest (Pletcher), Secret Oath (Lukas). Possibles: Hidden Connection (Bret Calhoun), Le Da Vida (CHI) (Ignacio Correas IV).
*$350,000 Castle & Key Bourbon (G2), 2-year-olds, 1 1/16 miles (turf): Coin Miner (Keith Desormeaux), Nomos (Pletcher).
$250,000 Indian Summer (L) Presented by Keeneland Select, 2-year-olds, 5½ furlongs (turf): Bledsoe (Ward).