Keeneland: Mike Battaglia’s picks for Wednesday’s races
First post 1:05 p.m.
FIRST RACE—$50,000, maiden special weight, 2-years-old, 4 1/2 furlongs
PP | Horse | Wt. | Jockey | Odds |
2 | Spellker | 115 | A. Jimenez | 8-5 |
3 | Hey Mike | 118 | J. Castellano | 6-1 |
4 | Red Lodge | 115 | J. Garcia | 9-5 |
5 | Siegfreedroesch | 118 | J. Gilligan | 20-1 |
6 | Reverend John | 118 | C. Lanerie | 8-1 |
7 | Absolute Asset | 118 | J. Valdivia | 6-1 |
1 | a-Dahog | 118 | A. Cox | 12-1 |
8 | Troubled Charlie | 118 | C. Villasana | 20-1 |
1A | a-Yes Mon | 118 | A. Cox | 12-1 |
a-coupled | ||||
Trainers: 1 W. Ward, 2 M. Maker, 3 W. Ward, 4 J. Hancock, 5 C. Melton, 6 J. Hancock, 7 W. Rice, 8 T. Short, 9 W. Rice.
SPELKER is one of two fillies in here from the Ward barn. She just missed in her debut in a quick race and rates the edge today. Stablemate RED LODGE has been training well and posted a bullet work on Friday. HEY MIKE debuts for Mike Maker and could be tough with Castellano aboard.
SECOND RACE—$62,000, allowance, 4-years-old and up, 1 1/16 mile, post 1:39
1 | Enduring Honor | 118 | J. Lezcano | 15-1 |
2 | Astounding | 118 | F. Geroux | 4-1 |
3 | Tale of Life | 118 | D. Van Dyke | 2-1 |
4 | Lemon Drop Title | 118 | J. Castellano | 5-2 |
5 | Fair Advantage | 118 | J. Rocco | 8-1 |
6 | Eagle Scout | 123 | L. Saez | 5-2 |
Trainers: 1 C. LoPresti, 2 W. Catalano, 3 H.Motion, 4 D. Stewart, 5 G. Arnold, II, 6 T. Pletcher.
TALE OF LIFE has done most of his racing on the grass but ran well on the main track last out at Santa Anita. He has trained well here and gets the nod in a tough allowance race. LEMON DROP TITLE has run well in all of his races and can be expected to perform well again today. EAGLE SCOUT broke his maiden in his debut and is a solid threat.
THIRD RACE—$27,000, maiden claiming ($50,000), 3-years-old and up, 1 1/16 mile, 2:12
1 | Long Ago | 123 | L. Saez | 6-1 |
2 | Fried Baloney | 116 | C. Hill | 20-1 |
3 | Twenty Gauge | 123 | G. Stevens | 4-1 |
4 | Say Hey Kid | 116 | F. Geroux | 3-1 |
5 | Saint Ignatius | 116 | R. Albarado | 7-2 |
6 | Awesome Thought | 123 | C. Landeros | 12-1 |
7 | Nidge | 116 | C. Lanerie | 10-1 |
8 | Ebro River | 123 | J. Graham | 7-2 |
Trainers: 1 B. Colebrook, 2 N. Zito, 3 D. Romans, 4 B. Cox, 5 D. Stewart, 6 V. Oliver, 7 B. Walsh, 8 N. Zito.
LONG AGO showed improvement in his second career start and should move forward off that effort. He has the tactical speed to be in good position from the inside post and could spring the mild upset. TWENTY GAUGE drops back in for a tag after hooking tougher last out. He looks dangerous with Gary Stevens picking up the mount for Dale Romans. EBRO RIVER fits with these.
FOURTH RACE—$36,000, claiming ($32,000), 4-years-old and up, 1 1/16 mile, 2:45
2 | Rod McLeod | 118 | C. Lanerie | 10-1 |
3 | Winkatdawat | 118 | C. Hill | 8-1 |
4 | Lieutenant Seany O | 118 | J. Castellano | 7-2 |
5 | Behemoth | 118 | B. Hernandez | 4-1 |
5 | a-Runs With Bulls | 118 | J. Graham | 4-1 |
6 | Crooked as Can Be | 118 | Bridgmohan | 10-1 |
7 | Bluegrass Beat | 118 | F. Geroux | 9-2 |
1A | a-Sr. Quisqueyano | 118 | J. Graham | 4-1 |
8 | For Goodness Sake | 118 | L. Saez | 5-1 |
a-coupled | ||||
Trainers: 1 D. Romans, 2 I. Mason, 3 M. Maker, 4 J. Sharp, 5 T. Amoss, 6 B. Cox, 7 J.Jones, 8 T. Amoss, 9 M. Tomlinson.
BEHEMOTH is capable of coming from just off the pace in a race that has an abundance of early runners. Give him the slight edge in a well-matched claiming test. LIEUTENANT SEANY O ran poorly in his last two but is capable of better as he drops back in for a tag. RUNS WITH BULLS rates a chance.
FIFTH RACE—$62,000, allowance, 3-year-old fillies, 1 mile, 3:18
1 | She Doesn’t Mind | 118 | J. Castellano | 3-1 |
2 | Regal Roma | 118 | T. McCarthy | 12-1 |
3 | La Piba | 118 | P. Lopez | 30-1 |
4 | Scat Lady | 118 | J. Court | 30-1 |
5 | Precious Love | 118 | R. Albarado | 5-1 |
6 | Sage Hall | 118 | J. Lezcano | 3-1 |
7 | Conquest Bebop | 118 | J. Leparoux | 5-2 |
8 | First Heritage | 118 | F. Geroux | 10-1 |
9 | Ready for Chianti | 118 | B. Hernandez | 8-1 |
Trainers: 1 C. Brown, 2 A. Pecoraro, 3 I. Correas IV, 4 R. Kinmon, 5 V. Oliver, 6 W. Mott, 7 M. Casse, 8 B. Cox, 9 D. Stewart.
CONQUEST BEBOP faded after pressing a fast pace in the Florida Oaks. She seems to run her best from just off the pace and she looks like a winner with Leparoux picking up the mount for Mark Casse. PRECIOUS LOVE has been idle since a dull effort in the Jessamine but ran well prior to that one and is the one to beat. SHE DOESN'T MIND broke her maiden at first asking in France and moves to the barn of Chad Brown for her U.S. debut.
SIXTH RACE—$28,000, claiming ($40,000), 3-years-old and up, 6 1/2 furlongs
1 | Phone Dance | 122 | R. Hisby | 30-1 |
2 | Honey’s Heir | 124 | A. Cox | 30-1 |
3 | Battle Midway | 122 | J. Graham | 4-1 |
4 | Turn Back Time | 122 | J. Leparoux | 5-1 |
5 | Aurora’s Kid | 122 | W. Martinez | 9-2 |
6 | Match Up | 122 | C. Lanerie | 10-1 |
7 | Tanzen | 122 | B. Hernandez | 12-1 |
8 | Planet | 122 | F. Torres | 6-1 |
9 | Horsepower | 122 | F. Geroux | 9-2 |
10 | Bow Tie Boss | 122 | G. Stevens | 8-1 |
11 | Hush Up | 116 | C. Landeros | 10-1 |
Trainers: 1 N. Sanchez, 2 W. Rice, 3 N. Zito, 4 M. Casse, 5 J. Scott, 6 B. Walsh, 7 N. Howard, 8 J. Engler, 9 J.Jones, 10 S. Lyster, 11 I. Wilkes.
AURORA'S KID ran well in a tough allowance race here in October and has been training well at Tampa for his return. He drops in for a tag and his best would make him tough to beat in here. HORSEPOWER is a 6-year-old with just six career races but he posted a sharp work here last week and is capable of a solid performance. BATTLE MIDWAY should like the move back to the dirt and Zito's horses are running well this meet.
SEVENTH RACE—$66,000, allowance, fillies & mares 4-years-old and up, 1 1/16 mile, 3:51
1 | Tela | 118 | J. Bravo | 8-1 |
2 | Christie’s Ready | 118 | J. Graham | 8-1 |
3 | Factory of Faith | 118 | Bridgmohan | 20-1 |
4 | Discreetly Grand | 118 | M. Murrill | 20-1 |
5 | No Fault of Mine | 118 | F. Geroux | 8-1 |
6 | Catcha Rising Star | 118 | D. Van Dyke | 10-1 |
7 | Ol’ Fashion Gal | 118 | J. Leparoux | 3-1 |
8 | Mojo Risin | 118 | J. Castellano | 7-2 |
9 | Industrial Policy | 118 | L. Saez | 5-1 |
10 | Pretty Fancy | 118 | B. Hernandez | 12-1 |
11 | Stormin Elle | 118 | J. Valdivia | 12-1 |
12 | Sea Shadow | 113 | S. Saez | 8-1 |
Trainers: 1 M. Matz, 2 T. Proctor, 3 W. Bradley, 4 E. Heitzmann, 5 C. Block, 6 H.Motion, 7 M. Casse, 8 C. Brown, 9 M. Casse, 10 G. Arnold, II, 11 W. Catalano, 12 B. Colebrook.
OL' FASHION GAL is a multiple graded stakes winner who just missed in her 4-year-old debut at Gulfstream. She looks like a solid bet to regain her winning ways for Mark Casse with Leparoux aboard. MOJO RISIN is another one who makes her U.S. debut today for Chad Brown. She was well backed in a Group 1 race in France where she finished 12th but was beaten just 5 1/2 lengths. She figures to be the main competition. INDUSTRIAL POLICY also runs for Casse and can't be dismissed.
EIGHTH RACE—$19,000, claiming ($10,000), fillies & mares 4-years-old and up, 1 1/16 mile, 4:57
1 | Wild About Jack | 118 | J. Court | 20-1 |
2 | Vision of Liz | 118 | S. Doyle | 20-1 |
3 | Tellalittlesecret | 118 | J. McKee | 6-1 |
4 | Baby Wildcat | 118 | R. Albarado | 6-1 |
5 | Cahokia | 118 | J. Graham | 6-1 |
6 | Duchess Whitney | 113 | S. Saez | 15-1 |
7 | Cherokee Callie | 108 | J. Dominguez | 15-1 |
8 | Cardinal Girl | 118 | F. Torres | 4-1 |
9 | Jacksoncountyflash | 118 | C. Villasana | 6-1 |
10 | Burstall | 118 | M. Murrill | 20-1 |
11 | Fancy Hat | 118 | B. Hernandez | 7-2 |
12 | Gilley | 118 | J. Valdivia | 20-1 |
Trainers: 1 W. Stinson, 2 P. Pizzo, 3 M. Cameron, 4 J. Frost, 5 J. Jackson, 6 C. Godsey, 7 M. Ford, 8 T. Glyshaw, 9 B. Michael, 10 D. Ware, 11 T. Drury, 12 J. Hancock.
FANCY HAT takes a big class drop and her best would make her a winner at this level. CARDINAL GAL also moves down the claiming ladder. CAHOKIA has been running well at Turfway but shouldn't mind the move back to dirt.
This story was originally published April 20, 2016 at 12:55 PM with the headline "Keeneland: Mike Battaglia’s picks for Wednesday’s races."