Keeneland Photo
The Ireland-based trainer Aiden O’Brien, who has enjoyed remarkable success shipping his horses to win major races in North America, will send out three starters in the graded stakes races on opening weekend at Keeneland.
According to the Keeneland Barn Notes for September 28th, O’Brien’s runners arrived at Keeneland on Monday morning after a plane flight from Europe. Leading the way are the talented three-year-old fillies Easter and Outstanding, who are expected to start in the $400,000 First Lady Stakes (gr. I) on October 3rd. Easter has placed second in a pair of group III races this season, including the Denny Cordelll Lavarack & Lanwades Stud Fillies Stakes at Gowran Park on September 20th, while Outstandingly placed third in that same race and third in the Belmont Oaks Invitational (gr. I) earlier this summer.
Also shipping in for O’Brien is War Envoy, who finished twelfth in the 2014 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf (gr. I). The son of War Front has not had much success in stakes company this season, but did defeat 27 rivals in a one-mile handicap race at Royal Ascot this summer. War Envoy is expected to start in the $1,000,000 Shadwell Turf Mile (gr. I) on October 3rd.
