Breeders’ Cup Photo ©
With the Keeneland Spring Meet officially underway and a fantastic Saturday of racing scheduled for April 8th, the fields are already taking shape for Keeneland’s upcoming stakes races on April 13th, 14th, and 15th.
One of the most anticipated races will be the $350,000 Coolmore Jenny Wiley Stakes (gr. I) at 8.5 furlongs on turf. Eight fillies and mares are currently listed as probable starters by Keeneland, including the Belmont Oaks (gr. I) winner Lady Eli and Catch a Glimpse.
The $125,000 Appalachian Stakes (gr. III) for three-year-old fillies is also expected to draw a strong field. New Money Honey, winner of the 2016 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (gr. I), is expected to make her seasonal debut while facing fellow stakes winners Coasted, Dream Dancing, Journey Home, and Lull. Proctor’s Ledge, who has won two straight races at Gulfstream Park, is another expected starter.
Lady Aurelia, Europe’s champion two-year-old filly, is expected to use the April 15th Giant’s Causeway Stakes as a prep for a return trip to Royal Ascot in England, where she won the Group 2 Queen Mary Stakes last summer.
For the Stonestreet Lexington Stakes (gr. III), which offers 17 Kentucky Derby qualification points to the top four finishers, only four horses are currently known to be under consideration. They include the recent Fair Grounds maiden winner Resiliency and the 2016 Remsen Stakes (gr. II) runner-up No Dozing.
Here are the lists of stakes probables as of April 7th:
$125,000 APPALACHIAN (G3) PRESENTED BY JAPAN RACING ASSOCIATION (Entries taken Sunday, April 9; race Thursday, April 13)
Coasted (trainer Leah Gyarmati)
Dream Dancing (Mark Casse)
Journey Home (Graham Motion)
Lull (Christophe Clement)
Morticia (Rusty Arnold)
New Money Honey (Chad Brown)
Proctor’s Ledge (Brendan Walsh)
Purely a Dream (Kenny McPeek)
Viva Vegas (Derek Ryan)
$300,000 MAKER’S 46 MILE (G1) (Entries taken Tuesday, April 11; race Friday April 14)
American Patriot (Todd Pletcher)
Bal a Bali (BRZ) (Richard Mandella)
Blacktype (FR) (Christophe Clement)
Bondurant (Ian Wilkes)
Heart to Heart (Brian Lynch)
Inspector Lynley (Shug McGaughey)
What a View (Kenny Black)
Possible: Bolo (Carla Gaines)
$350,000 COOLMORE JENNY WILEY (G1) (Entries taken Wednesday, April 12; race Saturday, April 15)
Catch a Glimpse (Mark Casse)
Dickinson (Kiaran McLaughlin)
Goodyearforroses (IRE) (Richard Baltas)
Illuminant (Michael McCarthy)
Kitten’s Roar (Mike Maker)
Lady Eli (Chad Brown)
Quidura (GB) (Graham Motion)
Time and Motion (James Toner)
$200,000 STONESTREET LEXINGTON (G3) (Entries taken Wednesday, April 12; race Saturday, April 15)
Convict Pike (Rusty Arnold)
Resiliency (Steve Asmussen)
Time to Travel (Michael Matz)
Possible: No Dozing (Arnaud Delacour)
$200,000 BEN ALI (G3) (Entries taken Wednesday, April 12; race Saturday, April 15)
Bird Song (Ian Wilkes)
Scuba (Brendan Walsh)
Watershed (Kiaran McLaughlin)
Possible: Matt King Coal (Linda Rice)
$100,000 GIANT’S CAUSEWAY (Entries taken Wednesday, April 12, race Saturday, April 15)
Bibby (Vicky Oliver)
Exaggerated (Arnold Delacour)
Her Love for Pappy (John Ortiz)
Lady Aurelia (Wesley Ward)
Lajatico (GB) (Doug O’Neill)
Miss Katie Mae (IRE) (Graham Motion)
Nobody’s Fault (Neil Pessin)
Pretty Perfection (Kelly Breen)
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