[Glimmerglass]

Anyone going to Keeneland for the fall meet starting Friday?

It looks like a great - but short as always - few weeks with a lot of graded stakes races with well known runners.

The Phoenix Stakes (Grade 3) for 3-yr olds and up will have such names as: Capt. Candyman Can, Past the Point, Fatal Bullet and My Pal Charlie. Sing Baby Sing, who won the race in 2008 Phoenix at a very long 26-1, is back again and with the outside post and longshot odds again.

Tweeter, who was cannon fodder against Rachel Alexandra in the Kentucky Oaks, appears in a $52k allowance race. The Marylou Whitney Stable owned and D. Wayne Lukas trained gal will hopefully kick off the fall in style.

The Darley Alcibiades Stakes (Grade 1) for 2-yr old fillies will have the very impressive Beautician, Amen Hallelujah, Kid Kate and likely a refreshed She Be Wild ridden by Garrett Gomez, flying in from Cali.

[ghazgal]

I can't wait!! Not going on Friday ( I hope the weather is ok for you all on Friday) but I will be there Sat and Sun and as many days as I can eek out away from the farm. The fall meet at Keeneland is the only thing that makes me look forward to the end of summer.

[DLee]

Going on Friday with a friend who is a guest of Darley, should be fun! Although the weather doesn't look too promising...

[Glimmerglass]

It does look like it will be rather wet on Friday and maybe even Saturday, too, sadly.

Despite the rain it will be a party - after the twilight racing: with Swinging at Sunset

Be sure to stick around after the races when we offer the city’s best outdoor celebration, Swinging at Sunset, that will take place trackside-complete with a 17-piece jazz orchestra, swing dancing and much more. Experience a wonderful evening sunset, set against the stunning backdrop of Keeneland Race Course. Plus, we’ll be offering food and drink specials, including a specialty cocktail created just for the occasion by Grey Goose Vodka.

Saturday entries and races are excellent as well!

* Woodford S. (Grade III)
At five and one half furlongs on turf. In the event that this race is taken off the turf it will be contested at Six Furlongs on the main track

* Thoroughbred Club of America S. (Grade II)
with Informed Decision - Julien Leparoux up - trained by white-hot Jonathan Sheppard

* First Lady S. (Grade I)
At 1-mile on Turf. In the event that this race is taken off the turf it will be contested at Eight and One Half Furlongs on the main track

* Dixiana Breeders' Futurity (Grade I)
One And One Sixteenth Miles.

* Shadwell Turf Mile S. (Grade I)
One mile on turf.
This will be the return of Court Vision although you have to like Battle of Hastings and Mr. Sidney.

[Glimmerglass]

From the Daily Racing Form 10-8-09

The opening FallStars Weekend at Keeneland will hit its peak Saturday when three Grade 1 races are among the five graded stakes run during what amounts to a key preview for the Nov. 6-7 Breeders' Cup.

Entries for the Saturday races were drawn Wednesday, and the top names on the card rank among the major players in the overall Breeders' Cup outlook, including Justenuffhumor, Forever Together, and Informed Decision.

Darley has juveniles ready to run

The maroon Darley Stable silks will be prominent throughout the meet, not only atop stakes runners, but also on 2-year-olds.

"We've been up at the old Greentree property at Saratoga getting our 2-year-olds ready for this meet," said Brian Ange, assistant to California-based Eoin Harty. "We should be running quite a few, and I'm thinking we should be very competitive."

Darley, an auxiliary of sorts for the Godolphin powerhouse of Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum, will be represented Friday by Past the Point in the Phoenix Stakes, and on Saturday by Justenuffhumor in the Shadwell Mile, Hockley in the Breeders' Futurity, and Tizaqueena in the First Lady.

Chicago-based trainer Wayne Catalano, who took the recent Arlington Park trainer's title, is going to deploy 30 or so horses at this Keeneland meet vs. a typical 6 or so. The man could be loaded for bear ...

[Glimmerglass]

Rains on Friday and cold on Saturday but still had a great old time at Keeneland! That place never disappoints in being one of the easiest places to get into, around the facility, and to see all the activities in the saddling enclosure, post-parade, and some fantastic top notch racing.

I've been to plenty of tracks, but only Keeneland have I been unexpectedly found myself (in public areas - we're not talking in some owners only section) next to trainers like Michael Matz (amazingly no one seemed to recognize him), Jonathan Sheppard, a reporter like Jill Byrne and Donna Barton Brothers and TVG's Todd Schrupp and Simon Bray, or owners George Strawbridge Jr and yes even Michael Iavarone. (Yep his huge bodyguard in tow)

The FallStars weekend was such a top notch series of races it's a shame that Mother Nature didn't cooperate.

[mroades]

Who won this weekend, I was at Harrisburg and couldnt watch any

[Glimmerglass]

Graded stakes only with several horses affirming their plans to go to the Breeders' Cup off solid performances at Keeneland.

Friday (Opening Day) October 9th:
Race (Graded level): Win/Place/Show
Phoenix Stakes (G3): Fatal Bullet/Capt. Candyman Can/Ez Dreamer
Darley Alcibiades Stakes (G1): Negligee/She Be Wild/Amen Hallelujah

Saturday - October 10th - FallStars Weekend:
Race (Graded level): Win/Place/Show
Woodford Stakes (G3): Silver Timber/Mr. Nightlinger/Goldzar
Thoroughbred Club of America Stakes (G2): Informed Decision/Carlsbad/Porte Bonheur
First Lady Stakes (G1): Diamondrella (GB)/Tizaqueena/Forever Together
Dixiana Breeders' Futurity (G1): Noble's Promise/Aikenite/Roman Invasion
Shadwell Turf Mile Stakes (G1): Court Vision/Karelian/Mr. Sidney

Informed Decision with Julien up ran spectacularly! He almost had a back to back win for Sheppard/Strawbrigde (Augustin Stables) with Forever Together but she simply ran out of track to close in time. Backtalk in the Dixiana, had he won, would've won me the Pick Three but he faded and my longer shot of Aikenite just didn't get it done.

Sunday - October 11th - FallStars Weekend continued:
Race (Graded level): Win/Place/Show
Bourbon Stakes (G3): Interactif/Codoy/Family Foundation
Juddmonte Spinster Stakes (G1): Mushka/DQ-Proviso (GB)*/Teamgeist (ARG)

*Proviso, ridden by Rajiv Maragh, finished 1st but was disqualified in the victory and dropped to 2nd place following a whine by Kent D. on Mushka.

Owner Brushwood Stable purchased Mushka for $2.4 million as a 3-year-old at Keeneland’s 2008 November Breeding Stock Sale. The 4-year-old daughter of Empire Maker rewarded her owner with a $300,000 paycheck on Sunday. She now has earned $723,625.

Following the win—her sixth in 16 career starts—trainer Bill Mott indicated the Mushka will start next in the Breeders’ Cup World Championships to be run on November 6-7 during the Oak Tree meeting at Santa Anita.

By Todd Pletcher trained Interactif winning the Bourbon Stakes that gives Pletcher (who often has a poor showing in Lexington) his 3rd victory in that race in 4years.

All Keeneland races both live and replay can be viewed for free: Go here for choosing either one

Robby Albarado was impressive this weekend with his efforts. His stats for the three days: 28 starts 6-3-2. Although typical NYRA-track based and under appreciated jockey Rajiv Maragh was 15 starts 5-5-1. Unexpectedly cold this weekend was Julien Leparoux with 27 starts 3-3-5

Jonathan Sheppard, who is having the year of a lifetime in 2009, continues to do exceedingly well as a trainer. Opening weekend for being at the helm of a relatively smaller sized stable: 6-starts 2-0-2. Michael Matz for 5-starts was 1-1-1.

The aforementioned Chicago-based trainer Wayne M. Catalano is doing well too with his gang of 30 or so horses pointed to this Keeneland meet: 6 starts 1-2-1

[LaurieB]

*Proviso, ridden by Rajiv Maragh, finished 1st but was disqualified in the victory and dropped to 2nd place following a whine by Kent D. on Mushka.

It was a pretty justified "whine". Proviso certainly stopped Mushka's momentum and she was moving fast when she got hit. We went to the Juddmonte part after and they were consoling themselves with the thought that Mushka, who got put up over their filly, is by Empire Maker.

[Las Olas]

It was a pretty justified "whine". Proviso certainly stopped Mushka's momentum and she was moving fast when she got hit. We went to the Juddmonte part after and they were consoling themselves with the thought that Mushka, who got put up over their filly, is by Empire Maker.

I agree. She was improving her position after the interference, so you would assume that she would've taken the race. Of course, we sold Mushka as a yearling, so I'm a little biased.

BTW - Laurie B, sorry to see TM didn't finish any better. I was rooting for him!

[LaurieB]

BTW - Laurie B, sorry to see TM didn't finish any better. I was rooting for him!

Thanks. That was his first try on grass and first at a route distance. I'm hoping he gets a chance on dirt next.

[Glimmerglass]

It was a pretty justified "whine". Proviso certainly stopped Mushka's momentum and she was moving fast when she got hit. We went to the Juddmonte part after and they were consoling themselves with the thought that Mushka, who got put up over their filly, is by Empire Maker.

Video replay from Trakus/Keeneland - and no my comment was more about Kent Proviso momentarily shyed away from the photogs on the infield in my view and with it into the other's path. The officials made their review and she indeed failed to hold per position on the track. Still had Proviso not drifted I still think she would've crossed the line first.

[Glimmerglass]

Speaking of Kent Desormeaux I'm not sure if this is his routine sadle but my wife and I both noticed at Keeneland his was a sort of dark burgundy, quilted, Hermes-esq saddle. Has anyone seen that before?

[Glimmerglass]

I saw a lot of things on Saturday but I didn't see actress Charlize Theron there -- she was a guest of Dixiana Farm owner and film producer William Shively.

Next to jockey Willie Martinez she isn't that much taller

[Las Olas]

Willie's a friend of mine and I am so thrilled for him. Hope he gets the ride in the BC.

[Larksmom]

The inquery was up before the jocks were off their horses. EVERYONE saw it. I agree we don't know which filly would have won, but I think Desourmeux's filly WAS impeded with. Period. This is like the tiresome aguement about RA and the Bird. Shoulda coulda woulda. At least they didn't find the jockey liable. There was nothing he [Rajiv] could have done.
On a whole different front, about Forever Together, the problem with a late runner is that they need PACE, unless the name is Zenyatta!] I think she might need a bit more ground than she had, and in the last defeat, which was by a whisker, she was giving 11 pounds to the victor. Now On the days it counted, she still lost but we shall see come BC.

[Glimmerglass]

Just how cold is it there in Lexington today (Wed) for day 4 of this meet? I'm looking at TVG's anchors on site of Todd Schrupp and Christina Olivares are bundled up in coats like they were broadcasting from the White Mountains of New Hampshire! Burrrrr

[Barnfairy]

I don't know how cold it is in Lexington, but I can tell you it's effin' freezing in NH right now!

I had ice in buckets this morning.

Hey, at least it's not snowing, here or at Keeneland.

[olympicdreams04]

Galloping @ Keeneland this am made me wish, just for a moment, that i had a desk job. Heavy rain all am, temps hovers around 40 degrees and hurricane winds, especially on the main. Brrrrrrr. I'm finally headed home from the last farm to shuck out of my down jacket, two fleeces, full chaps and wet jeans for a hot shower and a couple of down hours before feed time. If any COTHers wanna catch up while in town tho, make sure to shoot me a PM and we'll meet up. My farm is only 5 min from Kee.

[Beaver Breeze]

Just how cold is it there in Lexington today (Wed) for day 4 of this meet? I'm looking at TVG's anchors on site of Todd Schrupp and Christina Olivares are bundled up in coats like they were broadcasting from the White Mountains of New Hampshire! Burrrrr

46, with a "RealFeel" of 40. It's gross. Usually it's still quite warm this time of year, and sometimes it's downright hot!