By Joe Bianca
While there is only one Grade I winner among the dozen horses set to do battle in Friday's GI Maker's 46 Mile at Keeneland, that doesn't mean the field lacks for quality, and it certainly doesn't lack for intrigue. Even the longshots in the field aren't without a realistic win prospect, setting the stage for a fascinating and unpredictable feature.
What a View (Vronsky) is that lone top-level winner, having captured the GI Frank E. Kilroe Mile last March at Santa Anita. The 6-year-old gelding, off the board in his final three starts of 2016, has rebounded with a trio of runner-up finishes so far this year, and he missed repeating in the Kilroe by just a head Mar. 11.
The dark bay does his best running on the lead, however, where he may have to deal with Terry Hamilton's millionaire Heart to Heart (English Channel). Trained by Brian Lynch, the Ontario-bred speedball was last seen annexing his eighth career graded stake in the GIII Canadian Turf S. Mar. 4 at Gulfstream.
An enervating pace would play into the hands of many, including Jump Sucker Stable's Blacktype (Fr) (Dunkerque {Fr}). Competing mostly in allowance company for almost two years after coming to America in 2014, the Christophe Clement trainee turned a corner last summer and fall, earning back-to-back graded victories in the GIII Oceanport S. and GII Commonwealth Turf Cup S. He makes his 2017 debut here after closing out his 5-year-old campaign with five consecutive triple-digit Beyer Speed Figures.
Golden Pegasus racing and Earle I. Mack's Bolo (Temple City) looks for a signature win in his third start since being shelved for nearly seven months followed a ninth-place finish in the GII Eddie Read S. July 17. The imposing dark bay traded decisions with What a View this winter, out-nodding that one in the GII Arcadia S. Feb. 11 before running third in the Kilroe.
Stuart S. Janney III and Phipps Stable's Inspector Lynley (Lemon Drop Kid) will look to build on a career-best effort in winning the GIII Tampa Bay S. Feb. 11. The homebred, who also took the GIII Saranac S. last summer, has drilled three consecutive bullets for trainer Shug McGaughey, capped off by a half-mile turf spin at Payson Park in :47 1/5 (1/18) Apr. 8.
A pair of lightly-raced longshots merit consideration. Ian Wilkes will lead over Whitham Thoroughbreds' Bondurant (War Front), an up-and-coming 4-year-old who ran a strong second at 12-1 behind Heart to Heart in the Canadian Turf last out. Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott, meanwhile, starts Donegal Racing's Ballagh Rocks (Stormy Atlantic), who comes in off of three consecutive wins against lesser after adding blinkers Nov. 6 at Churchill.
Richard C. Pell's Calculator (In Summation) will continue trainer Peter Miller's experiment to reinvent him as a turf horse. The gray, a graded stakes winner and multiple Grade I placed on dirt, scored narrowly in a downhill allowance/optional claimer off of a seven-plus month layoff Mar. 2 at Santa Anita.
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