OXO Equine's $1.8-million Keeneland September yearling Vintage Print (Curlin) returns to Lexington for Sunday's GIII Kentucky Utilities Transylvania S. The Chad Brown trainee didn't show much in a pair of main-track efforts in New York last fall, but looked like a different horse when trying turf to graduate at Gulfstream Feb. 22. The son of GISW Molly Morgan (Ghostzapper) ran down speedy Mike Maker pupil Fancy Liquor (Lookin At Lucky) to clear his first-level allowance condition at Churchill June 11.
Another Transylvania pair who made up a Churchill exacta last time are Fancy Liquor's stablemate Field Pass (Lemon Drop Kid) and lightly raced Bama Breeze (Honor Code)–they exit the June 20 Audubon S. The former took the Dania Beach S. at Gulfstream Feb. 1 and the GIII Jeff Ruby Steaks over the Turfway all-weather Mar. 14. He was third from very far back in Churchill's War Front S. May 23, but set an easy pace in the Audubon.
Bama Breeze, meanwhile, belied 23-1 odds to score first out for trainer Ben Colebrook and Miacomet Farm under the Twin Spires in September. Acquired privately by Ashbrook Farm and BBN Racing and turned over to Rusty Arnold, he was ninth in the War Chant after being hampered down inside before working out a cleaner trip but being left with a bit too much to do last time.
New Jersey-bred Irish Mias (Sky Mesa) annexed last September's Laurel Futurity over a field that included Field Pass. He split Triple Crown contenders Sole Volante (Karakontie {Jpn}) and King Guillermo (Uncle Mo) in Gulfstream's Nov. 30 Pulpit S., but has been off since finishing fourth as the favorite in the GIII Kitten's Joy S. Jan. 4. Irish Mias has reportedly been gelded since his last outing.
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