Keeneland

Saturday Winners Brunacini And Emery Exit In Good Order, Future Plans Pending

34-year-old trainer Matt Sims, who recorded his first stakes win Saturday with 28-1 longshot Brunacini (Dortmund) in the GIII Perryville Stakes at Keeneland, is already looking for a second with his upset runner before the winter season. "He looks good this morning, and he wasn't tired after the race," said Sims, who will split the winter between racing at Turfway Park and Oaklawn Park. "[We're] looking at the Cherokee Mile at Churchill Downs Dec. 1." Meanwhile, Perryville favorite Book'em Danno (Bucchero) had to settle for second Saturday after a tricky...

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Brunacini Springs the Upset in Perryville

From high to low and then back to a high, Luan Machado and Brunacini (Dortmund) sprung a 28-1 shocker over Book'em Danno (Bucchero) Saturday afternoon at Keeneland in the GIII Perryville Stakes. Brunacini came into the race as an also-eligible with two starts to his name. The chestnut son of Dortmund was a first-out winner July 28 at Ellis Park, but faded to fifth late in the lane Sept. 19 at Churchill Downs when attempting to take a first-level allowance field gate-to-wire. The Matthew Sims-trainee was also making his stakes...

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Breeders' Cup Hopefuls On Track Saturday at Keeneland

Multiple Grade I-placed 'TDN Rising Star' Ferocious (Flatter) was out on track at 7:30 a.m. at Keeneland following the first harrow period and had Javier Castellano in the irons for the morning session as he continued preps for his scheduled start in the GI FanDuel Breeders' Cup Juvenile. Castellano had spent nearly two months on the sidelines with a fractured hand, but made a trip from New York to Lexington specifically for the half-mile work. In the first move since Ferocious finished second in the GI Claiborne Breeders' Futurity, the...

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Oct. 19 Insights: Locked Makes His Return at the Belmont Big A Meet

1st-BAQ, $95k, OC/N2X, 3yo/up, 7f, 12:10p.m. ET LOCKED (Gun Runner) will make his return to the races here after not being seen since suffering a knee injury which knocked him off the Triple Crown trail this past spring. Racing with first-time Lasix, and made the 4-5 morning line favorite, he's been working steadily over the Saratoga training track with two of his last three moves being bullet efforts. Last year's GI Breeders' Futurity winner and GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile third will have John Velazquez in the irons. TJCIS PPs 3rd-KEE,...

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Machado Suspended Three Days And Fined $2,500 For Misjudging Finish At Keeneland

After a hearing before the Board of Stewards, jockey Luan Machado was suspended for three days and fined $2,500 for his ride aboard Ultimate Strike (Mineshaft) in Wednesday's eighth race at Keeneland. Keeneland uses two finish lines, one for mile-and-sixteenth races and the other for mile-and-an-eighth races. Ultimate Strike was five lengths in front as he hit the first finish line and was clearly on his way to victory. But Machado apparently believed the race was over at that point and began to pull up his horse prior to the...

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Sophomore Sprinters Enjoy Spotlight at Keeneland Saturday

Unbeaten 'TDN Rising Star' Knightsbridge (Nyquist) will square off with GI Woody Stephens Stakes winner Book'em Danno (Bucchero) in a deep renewal of the GIII Perryville Stakes going seven furlongs at Keeneland Saturday. 'TDN Rising Star' Locked (Gun Runner), last seen finishing third as the favorite in the 2023 GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile at Santa Anita, is expected to scratch and instead make his sophomore debut in the lidlifter at the Big A Saturday. Godolphin homebred Knightsbridge posted a double-digit victory going seven furlongs on debut at Churchill Downs Nov....

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City of Light's Uncle Jim Storms Home First in Keeneland Debut

5th-Keeneland, $100,000, Msw, 10-17, 2yo, 7f, 1:28.92, ft, 3 lengths. UNCLE JIM (c, 2, City of Light--Now Now, by Tiznow), the 6-5 favorite, was unhurried and rated off the pace while racing along the rail through a quarter in :22.46 and a half in :45.71. Behind a wall of horses as the field bunched up nearing the stretch, the dark bay colt found clear sailing along the rail and closed powerfully to win going away by three lengths. Copp (Blame) was second. Uncle Jim, a $240,000 KEESEP yearling, has a...

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Inaugural Championship Sale 'A Gateway' from the Sales Ring to the Winner's Circle

The inaugural Keeneland Championship Sale--part glitzy party, part horse auction--will be held in the Del Mar paddock Oct. 30, offering invitation-only attendees, as well as off-site bidders, the chance to become owners of horses running in the Breeders' Cup at the oceanside oval just days later. The catalogue for the auction was released Thursday, revealing full or fractional interests available in four Breeders' Cup contenders, as well as a stallion share in a fifth championship starter. The 12 offerings in the auction also include a half-sister to a Breeders' Cup...

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Recent Debut Winner Among Four Supplements to Keeneland November Sales

Four horses have been supplemented to the upcoming Keeneland November sales. The two mares added to the Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale, to be offered during the auction's Nov. 5 Book 1 section are: Page Three (Dialed In), a 5-year-old half-sister to Timberlake who is in foal to that Grade I winner's sire Into Mischief and consigned by Four Star Sales; and Villanelle (Curlin), a stakes-placed 7-year-old who is carrying a foal from the first crop of champion Forte. She is consigned by Rosilyn Polan (Sunday Morning Farm), agent. Supplements...

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Breeders' Cup Contenders Among 12 Offerings for Inaugural Keeneland Championship Sale

The inaugural Keeneland Championship Sale, to be held Oct. 30 in the Del Mar paddock, will feature 12 offerings, including interests in four horses expected to participate in Breeders' Cup championship weekend days later. Now available at Championship.Keeneland.com, the interactive catalogue features photos, videos, speed figures and more information for each entered horse. "Keeneland created the Championship Sale to be a fun, unique event that celebrates the Breeders' Cup World Championships and the sport, and we look forward to hosting a top-level experience," Keeneland President and CEO Shannon Arvin said....

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Friday's Racing Insights: Pricey Gun Runner Filly Makes The Races At Keeneland

7th-KEE, $100K, Msw, 2yo, f, 7f, 4:12 p.m. ET. SERAPHIA (Gun Runner) makes her first start for owners Twin Creeks, Jackpot, Whispering Oaks and Rick Ortyl. Initially, the filly was taken home for $675,000 at the 2022 Fasig-Tipton Fall Mixed Sale before going for $1 million at the Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Select Yearling Sale. Trained by Steve Asmussen, the juvenile is out of Temptress (Tapit), who was acquired for $400,000 by Avenue Bloodstock at the Keeneland November Sale while Seraphia was in-utero. A half-sister to GSW Donegal Moon (Malibu Moon), Temptress...

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Jockey Machado Appears to Misjudge Finish at Keeneland

Snatching defeat from the jaws of victory, jockey Luan Machado appeared to misjudge the finish line in Wednesday's eighth race at Keeneland, costing his mount Ultimate Strike (Mineshaft) the win in the maiden claimer. Depending on the distance of its races, Keeneland uses two finish lines and in this mile-and-a-sixteenth dirt race, the race was to end at the second of the two finish lines. Ultimate Strike took command on the far turn and was, according to track announcer Kurt Becker, five lengths in front at the sixteenth pole or...

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