Maker's Mark Mile

Making his fourth straight appearance on the North American continent, Godolphin's Master Of The Seas (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) overcame easy underfoot conditions and five other rivals to add Friday's GI Maker's Mark Mile to his previous victories in the GI Ricoh Woodbine Mile and GI Breeders' Cup Mile when last seen at Santa Anita last November. Naval Power (Ire) (Teofilo {Ire}), conversely racing for the first time on these shores, completed the exacta for the 'Boys In Blue.' Sent off at 77 cents on the dollar while making his 6-year-old...

Keeneland kicks off the second weekend of the Spring Meet with the much-heralded return Friday of last year's GI Breeders' Cup Mile winner in the 36th running of the $600,000 GI Maker's Mark Mile S. Master of The Seas (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}), unseen in the starting gate since his nose win over Mawj (Ire) (Exceed And Excel {Aus}) in the Mile last November, was most recently spotted with trainer Charlie Appleby's string in Dubai before shipping stateside to Keeneland. Now six, the Godolphin homebred has been here before, notching a...

9-year-old stallion Scared Life (Fr) (Siyouni {Fr}), a multiple graded-stakes winner and third in both the GI Arlington Million and the GI Makers Mark Mile, was represented by his first foal Feb. 21. The colt, out of the mare Fire Assay (Medaglia d'Oro), was born in Kentucky according to War Horse Place. Sacred Life, retired after the 2022 Arlington Million, stands at Kentucky's War Horse Place for $2,000 alongside Hog Creek Hustle (Overanalyze), Rombauer (Twirling Candy) and Smooth Like Straight (Midnight Lute).

The public bet reigning Eclipse Award-winning turf male Modern Games (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) like he couldn't lose Friday's GI Maker's Mark Mile at Keeneland, but Lael Stables Chez Pierre (Fr) (Mehmas {Ire}) had other designs, as he kicked hard into the stretch and ran out a very easy winner in stakes-record time. Alertly into stride from gate three, the 5-year-old dueled inside and heads apart with Peter Brant's Dr Zempf (GB) (Dark Angel {Ire}) around the first turn and tugged his way to the front beneath Flavien Prat to lead...

Last year's Eclipse champion turf male returns to the place of his Breeders' Cup glory Friday with an expected start in the GI Maker's Mark Mile S. Modern Games (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}), trained by Charlie Appleby, makes his 4-year-old debut since taking the GI FanDuel Breeders' Cup Mile at Keeneland last November. Off the board in only two of his 13 prior starts, the chestnut just missed in the G1 Queen Elizabeth II S. at Ascot leading into the Breeders' Cup, took the GI Woodbine Mile by 5 1/4 lengths...

The owner of some very solid West Coast form, Count Again (Awesome Again) nevertheless projects to be at least a little bit forgotten from a pari-mutuel perspective in a high-class renewal of the GI Maker's Mark Mile, the Good Friday feature at Keeneland. A maiden winner during this track's fall meet in 2019 when under the care of Neil Howard, the bay won the 10-furlong GIII Singspiel S. for trainer Gail Cox in 2020, but has been kept between eight and nine panels since being switched to the barn of...

The winner of four straight races and six of nine overall, including a first-ever Grade I triumph for his trainer last out, progressive Hit the Road (More Than Ready) will travel outside of California for the first time in his career to face eight rivals in a competitive renewal of the GI Maker's Mark Mile Friday at Keeneland. Capturing his first two turf tries, the latter coming in the Zuma Beach S., as a 2-year-old, the bay ran seventh before being disqualified to last in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile...

This year, the annual release of a commemorative Maker's Mark Bourbon bottle in partnership with Keeneland will benefit LexArts, greater Lexington's premier cultural development, advocacy, and fundraising organization, to support its initiatives at the Isaac Murphy Memorial Art Garden in Lexington. Murphy was a Hall of Fame jockey who remains the only rider to win the Kentucky Derby, Kentucky Oaks and Clark H. in the same year (1884). The Art Garden is the first park in the U.S. to honor African American jockeys, who were the earliest Black professional athletes....

Looking for his first trip to the winner's circle since annexing the GI Preakness S. some 14 months ago, Gary Barber's War of Will (War Front) did it toughest, but called on all his class and determination to scratch out a short-head success in the GI Maker's Mark Mile as the Keeneland summer meeting reached its mid-point Friday. Drawn widest in the field of 10, the handsome blaze-faced bay raced three off the fence leaving the stretch for the first time and punched the breeze from up close as High...