Wednesday morning was even more rainy than Tuesday at Keeneland with the main track sloppy and temperatures in the low 50's. Because of the rain, they once again skipped the morning renovation break so after sunrise we had about 90 minutes for gallops. A lot more horses came out on the main track today, but they decided to keep American Pharoah in the barn to walk the shedrow because of the weather. Today we also had someone at the 5 furlong all-weather Polytrack training track since many horses, especially the Europeans, opted to go there instaed. Hopefully the rain will clear up by tomorrow and American Pharoah will come out on Thursday. In addition the horses that arrived from Ireland on Tuesday cleared quarantine at 4pm Wednsday and be out for their usual canter Thursday morning.
Here are photos for 46 of the horses on the track Wednesday morning. Click the small picture to see a larger version.
Effinex (Classic) jogged on the main track and then schooled in the paddock (shown here). Trainer James Jerkens said "He's won at the distance twice. He beat good horses twice at it. By that fact alone you can't count him out. I wish his last 2 races were just a little better."
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Frosted (Classic) galloped 1 mile. Trainer Kiaran McLaughlin said, "We just went once round and came back. Tomorrow we might do the same thing. If the track is better we might back up and gallop 1 3/8. It's unfortunate he was born in the same year as a Triple Crown winner, but he's a very talented horse and hopefully goes on to be a great sire."
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Keen Ice (Classic) jogged 2 miles on the sloppy main track. Trainer Dale Romans said, "Galloping won't make us win but a bad step could make us lose."
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Bradester (Dirt Mile) galloped twice around the training track.
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Red Vine galloped over the main track on Wednesday with stablemate and Classic contender Tonalist. "Red Vine has been very consistent. I know he hasn't won too many races, but he shows up every time and runs his race every time. He hasn't been out of the money all year," said Christophe Lorieul, the top assistant to trainer Christophe Clement. "He is doing very well, and at the end of the year, he is doing super."
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Street Strategy (Dirt Mile) galloped twice around the training track.
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Wicked Strong (Dirt Mile) schooled in the paddock after training hours ended.
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My Sweet Addiction galloped 1 1/4 miles on Keeneland's training track Wednesday as her training moved smartly forward toward her Friday date in the Distaff. "She's doing really well," trainer Martin Jones said, We'll school her in the paddock on Thursday during the races. This mare is really special to Pam (Ziebarth, owner). Her mother (Cecilia Straub-Rubens) owned Tiznow and the dam (Healthy Addiction) was an outstanding runner for Pam. For her to have this mare is a very prideful thing."
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Peace and War drew into the field for the Distaff Tuesday upon the scratch of defending champion Untapable, leaving the 3yo daughter of War Front with the No. 14 post position. "I'm happy she got in. I wish she had an equal shake with the others so she could get a decent post, but it is what it is," trainer Graham Motion said.
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Salama galloped on the sloppy track and had a short schooling session in the starting gate. Jenn Patterson was aboard Salama with Amy LoPresti (wife of trainer Charlie) alongside on stable pony Roani. "She went to the gate again today because she was a little edgy in the gate yesterday. This time instead of jogging her straight back, she galloped around to the 3/8 pole and walked to the gate. She was backed out of the gate and galloped around (1 1/4 mile). She was beautiful in the gate, so now I am happy."
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Wedding Toast (Distaff) was sent out for a light bit of exercise in the rain Wednesday. As he did with Classic runner Frosted, trainer Kiaran McLaughlin asked for a 7 to 8 furlong gallop on the wet track. He said, "We went just once around and came back. We're happy. Tomorrow we'll play it by ear. We might do the same thing. If the track is better we might back up and gallop 1 3/8. We're happy that they've done all their works. We're just here to get them around there and get them into the gate on Friday and Saturday."
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Taris (Filly and Mare Sprint) galloped twice around the training track.
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Dacita (Filly and Mare Turf) joined Brown's barn this summer, six months after she was purchased privately and imported from Chile, where she had won three Group 1 races. Bradley Thoroughbreds and Sheep Pond Partners own the 4yo Scat Daddy filly. In her lone U.S. start, she edged Tepin in the Ballston Spa at Saratoga.
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Miss France (Filly and Mare Turf) walked wrong way 5/8 mile then cantered 1 mile on the training track.
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Photo Call (Filly and Mare Turf) is scheduled to seek her third straight stakes success this year in Saturday's Filly & Mare Turf on a turf course over which she won her U.S. debut and first start for trainer Graham Motion last October. "It gives you some confidence and makes you a little more comfortable. That said, she was running horses that weren't the caliber she'll be running against Saturday," Motion said.
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Secret Gesture (Filly and Mare Turf) walked the training track accompanied by trainer Ralph Beckett aboard a pony, then cantered 2 laps on her own. Beckett said, "She's an athletic, good moving filly, and she handles good ground, but the form book says she handles soft ground too. I don't know for sure if this is her last race, but she has been great for the stable, and it has been great to have the opportunity to train her."
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Sentiero Italia (Filly and Mare Turf) galloped 1 mile on the main track.
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Sharla Rae (Filly and Mare Turf) galloped twice around the training track.
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Talmada (Filly and Mare Turf) galloped twice around the training track.
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Cocked and Loaded continued his preparation for the Breeders' Cup Juvenile by jogging a mile. "He's doing great and is very calm right now," Rivelli said. "Nothing bothers him. We're excited for the race."
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Exaggerator (Juvenile) jogged on the training track.
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Unbridled Outlaw came out for a routine gallop once around the main track.
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Land Over Sea (Juvenile Fillies) galloped twice around the 5f Polytrack training oval.
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Rachel's Valentina (Juvenile Fillies) galloped twice around the main track. Trainer Todd Pletcher said, "It doesn't always guarantee (greatness) just because they have a great pedigree, but she pleased everyone at the farm and it sounded like her training was good coming in. We were pretty confident once we got up to the five-eighths level that she was pretty special. So far, she's proved that to be true."
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Right There (Juvenile Fillies) exits a distant third behind fellow Juvenile Fillies entrants Songbird and Land Over Sea in the Chandelier at Santa Anita on the same card. She went twice around under exercise rider Amelia Harris.
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Andreya's Reward (Juvenile Fillies Turf) galloped once around the main track.
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Illuminate (Juvenile Fillies Turf) with Frankie Dettori in the saddle had a very good look around Keeneland this morning. The daughter of Zoffany was put through the starting gates up on the main track before being the first European to go out on to the turf. She did a circuit of the turf at a steady canter before coming back and having a look at the paddock before returning home.
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Last Waltz (Juvenile Fillies Turf) galloped once around the main track.
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Nemoralia (Juvenile Fillies Turf) galloped twice around the training track.
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Priced to Perfection (Juvenile Fillies Turf) galloped once around the main track.
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Sapphire Kitten (Juvenile Fillies Turf) jogged once around the wrong way.
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Birchwood (Juvenile Turf), who will also be Richard Fahey's first ever Breeders' Cup runner, was reported to be in great shape by Alyson Deniel after she cantered a couple of circuits of the training track. Deniel who is overseeing operations until Fahey arrives on Friday said: "He is in really good form and everything is fine."
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Cymric (Juvenile Turf) with exercise rider Gary Foster aboard, jogged and galloped on the training track with in company with stablemate Golden Horn.
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Sky Marshal (Juvenile Turf) galloped twice around the training track.
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Esoterique (Mile) jogged once around clockwise then galloped twice around counterclockwise on the training track.
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Karakontie, defending Mile champion, appeared in great shape as he stepped up from yesterday's gentle exercise and did a much stronger canter than yesterday around three circuits of the training track.
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Mondialiste (Mile) cantered and jogged on the training track.
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Obviously jogged twice around the Keeneland training track on Wednesday morning in preparation for what will be his fourth straight Breeders' Cup Mile. Perfect Drift, Kona Gold and Better Talk Now all hold the record for most consecutive starts in the Breeders' Cup. They have each made five starts in the Classic, Sprint and Turf, respectively. Obviously's lone start this year came in last month's Woodbine Mile where he ran third behind fellow Mile starter Mondialiste and Dirt Mile contender Lea.
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Recepta (Mile) galloped twice around the training track.
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Time Test (Mile) followed a similar pattern to yesterday with a steady canter of a couple of circuits of the training track.
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Big Macher (Sprint) cantered once around the wrong way.
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Runhappy (Sprint), morning line favorite and winner of the Phoenix Stakes, arrived from Thoroughbred Training Center at 8am then jogged 2 miles main track at 9am.
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Stallwalkin' Dude (Sprint) jogged on the main track. Owner-trainer David Jacobson said, "It will be a very big day for me with four horses running (in the BC). I was just thinking about that when I went over to the stall office to hand in the foal papers. Wow. You're really lucky if you can just have one in, and this year I've got four. It's a very big deal. I've never won a Breeders' Cup before, but I'll definitely find a way to figure out how to get all of those trophies in my carry-on luggage for the plane ride home."
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Golden Horn, winner of the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe and entered in the Turf, jogged the wrong way and then galloped 2 laps (1 1/4 miles) over the Polytrack under jockey Frankie Dettori. Trainer John Gosden arrives Thursday.
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Green Mask (Turf Sprint) galloped 1 mile on turf along with his stablemates. "They're all looking really great," said Blake Heap, assistant to Wesley Ward. "They all hit the turf course today and I really like how Undrafted is looking – but I think all three are looking good."
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Pure Sensation (Turf Sprint) went out for a gallop on the Polytrack training track with stablemate Hard Not to Like, who will contest the Filly & Mare Turf. "He is a good horse. We gave him a long break over the winter and he came back because we wanted to bring him back (in July for Saratoga). When he's right, he's a very good horse and he's very fast," said Christophe Lorieul, the top assistant for trainer Christophe Clement. "He breaks from the one-hole, so it all will depend upon how the race sets up. But he is coming up to it very well."
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