(Epic Ride / Photos by Holly M. Smith)

From the Keeneland Media Team / Amy Owens:

  • EPIC RIDE TUNES UP FOR COOLMORE TURF MILE
  • GALLOPING OUT
  • PROSPECTIVE FIELDS FOR FALL STARS STAKES

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EPIC RIDE TUNES UP FOR COOLMORE TURF MILE

Welch Racing’s Epic Ride made the short trip Saturday morning from the nearby The Thoroughbred Center for a test run over the Keeneland turf course and a possible start in next Saturday’s $1.25 million Coolmore Turf Mile (G1).

“I just want to see how he likes it and how (jockey) Edgar (Morales) liked it,” trainer John Ennis said prior to sending Epic Ride out onto the course that was rated as good.

Working solo, Epic Ride covered three-eighths of a mile in :38.60 with Morales all smiles coming off the track. “I never asked him,” said Morales, who has ridden Epic Ride in his past two races and would have the mount in the Coolmore Turf Mile.

“He looked good to me,” Ennis said. “That made my day. I would hate to have to race against him.”

In April, Epic Ride worked on the Keeneland turf before opting to run on the dirt in the Commonwealth (G3). His past three races have been on the grass with the past two coming at a mile.

“He’s a different horse on grass,” Ennis said of Epic Ride, winner of the FanDuel TV Mint Millions Invitational (G3) at Kentucky Downs on Sept. 6. “He ran third to Sierra Leone (in the 2024 Toyota Blue Grass-G1) on dirt and he has improved on the grass.”

Epic Ride, who was 14th in the Kentucky Derby (G1) Presented by Woodford Reserve, will return to Keeneland from across town next Saturday morning for the Coolmore Turf Mile.


GALLOPING OUT

Four European runners, headed by Rabbah Bloodstock’s Choisya (GB), arrived at Keeneland Saturday at 8:30 a.m. after exiting quarantine at Churchill Downs.

Trained by Simon Crisford, Choisya won the Jenny Wiley (G1) here in April and returns for a shot at next Saturday’s $800,000 First Lady (G1) going a mile on the turf.

Only two other horses have won the Jenny Wiley and First Lady in the same year: Never Retreat in 2011 and Intercontinental (GB) in 2005.

Also arriving at Keeneland were First Lady hopefuls Great Generation (IRE), owned by Cayton Park Stud and trained by Marco Botti, and Simmering (GB), owned by Al Shaqab Racing and trained by Ollie Sangster.

Arriving for the Coolmore Turf Mile was Juddmonte’s Jonquil (GB). Andrew Balding trains Jonquil.

PROSPECTIVE FIELDS FOR FALL STARS STAKES

According to Keeneland Stakes Coordinator Allison De Luca, here are the prospective fields for the stakes on Fall Stars Weekend:

Friday, Oct. 3 races. Entries taken Monday, Sept. 29

*$650,000 DARLEY ALCIBIADES (G1) — Go to Girl (trainer Kenny McPeek), Percy’s Bar (Ben Colebrook), The Grumpy Rabbit (McPeek), Taken by the Wind (McPeek), Tommy Jo (Todd Pletcher).

*$400,000 STOLL KEENON OGDEN PHOENIX (G2) — Here Mi Song (Billy Stinson), Nakatomi (Wesley Ward), Silver Slugger (Juan Avila), Skelly (Steve Asmussen), Whatchatalkinabout (Ward), World Record (Rodolphe Brisset).

*$400,000 JESSAMINE (G2) PRESENTED BY KEENELAND SALES – Aggressive Lime (Brad Cox), Beach Ballad (Mike Maker), Carolyncaroline (Lindsay Schultz), Diablo Shiraz (John Ennis), Dyna (Kevin Attard), Ground Support (Kelsey Danner), Imaginationthelady (Brendan Walsh), Infinite Sky (Cox), Lit Ship (Joe Sharp), Mackinac (Rusty Arnold), Rose Room (Mike Stidham), Snappy Comeback (Jose D’Angelo), Soloist (McPeek), Time to Dream (Pletcher), To a Flame (Arnold). Possible: Believe in Magic (Bill Morey), Miss Call (McPeek).

Saturday, Oct. 4 races. Entries taken Tuesday, Sept. 30

*$1,250,000 COOLMORE TURF MILE (G1) — Beach Gold (Patrick Biancone), Brilliant Berti (Cherie DeVaux), Diego Velazquez (IRE) (Aidan O’Brien), Donegal Momentum (Tom Morley), Epic Ride (John Ennis), Howard Wolowitz (D’Angelo), Jonquil (GB) (Andrew Balding), Mountain Bear (IRE) (Ward), Program Trading (GB) (Chad Brown), Quatrocento (Fausto Gutierrez), Rhetorical (Will Walden), Woodshauna (FR) (Francis-Henri Graffard).

$800,000 FIRST LADY (G1) — Be Your Best (IRE) (Saffie Joseph), Choisya (GB) (Simon Crisford), Crevalle d’Oro (Lauren Robson), Deep Satin (DeVaux), Dynamic Pricing (IRE) (Brown), Great Generation (IRE) (Marco Botti), Heredia (GB) (Graham Motion), Jody’s Pride (Jorge Abreu), Nanda Dea (ARG) (Ignacio Correas IV), Ozara (IRE) (Miguel Clement), Raqiya (IRE) (Pletcher), Segesta (Brown), Simmering (GB) (Ollie Sangster), Simply in Front (Kenneally). Possible: Special Wan (IRE) (Walsh).

*$650,000 CLAIBORNE BREEDERS’ FUTURITY (G1) — Big Dom (Tom Amoss), Blackout Time (McPeek), Ewing (Mark Casse), Spice Runner (Asmussen), Ted Noffey (Pletcher), Vost (Walden). Possible: Rancho Santa Fe (Cox).

*$400,000 THOROUGHBRED CLUB OF AMERICA (G2) — Long Neck Paula (Ward), Praying (Robbie Medina), Vahva (DeVaux), Vodka With a Twist (Phil D’Amato), Zeitlos (Asmussen). Possible: Mink’s Palace (Eddie Kenneally), Positano Sunset (Ian Wilkes).

$400,000 WOODFORD (G2) PRESENTED BY FANDUEL — Arrest Me Red (Ward), Charcoal (Tracey Wismer), Doncho (Michelle Lovell), Governor Sam (George Weaver), Joe Shiesty (Eric Foster), Khadeem (IRE) (Charlie Hills), Nobals (Larry Rivelli), Spiced Up (Bill Mott). Possible: No Nay Hudson (IRE) (Wesley Ward), Script (Arnold).

Sunday, Oct. 5 races. Entries taken Tuesday, Sept. 30

*$650,000 JUDDMONTE SPINSTER (G1) — Leslie’s Rose (Pletcher), Nitrogen (Casse), Thorpedo Anna (McPeek). Possible: Alpine Princess (Cox).

*$400,000 CASTLE & KEY BOURBON (G2) — Blinging It Back (Casse), Casa Cielo (Keith Desormeaux), Dr. Agne (DeVaux), Final Score (Pletcher), Gordon Pass (Walden), J J Grey (McPeek), Password (Brisset), Repentless (Danner), Vintur (Casse). Possible:Exonerate (Cox), Outfielder (Ward).

$300,000 INDIAN SUMMER (L) PRESENTED BY KEENELAND SELECT – Bobrovsky (Dale Romans), Obliteration (Asmussen), Rogue Legend (GB) (Ward), Royal Testament (Weaver), Schwarzeneggar (Ward), Twilight Delight (Daniel Leitch). Possible:Outfielder (Ward).

*Breeders’ Cup Challenge Series races.