Keeneland Barn Notes: Daddy Is a Legend OK after Rail Incident / Limousine Liberal Works for BC

(Daddy Is a Legend escaped serious injury after ramming through rail on Friday / Photo Courtesy of Keeneland)

(Limousine Liberal preps for Breeders’ Cup / Photo Courtesy of Churchill Downs)

From the Keeneland Media Team:

KEENELAND INSIDE TURF RAIL IS A WINNER IN PIN OAK VALLEY VIEW

The performance of the Mawsafe safety rail on the inside of Keeneland’s turf course aced a tough test Friday during the running of the $150,000 Pin Oak Valley View (G3) when second choice Daddy Is a Legend emerged unscathed from a potentially disastrous situation.

Turning for home, Daddy Is a Legend challenged Cool Beans for the lead while racing on the inside under Manny Franco. The two fillies raced as a team until just before the sixteenth pole when Daddy Is a Legend ducked through the inner rail, which collapsed on impact. (Click here for a video of the incident.)

Franco stayed on Daddy Is a Legend, now on the left side of the rail in the infield, while the race continued and Colonia (FR) won by a half-length. Franco and Daddy Is a Legend slowed to a walk, and Franco dismounted. A Keeneland outrider led the filly to the main track, and she walked back to trainer George Weaver’s barn.

“What we saw yesterday proved the positive safety aspects we saw on video when we selected the Mawsafe rail: how the rail is put together and how it works to protect horse and rider,” Keeneland President and CEO Bill Thomason said.

In 2016, Keeneland installed the Mawsafe rail, a lightweight system from Australia. One safety feature is its horizontal PVC rail that springs and bends to absorb the impact of a horse and rider. This top rail offers stability while the uprights “kick out” on impact.

The Mawsafe rail also allows Keeneland to change the running lanes on the turf course by positioning the rail at zero, 10, 15 and 20 feet from the inside to reduce wear and tear on the turf course.

It is just one example of the latest technology and innovation Keeneland employs in its racing operations to ensure the safety of human and equine athletes.

“It’s why we do what we do,” Thomason said. “Seeing the Mawsafe rail perform as it was intended to ensure the safety of Daddy Is a Legend and her jockey yesterday was extremely rewarding.”

Weaver reported by phone Saturday that Daddy Is a Legend “just had a couple of scratches but nothing major. It will take a couple of days to see if anything shows up.”

Weaver said if the filly bounces out of the Pin Oak Valley View fine, the $300,000 Matriarch (G1) against older horses going a mile at Del Mar Dec. 2 could be an option. Or she could get the rest of the year off to prepare for a 4-year-old campaign.

LIMOUSINE LIBERAL WORKS 5 FURLONGS FOR BREEDERS’ CUP RETURN

Katherine Ball’s Limousine Liberal completed his major preparation for the Breeders’ Cup World Championships in two weeks by working 5 furlongs in 1:00.40 on his own under exercise rider Freddy Torres Saturday morning.

“It got a little messed up at the start (with two other horses in front of him), but he finished good,” trainer Ben Colebrook said. “It’s fine.”

Working immediately after the morning renovation break over a fast track, Limousine Liberal blitzed the final quarter of a mile in :22.40.

Limousine Liberal is likely to be pre-entered in the $2 million TwinSpires Breeders’ Cup Sprint (G1) and the $1 million Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile (G1). The gelding has competed twice in the Sprint, finishing 11^th as a 3-year-old here in 2015 and getting elevated to fourth via disqualification at Santa Anita in 2016.

“I’m not doing anything different with him (from previous Breeders’ Cup starts),” Colebrook said. “The only difference is he gets to run at his home track.”

Limousine Liberal has compiled a record of 8-6-1-0 at Churchill Downs with three of the victories coming in graded stakes. He is scheduled to ship to Churchill Breeders’ Cup week.

SIGNALMAN, SALVATOR MUNDI WORK FOR BREEDERS’ CUP STARTS

For trainer Kenny McPeek, Signalman, second in the Claiborne Breeders’ Futurity (G1), and Salvator Mundi, third in the Dixiana Bourbon (G3), worked in company at Keeneland Saturday morning in preparation for races on Nov. 2 during the Breeders’ Cup World Championships at Churchill Downs.

Breezing after the morning renovation break, the duo stopped the clock in 1:00.20 for 5 furlongs. According to Keeneland clockers, they galloped out in 1:13.40 with splits of :23.40, :35.20 and :47.60. (Click here for a video of the work.)

Jockey Brian Hernandez Jr. rode Signalman on the outside, and exercise rider Danny Ramsey was aboard Salvator Mundi on the rail.

Signalman, owned by Tommie Lewis and Magdalena Racing, will be entered in the $2 million Sentient Jet Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (G1), while Salvator Mundi, owned by Magdalena Racing, is pointed to the $1 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf (G1).

“This was another maintenance breeze,” McPeek said. “At this point, (my Breeders’ Cup horses) will have their final works here. They’ll either work Friday or Saturday next week, depending on the weather.”

McPeek’s Breeders’ Cup contingent also includes Darley Alcibiades (G1) winner Restless Rider – aiming for the $2 million Tito’s Handmade Vodka Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1) – and Princesa Carolina, the fifth-place finisher in the JPMorgan Chase Jessamine (G2) who is to run in the $1 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (G1). They worked here yesterday.

McPeek said the horses will remain at Keeneland before shipping to Churchill Oct. 29 or 30.

MOM’S ON STRIKE TAKES ANOTHER STEP
TOWARD BREEDERS’ CUP FILLY AND MARE TURF

Carl Moore Management and Brad Grady’s Mom’s On Strike continued her preparation for the $2 million Maker’s Mark Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Turf (G1) on Nov. 3 by working a half-mile in :49.60 on the dirt under trainer Joe Sharp after the Saturday morning renovation break. (Click here for a video of the work.)

“Things went great this morning,” Sharp said of the 5-year-old mare, who galloped out 5 furlongs in 1:02.

Winner of the Bewitch (G3) here this spring, Mom’s On Strike finished second in the Ramsey Farm Stakes (L) at Kentucky Downs on Sept. 13. Saturday’s work was her third since the race at Kentucky Downs.

“She’s been doing really good since her last race; eating well,” said Sharp, noting the mare already has been pre-entered for the Breeders’ Cup that will mark her first test in Grade 1 company on the grass.

“I think having a big field of 14 horses would be a big help to her,” Sharp said. “Her last two races, she made the lead and then pricked her ears and put on the brakes.”

Sharp, who has a barn at Churchill Downs, said Mom’s On Strike more than likely would move the hour west to Louisville next week and have a grass work Sunday.

PLANS UNDETERMINED FOR PIN OAK VALLEY VIEW WINNER COLONIA (FR)

Michael Dubb, Madaket Stables, Maurice Lagasse, Haras d’Etreham and Bethlehem Stables’ Colonia (FR), winner of Friday’s Pin Oak Valley View (G3), most likely will be headed back to her main base at Fair Hill training center in Maryland the middle of next week with future plans to be determined.

“She is doing good this morning,” said Alice Clapham, assistant to trainer Graham Motion, who left Lexington early Saturday morning. “I’m sure Graham will get with the owners soon (to plan her next race).”

Friday’s half-length victory marked the fourth start in the U.S. for Colonia, who began her career in France and joined the Motion barn this summer.

“She’s a nice filly to be around; very sweet,” Clapham said.

Plans have been determined for runner-up Modeste Racing Stable’s Get Explicit, who will return to her home base at Woodbine on Monday.

“We are coming back to Churchill next month,” said Chad Elder, assistant to trainer Barbara Minshall, referring to the $200,000 Mrs. Revere (G2) to be run at 1 1/16 miles on the turf Nov. 23.

“We came down here with three horses and got a second and two thirds,” Elder said of Hollywood Critic, who ran Wednesday, and Riverboat Gambler, who ran Thursday. “The boss is happy and we did not leave here empty-handed.”

Godolphin’s Poetic Charm (GB), who went off as the 5-2 favorite but finished 11^th, jogged on the training track Saturday morning and is scheduled to return to England on Tuesday.

“She was wide all the way from the 13 hole and she was too keen,” said Christiane Harley, assistant to trainer Charles Appleby. “The rider (Mike Smith) said he probably should have let her go on.”

Harley will have a quick turnaround as she is scheduled to fly back to Louisville on Friday to greet a trio of Appleby Breeders’ Cup runners slated to arrive Saturday. The trio includes Group 1 winner Wild Illusion (GB) (Filly and Mare Turf-G1), Grade 1 winner LaPelosa (IRE) (Juvenile Fillies Turf-G1) and Group 3 winner Line of Duty (IRE) (Juvenile Turf-G1).

GALLOPING OUT

Keeneland racing analyst Tom Leach interviewed trainer Buff Bradley about Divine Queen, who is racing in today’s Lexus Raven Run (G2), and trainer Brian Lynch, who will send out Savannah Belle in Sunday’s Rood & Riddle Dowager (G3).

BREEDERS’ CUP CONTENDERS STABLED AT KEENELAND

Keeneland is home to several potential contenders for the Breeders’ Cup World Championships at Churchill Downs on Nov. 2-3.

Pre-entries for the Breeders’ Cup will be announced Wednesday, Oct. 24.

Here are the trainers and their possible Breeders’ Cup runners:

UPCOMING STAKES PROBABLES

$200,000 HAGYARD FAYETTE (G2) (Entries taken Wednesday, Oct. 24; race Saturday, Oct. 27) – Hence (trainer Steve Asmussen), Leofric (Brad Cox), Name Changer (Alan Goldberg), Nice Not Nice (Buff Bradley), Prime Attraction (James Cassidy), Rated R Superstar (Kenny McPeek). Possible: Hofburg (Bill Mott), Honorable Duty (Brendan Walsh), Scuba (Walsh).