Keeneland Barn Notes II: Schwarzenegger Is Back for More

(Schwarzenegger wins at Keeneland / Photo by Coady Media)

From the Keeneland Media Team / Amy Owens:

• HE’S BACK! SCHWARZENEGGER TOPS OVERFLOW FIELD FOR PALISADES
• JENNY WILEY TOP THREE FINE THE MORNING AFTER
• FUTURE FOR STONESTREET LEXINGTON WINNER TRENDSETTER TO BE DETERMINED; COLEBROOK HAS TWO FOR CHURCHILL DOWNS
• PROSPECTIVE FIELD FOR CLOSING-DAY BEWITCH PRESENTED BY KEENELAND SALES
• SPECIAL EVENTS
• SPRING MEET LEADERS

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HE’S BACK! SCHWARZENEGGER TOPS OVERFLOW FIELD FOR PALISADES

Mrs. John Magnier, Mountmellick Farm, Brook Smith and Resolution Road Stables’ Schwarzenegger, winner of the Indian Summer (L) Presented by Keeneland Select last fall, headlines a field of 12 plus two also-eligibles for the $300,000 Palisades (L) for 3-year-olds going 5½ furlongs on the grass.

The Palisades will go as the eighth race on the nine-race program on April 19 with a 4:44 p.m. ET post time. First post is 1 p.m.

Trained by Wesley Ward, Schwarzenegger will make his first start since setting the pace and finishing fifth in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint (G1) at Del Mar on Oct. 31. John Velazquez retains the mount from post 4.

Ward has two previous victories in the Palisades with Fandom (GB) in 2024 and Chasing Artie in 2021.

Also coming off a layoff for the Palisades is Wathnan Racing’s Sandal’s Song.

Trained by George Weaver, Sandal’s Song debuted with a victory in the Royal Palm Juvenile Stakes last May at Gulfstream Park and then was third of 15 in the Norfolk (G2) at Royal Ascot in England in June. Irad Ortiz Jr. has the mount from post 6.

Field for the $300,000 Palisades (L) on Sunday, April 19
3-year-olds, 5½ furlongs (turf)
Race 8, 4:44 p.m.

JENNY WILEY TOP THREE FINE THE MORNING AFTER

Connections of the dead-heat winners of Saturday’s Jenny Wiley (G1) — Expensive Queen (IRE) and Segesta — reported the mares were doing fine Sunday morning.

“She’s good this morning,” said Paul Madden, assistant to trainer Brendan Walsh said of Expensive Queen. “I thought we got it.”

Baldo Hernandez, assistant to Chad Brown, thought Segesta got the win initially. “Then I watched the replay twice.”

The victory gave Brown a weekend Grade 1 sweep coming on the heels of Friday’s victory by Zulu Kingdom (IRE) in the Maker’s Mark Mile (G1). Brown now has 53 Keeneland stakes victories, good for second all time.

Hernandez said Segesta likely would head to New York with the $500,000 Just A Game (G1) Presented by Resolute Racing on June 6 at Saratoga as the next likely target.

Finishing three-quarters of a length behind the top two was C R K Stable’s Medoro.

“I think that may have been the best race she has run,” trainer Peter Eurton said Sunday morning. “She got to them in the stretch, but they obviously had something left.”

Eurton said that Medoro is not a big filly and probably would target the $275,000 Old Forester Mint Julep (G3) at Churchill Downs on May 30 as her next start.

Four races before Medoro made her Jenny Wiley start, her 3-year-old half-brother, Provider, finished third in a maiden grass test at Keeneland. On Friday, their 4-year-old half-brother, Unitas, will go in a turf sprint here coming off a maiden win at Fair Grounds.

C R K Stable also owns and Eurton trains Provider and Unitas.

FUTURE FOR STONESTREET LEXINGTON WINNER
TRENDSETTER TO BE DETERMINED; COLEBROOK HAS TWO
FOR CHURCHILL DOWNS

On Saturday morning, trainer Ben Colebrook thought he had a good chance to visit the Keeneland winner’s circle with one of his three starters for the day. The premonition proved correct, as Midway Racing’s Trendsetter delivered in the $400,000 Stonestreet Lexington (G3) for 3-year-olds.

Was that the horse Colebrook thought would win?

“No. I thought I’d win the second (race with Beale Street Boy, who ran second beaten a nose,” Colebrook said with a laugh.

Trendsetter got the job done in his graded stakes debut.

“It was his first time going two turns on the dirt,” Colebrook said. “I thought he could get a piece of it.”

Colebrook said Trendsetter came out of his 2¼-length victory in good order with plans to be determined.

“No Kentucky Derby. No Preakness. We didn’t even nominate him,” Colebrook said. “There are plenty of other races out there.”

Just because Trendsetter won’t be at Churchill Downs in three weeks does not mean Colebrook will be absent. He has Central Bank Ashland (G1) winner Percy’s Bar for the $1.5 million Kentucky Oaks (G1) on May 1 and Street Beast for the $1 million American Turf (G1) on May 2.

Street Beast also races for Midway Racing.

Colebrook said Percy’s Bar, owned by Hat Creek Racing, would work toward the end of the week with weather being a factor on which day.

PROSPECTIVE FIELD FOR CLOSING-DAY BEWITCH
PRESENTED BY KEENELAND SALES

Entries Taken Friday, April 17. Race Friday, April 24

Golden Sunshine (trainer Eoin Harty), Just Basking (Ian Wilkes), Mrs. Astor (Jonathan Thomas).

SPECIAL EVENTS

Year-round

Official Keeneland Tours. Click here for availability and to purchase.

Keeneland Library is presenting the free exhibit Raices: The Making of Latino Legacies in Racing, a which highlights 100 trailblazing Latino men and women whose contributions have shaped Thoroughbred racing and breeding from the late 1800s to today.

The Library is open Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Enter Keeneland at Gate 1 on Keeneland Blvd. and take the first right on Entertainment Ct. The Library is to the left of the Keene Barn and Entertainment Center.

Spring Meet

The Keeneland Shop is open from 9 a.m. to 30 minutes following the final race and on Mondays and Tuesdays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. On race days, Milliners Corner, Wagering Central and Finish Line locations will be open.

Friday, Saturday and Sunday

The Hill. No ticket or reservation is required for tailgating on The Hill, located adjacent to the Keene Barn & Entertainment Center and accessible via Gate 1 (at Man o’ War Blvd.) or Gate 4 (off Van Meter Road on the east side of Keeneland). The Hill is open from 8 a.m. to 60 minutes after the final race. Amenities are available from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Sunday

Heroes Day. This event honors members of the military (active duty and veterans), first responders and community heroes with programming tied to Lexington Navy Week.

SPRING MEET LEADERS

Through April 11 (6 days of 15-day season)

Junior Alvarado, Flavien Prat
and John Velazquez have five wins each.

Rusty Arnold, Brad Cox, Brian Lynch
and Bill Mott have four wins apiece.