Sovereign Stable’s Negligee, who scored her biggest career win at Keeneland in the 2009 Darley Alcibiades (gr. I), was one of a full field of 14 drawn for the $250,000 Lexus Raven Run (gr. II) Oct. 23.
The seven-furlong sprint on Polytrack drew an evenly-matched group of 3-year-old fillies. The Raven Run highlights the weekend stakes action at Keeneland, which will card 10 races on Saturday.
Trained by John Terranova II, Negligee has not won since taking the Alcibiades last fall. She made her three most recent starts on turf and is coming off a sixth-place finish in the 1 1/8-mile Garden City (gr. IT) at Belmont Sept. 18. The Northern Afleet filly finished seventh behind Evening Jewel in the Central Bank Ashland (gr. I) in April in her last start at Keeneland.
Miguel Mena will ride Negligee for the first time.
The 119-pound high weight is Pop-A-Top’s Red Hot Buddha, trained by Tom Amoss. The Buddha filly won the six-furlong Inaugural at Presque Isle Downs in May in her first start on synthetics and scored an allowance over the same Tapeta surface in her next effort. She is coming off a fifth-place finish against older rivals, including winner Informed Decision and runner-up Dubai Majesty, in the Presque Isle Downs Masters (gr. III) Sept. 11. Jockey James Graham has the call.
Peter Callahan’s Beautician, who is two-time grade I placed for trainer Ken McPeek, returns to Keeneland for the third time. The daughter of Dehere broke an 11-race losing streak two starts back in a seven-furlong allowance win at Saratoga. She was third, beaten only a length, in the Oct. 3 Belle Cherie Stakes at Belmont. The gray/roan filly, who was fourth in the Kentucky Oaks (gr. I), finished off the board in both of her previous Keeneland starts. Leading rider Julien Leparoux will be aboard.
Todd Pletcher, who is in the hunt for another training title at Keeneland, will saddle a pair. Mill House’s Katy Now won three races earlier this year at distances from six furlongs to a mile and was fourth in her first two stakes efforts in New York—the Mother Goose (gr. I) and Victory Ride (gr. III). She broke her maiden at Keeneland in April in her only start on a synthetic surface. Garrett Gomez will be in the irons.
Starlight Partners’ Hilda's Passion romped by nearly nine lengths in the Aug. 23 Bennington Stakes on the Saratoga slop. In her only start at Keeneland this spring, the Canadian Frontier filly led after a half-mile before tiring badly to finish 10th.
$250,000 Lexus Raven Run (gr. II, Race 9, 5:23 p.m.), 3YO Fillies, 7 Furlongs (Polytrack) PP. Horse, Jockey, Weight, Trainer 1. Platinum Exchange (ON), K J Desormeaux, 117, B A Lynch
2. Katy Now (KY), G K Gomez, 117, T A Pletcher
3. Distorted Promise (KY), J Alvarado, 117, E R Reed
4. Negligee (KY), M Mena, 117, J P Terranova II
5. Tremendamente Loca (KY), P Morales, 117, T E Hamm
6. Hilda's Passion (KY), C J Lanerie, 117, T A Pletcher
7. Chantilly Nayla (KY), R Albarado, 117, W M Catalano
8. Red Hot Buddha (KY), J Graham, 119, T M Amoss
9. Beautician (KY), J R Leparoux, 117, K G McPeek
10. Decelerator (KY), S Bridgmohan, 117, D W Lukas
11. Kitty in a Tizzy (KY), C Sutherland, 117, H J Bond
12. My Irish Girl (FL), I Ocampo, 117, J Ness
13. Much Rejoicing (KY), A Garcia, 117, J J Toner
14. Speedy Spice (KY), W Martinez, 117, W B Calhoun
