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Wise Dan is unquestionably one of America's best turf horses, posting impressive victories in the Grade 1 Woodbine Mile and Grade 2 Fourstardave Handicap in his last two starts, and the talented gelding looks poised to make a serious assault upon the November 3 Breeders' Cup Mile. He will receive his final tune-up in Saturday's Grade 1, $750,000 Shadwell Turf Mile, one of five graded stakes races on a strong Keeneland program. Trained by Charles Lopresti, Wise Dan is as versatile as they come, winning graded stakes on turf, dirt and synthetics, and the five-year-old rolled to a track record-setting victory in his last appearance at Keeneland, taking the Grade 2 Fayette Stakes on Polytrack. He possesses a four for five mark on turf, but the lone setback came in last year's Shadwell as Wise Dan finished fourth behind three-time champion Gio Ponti. |
The chestnut looks much more formidable this time around and should be a heavy favorite with Jose Lezcano, a one-race replacement for John Velazquez, who is honoring a previous commitment at Belmont Park. Wise Dan breaks from post 5 in the 12-horse field.
Silver Max will have to be caught from post 10. The Dale Romans-conditioned colt turned in a tour-de-force performance on Keeneland's turf last April, winning the Grade 3 Transylvania Stakes by a widening 5 1/2-length margin in wire-to-wire style, and the speedster backed it up with consecutive wins in the Grade 2 American Turf, Arlington Classic, Oliver Stakes and Grade 2 Virginia Derby. His six-race win skein came to an end in the Grade 1 Secretariat last out, at a 1 1/4-mile distance that isn't favorable, but Silver Max should relish the cutback in trip off a deserved 49-day freshening. Robby Albarado rides. Data Link also showed an affinity for the course in April, posting a 12-1 upset in the Grade 1 Maker's 46 Mile, and the Shug McGaughey-trained colt captured the Grade 2 Monmouth Stakes two starts later. He exits a respectable second in the Grade 2 Bernard Baruch in which there was little pace. The late runner figures to receive a much more favorable set-up Saturday with Alex Solis.
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Todd Pletcher will send out a pair in Dominus and Doubles Partner. Dominus has won two straight since a trainer switch, including a wire-to-wire tally in the Bernard Baruch in his turf bow, and the four-year-old colt will likely revert to rating tactics from post 11. Julien Leparoux retains the mount. Grade 2 hero Doubles Partner will make his first start since early May, checking in a decent fourth in the Grade 1 Woodford Reserve Turf Classic, and the five-year-old ran well when finishing a troubled third in the Maker's 46 Mile two start back, beaten less than a length. Javier Castellano will guide. Trainer Chad Brown will send out Grade 3 hero Corporate Jungle, who exits a non-threatening second in the Fourstardave, and Grade 2 winner Willcox Inn brings solid credentials into the race for Michael Stidham. Daisy Devine will bring a two for two mark over the course into the Grade 1, $350,000 First Lady Stakes, a one-mile turf affair that will feature six fillies and mares. She made her turf bow at Keeneland 12 months ago, springing a 43-1 upset in the Valley View Stakes, and followed it with a pair of sharp stakes wins on Fair Grounds' turf. She then rolled to a one-length score in Keeneland's Grade 1 Jenny Wiley last April, and Daisy Devine will attempt to join Intercontinental (2005) and Never Retreat (2011) as the only females to win both races in the same year. |
Trained by Andrew McKeever, Daisy Devine will make her first start since a fifth in the Grade 2 Distaff Turf Mile in early May. Regular rider James Graham will be back up on the four-year-old filly.
Tapitsfly will look to turn things around following a pair of unplaced efforts in the Grade 1 Diana and Grade 2 Ballston Spa. The Romans charge won her last attempt at a mile, taking the Grade 1 Just a Game Stakes at Belmont Park in early June, and will likely show speed from her inside post with new jockey Lezcano. Summer Soiree is a candidate to improve off a third in the Ballston Spa in her 2012 debut. The Graham Motion-trained filly captured the Grade 1 Del Mar Oaks and finished a close second in the Grade 1 Matriarch last season. Distaff Turf Mile winner Hungry Island is another contender, finishing second in the Ballston Spa most recently for Shug McGaughey.
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