Three-time stakes winner Storming Inti and 2013 Generous (gr. IIIT) victor Global View are the most accomplished horses in a full field of 12 that were entered in the Transylvania Stakes (gr. IIIT) on Keeneland's opening day April 4.
The colts will each tote 123 pounds, while all others carry 118.
Named for the Lexington-based Transylvania University, the 1 1/16-mile turf event for 3-year-olds is the ninth race on the card and has a scheduled post time of 5:13 p.m. EDT.
Storming Inti, a son of Stormy Atlantic —Tarfaya, by Pulpit, is trained by Chad Brown for Santa Rosa Racing Stables. His stablemate, Pleuven, a French stakes winner who was third in the 2013 Dania Beach Stakes (gr. IIIT), is also entered in the race.
Storming Inti, who has an affinity for racing on the lead, was bred in Pennsylvania by Brushwood Stables. The versatile colt has won or placed in all six of his career starts, including victories in the 2013 Pulpit Stakes on the Gulfstream Park dirt and the Awad Stakes over the Belmont Park turf course. In his 3-year-old debut, Storming Inti held on for a game head score in the Jan. 19 Kitten's Joy Stakes over the Gulfstream lawn. Most recently, he was third, beaten just three-quarters of a length in the final strides of Gulfstream's Palm Beach Stakes (gr. IIIT) March 1.
Storming Inti will be ridden by jockey Javier Castellano, who has been aboard for four of his six starts. The pair will break from post 10.
Global View, a son of prolific sire Galileo, out of the Storm Cat mare Egyptian Queen, is trained by Tom Proctor for Glen Hill Farm. The dark bay or brown colt has had two firsts, one second, and a fourth from four starts. After breaking his maiden at second asking over Santa Anita Park's turf course last October, Global View secured the lead in the Generous with an eighth of a mile to go and edged clear to a 1 1/4-length score.
An earner of more than $100,000, Global View will leave from post 9 under jockey Jose Lezcano. Bred in Kentucky by Reiko Baum and Michael Baum, Global View was a $500,000 purchase at the 2012 Keeneland September yearling sale.
Other horses to watch in the Transylvania include Kevin Jacobson's Laddie Boy, the only Transylvania-bound horse that has previously won at Keeneland (1 1/16-mile allowance race on Polytrack last October). Laddie Boy also ran a respectable second in the 2013 Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes (gr. II) last November at Churchill Downs.
$100,000 Transylvania Stakes (gr. IIIT, approximate post time 5:13 p.m. EDT), 3YOs, 1 1/16 miles (turf)
PP. Horse, Jockey, Weight, Trainer
1. Medal Count (KY), R Albarado,118, D L Romans
2. Ry's the Man (KY), F Geroux, 118, N L Pessin
3. Woodfield Springs (KY), J R Leparoux, 118, G R Arnold, II
4. Hesinfront (KY), C J Lanerie, 118, D L Romans
5. Kody With a K (VA), C R Rosier, 118, C Cook
6. Red River Rising (KY), J Rocco, Jr., 118, K Gorder
7. Laddie Boy (KY), J L Castanon, 118, C Peery
8. Pleuven (FR), A Garcia, 118, C C Brown
9. Global View (KY), J Lezcano, 123, T F Proctor
10. Storming Inti (PA), J Castellano, 123, C C Brown
11. Picozza (KY), J R Velazquez, 118, T A Pletcher
12. Can'thelpbelieving (IRE), J Rosario, 118, H G Motion
