Parading returns to the scene of his most lopsided stakes victory earlier this year when he takes on nine rivals in Keeneland's $150,000 Fayette Stakes on Oct. 31, closing day for the Lexington track's short fall meet.
The Phipps Stable's 6-year-old son of Pulpit won the Ben Ali Stakes (gr. III) by 7 1/2 lengths over Keeneland's Polytrack in April, and followed that effort with a triumph in Pimlico's Dixie (gr. IIT) May 16. The Shug McGaughey trainee has lost three in a row against grade I company on the West Coast since then and will no doubt appreciate a softer field in the 1 1/8-mile Fayette.
Parading, who comes off a strong fourth-place finish in Oak Tree's Goodwood (gr. I) at Santa Anita Oct. 10, was assigned top weight of 123 pounds. Kent Desormeaux, who was aboard for Parading's back-to-back wins in the spring, regains the mount. They will break from post 3. Parading has won seven races in 20 starts and earned $500,046.
A pair of 3-year-olds, Blame and Giant Oak , return off runner-up finishes in grade II races and will carry 116 pounds apiece. Also in the field is the grade II-winning mare Tizfiz. The Fayette goes as the ninth race on the program with a probable post of 5:05 p.m. ET.
The lightly-raced Blame ran a game second to Regal Ransom in the Super Derby (gr. II) at Louisiana Downs Sept. 19 in just his sixth lifetime start over the past two seasons. Trained by Albert Stall Jr. for Adele B. Dilschneider and Claiborne Farm, the son of Arch broke his maiden over Keeneland's Polytrack going seven furlongs last October. Regular rider Jamie Theriot has the call.
The Illinois-bred Giant Oak closed much ground in the Indiana Derby (gr. II) at Hoosier Park Oct. 3, but came up a half-length shy of the victorious Misremembered . Trained by Chris Block for the Virginia H. Tarra Trust, the Giant's Causeway colt will give Polytrack a try after doing most of his best work on turf, including a win in the Arlington Classic May 23.
Tizfiz, a 5-year-old daughter of Tiznow , will attempt to become the third female to win the Fayette, joining Old Hat (1965) and Chou Croute (1972). Trained by John Good, she is coming off a sixth-place finish in the Juddmonte Spinster (gr. I) on Oct. 11 at Keeneland. Prior to that, Tizfiz scored consecutive stakes victories on turf when she won the West Virginia Senate President’s Stakes at Mountaineer in August and the Edward J. DeBartolo Sr. Memorial Handicap at Remington five weeks later.
She began the year with a nose victory in the San Gorgonio Handicap (gr. IIT) at Santa Anita in January. Tizfiz has won seven of 18 races and $408,827 for owners Brian Kahn and Richard J. O’Neill Trust. She will be ridden in the Fayette by Corey Lanerie, who was aboard in the Spinster.
Dominican, now 5, will attempt to reprise his Keeneland win in the 2007 Toyota Blue Grass (gr. I), one of four victories in a 21-race career for the son of El Corredor. Trained by Darrin Miller for Bonnie and Tommy Hamilton's Silverton Hill, Dominican has won two of five starts over the track with two seconds, including a runner-up finish to Ball Four in last year's Fayette. Dominican has dropped seven races in a row.
Also looking to regain his winning form after seven straight losses is Jade's Revenge, whose last victory came in the 1 5/8-mile Fort Harrod Stakes at Keeneland in April 2008. The Graham Motion trainee recently returned from a nine-month absence.
Public Speaker, breaking from the rail, has won back-to-back stakes in Illinois for trainer Dale Bennett, most recently taking the off-the-turf Carey Memorial Handicap over a sloppy Hawthorne strip Oct. 3. He has prevailed in six of 10 starts this year. The 4-year-old son of Distorted Humor won his only start over Keeneland's Polytrack in April and was claimed out of that race for $50,000 from WinStar Farm.
Medjool, National Pride and Wicked Style complete the field. Racing in Kentucky returns to Churchill Downs on Nov. 1.
$150,000 Fayette Stakes (gr. II, Race 9, 5:05 p.m.), 3 & Up, 1 1/8 MIles (All Weather)
PP. Horse, Jockey, Weight, Trainer
1. Public Speaker (KY), L R Goncalves, 119, D Bennett
2. Jade's Revenge (KY), J Rose, 119, H G Motion
3. Parading (KY), K J Desormeaux, 123, C R McGaughey III
4. Medjool (KY), F C Torres, 119, M R Scherer
5, National Pride (KY), J R Leparoux, 119, K P McLaughlin
6. Giant Oak (IL), E Razo, Jr., 116, C M Block
7. Wicked Style (FL), R Albarado, 119, G R Arnold, II
8. Tizfiz (KY), C J Lanerie, 119, J Good
9. Blame (KY), J Theriot, 116, A M Stall, Jr.
10. Dominican (KY), S Bridgmohan, 119, D Miller