Woodbine Mile (gr. IT) winner Rahy's Attorney will make his first start outside of Canada Oct. 4, as the 4-year-old gelding headlines a star-studded field of 12 older horses in the $600,000 Shadwell Turf Mile (gr. IT) at Keeneland.
The Turf Mile, along with $500,000 Lane’s End Breeders’ Futurity (gr. I), are the highlights of Keeneland’s “Fallstars Weekend” that kicks off the prestigious fall meet. Both are Breeders’ Cup Challenge “Win and You’re In” events.
Also entered in the Turf Mile is two-time Bernard Baruch (gr. IIT) winner Shakis, who finished just three-quarters of a length back of dual-classic winner Big Brown in the Sept. 13 Monmouth Stakes; Firecracker Handicap (gr. II) winner Thorn Song; Buffalo Man, who enters off a victory in the grade III Red Bank Stakes at Monmouth; and European invaders Lord Admiral and Lovelace, both with group II scores this season.
Ellie-Boje Farm’s homebred Rahy’s Attorney has made 17 starts in his career, all of them at Wodbine. The son of Crown Attorney has won seven times, but none were as big as his 1 1/4-length victory in the $1-million Woodbine Mile Sept. 7 when he put away stars Kip Deville and Ventura. He is trained by Ian Black.
Though he has no experience outside of Canada, Rahy’s Attorney is a convincing 4-for-4 going a mile on the turf. He is out of the Rahy mare Rahy’s Hope. Regular jockey Slade Callaghan was named to ride. They will have to break from the outside post.
Shadwell Stable’s Shakis was third, beaten four lengths, in last year’s Turf Mile. The 8-year-old Irish-bred son of Machiavellian finished off the board in three starts to open the season, including the April 11 Maker’s Mark Mile (gr. IT) at Keeneland, but responded with a narrow victory in the Bernard Baruch Aug. 23 and gave Big Brown a run for his money in the Monmouth Stakes.
Trained by Kiaran McLaughlin, Shakis is 7-4-5 from 33 starts in three different countries. Rafael Bejarano will get the mount for the first time and break from the inside post, which might favor the closer.
Zayat Stables’ Thorn Song will be making his ninth start of the season for Dale Romans. The 5-year-old son of Unbridled's Song has won twice, with the one-mile Firecracker July 4 at Churchill Downs his second career graded stakes triumph. At Saratoga this summer, Thorn Song was third, beaten just over a length by Red Giant in the Fourstardave Handicap (gr. IIT), and fourth, 1 1/2 lengths behind Shakis after taking the lead into the stretch.
At one the distance of a mile, Thorn Song is 2-2-1 in five career starts, including a third-place finish in the Maker’s Mark Mile this spring when he lost to Kip Deville by a length. Robby Albarado, who won on Thorn Song in optional claiming company at Churchill in June, picks up the mount.
Although he was bred in Pennsylvania and purchased as a yearling at Keeneland, 7-year-old Lord Admiral has made all but two of his 45 starts outside of the United States. The son of El Prado has won twice in the United Arab Emirates this season, both of them graded events. A consistent horse, Lord Admiral has hit the board 30 times in his career. Jamie Theriot will be aboard for the first time.
Lovelace will be making his first start in the states for trainer Mark Johnston. The 4-year-old colt has raced in England, France, Germany, and Singapore with a 7-1-2 record to show for 17 starts. Two efforts ago he won the Darley Oettingen-Rennen Stakes (Ger-II) going about a mile. He arrived in the States late last week and cleared quarantine Sept. 28.
“He has settled in nicely. Traveling is no problem for him,” assistant trainer Justin Buckham said. “He ran in Germany on Sept. 2 and five days later he was at Longchamp (in France). He likes it better when it is firm. At Longchamp, it had rained the day before and it was drying it the day of the race and still a bit sticky. We are quietly confident that he will run a huge race.”
The Turf Mile and the Lane's End Breeders' Futurity are featured on this week's edition of That Handicapping Show.
$600,000 Shadwell Turf Mile (gr. IT, Race 8, 4:55 p.m.), 3 & Up, 1 Mile (Turf)
PP. Horse, Weight, Jockey
1. Shakis (IRE), Rafael Bejarano
2. Kingship (KY), Cornelio H. Velasquez
3. Thorn Song (KY), Robby Albarado
4. Elusive Fort (SAF), Rene R. Douglas
5. Lord Admiral (PA), Jamie Theriot
6. War Monger (FL), Kent J. Desormeaux
7. Buffalo Man (ON), Carlos H. Marquez, Jr.
8. Lovelace (GB), Royston French
9. Society's Chairman (ON),Jono C. Jones
10. French Beret (ON), Julien R. Leparoux
11. Karelian (KY), Miguel Mena
12. Rahy's Attorney (ON), Slade Callaghan
AE Museeb (KY), Rafael Bejarano
*All horses will carry 126 pounds