Live Oak Plantation’s Les Grands Trois has been the victor in all but one of his four career starts, despite physical issues that resulted in on-again off-again training. The son of Officer looks for his first graded stakes win in the $200,000 Perryville (gr. III) at Keeneland Oct. 13.
Out of the Gone West mare Triple Treasure, Les Grands Trois is a Bobby Frankel trainee who comes off a Sept. 22 allowance win and is the lone graded stakes-placed contender in the Perryville’s field of eight 3-year-olds. A $220,000 Keeneland September 2005 yearling sale graduate, he won his debut by an impressive nine lengths in July 2006, going six furlongs in a maiden special weight at Belmont – but then chipped his ankle and was sidelined several months. He came back to win a March 7 allowance at Santa Anita and ran third in the April 7 Bay Shore Stakes (gr. III) at Aqueduct, but Frankel had to stop again as the colt underwent throat surgery for a paralyzed flap. The Sept. 22 victory, over six furlongs, was his first race since the operation.
A serious threat to Les Grands Trois’ bid for blacktype status is the Mr. Greeley colt Chihulykee, a product of owner-trainer team Frank Calabrese and Wayne Catalano. Heading into the Perryville with three wire-to-wire allowance victories, Chihulykee aced the Arlington Park turf to get his maiden victory and claimed two more wins over the Polytrack after finishing second and 10th in his first two attempts. He stretches out to seven furlongs for the first time after setting a track record at Arlington in his last start, six furlongs in 1:08.84.
Team Block’s Shrewd Operator also figures to play into the pace of the Perryville. Unbeaten in just two starts, the Twining gelding wired the field in both six-furlong events at Arlington Park. In his last race Sept. 12, the Chris Block-trained speedster won by 5 1/2 lengths.
Three Twenty Three, Front Court, Steve’s Double, Demarcation, and Morada Key complete the field.
$200,000 Perryville Stakes (gr. III, race 7, 4:15 p.m.), 7 furlongs, 3-year-olds, Polytrack
PP, Horse, Jockey
1. Shrewd Operator, Robby Albarado
2. Three Twenty Three, Jesse Campbell
3. Front Court, Corey Lanerie
4. Les Grands Trois, Kent Desormeaux
5. Chihulykee, Rafael Bejarano
6. Steve's Double, Jamie Theriot
7. Demarcation, Garrett Gomez
8. Morada Key, Mark Guidry
(All carry 117 pounds)