Four other stakes races support the Lane's End undercard, including the Bourbonette Breeders' Cup, a Kentucky Oaks prep that gains grade III status for the first time. Also on the card are the Rushaway Stakes, also for three-year-olds, and the Queen Stakes and the Hansel Stakes, both sprints.
Edited press releaseThe March 25 Lane's End Stakes (gr. II) at Turfway Park has drawn 155 nominations, the most since Lane's End Farm began sponsoring the race in 2002. Todd Pletcher leads all trainers with 18 nominations. Pletcher won last year's race with Flower Alley. Among Pletcher's nominees is Keyed Entry, who earlier defeated First Samurai, another nominee, in the Hutcheson Stakes (gr. II) at Gulfstream Park. Bob Baffert has nominated 12 to the race including Mr. Sekiguchi, an $8 million yearling. Mr. Sekiguchi was second by half a length at Santa Anita in his only start. Other nominees include Dawn of War, Kilimanjaro, and Your Tent or Mine.Horses nominated to the Lane's End Stakes are automatically nominated to the John Battaglia Memorial Stakes, the Rushaway Stakes, and the Hansel Stakes.
