Claiborne Farm's Remind and Dave Feldman Stakes winner Hypnotist head the field of nine for Friday's opening day feature at Keeneland, the $100,000-added Transylvania (gr. IIIT) for 3-year-olds at one mile on the turf.The 15-day Keeneland meeting continues through April 25 with no racing on Mondays, Tuesdays and Easter Sunday.Remind probably will be the sentimental favorite as the historic Kentucky farm bids to be the first stable in history to win the coveted Keeneland Gold Bowl. Remind, a son of Deputy Minister, has been an impressive winner in his last two starts. Hall of Fame jockey Jerry Bailey has the call on the Bill Mott trainee.Hypnotist ships in from Gulfstream Park for the Transylvania. The Dogwood Stable color-bearer seems best at a mile and his closing style should serve him well on the Keeneland green. Mark Guidry, who had a sensational Gulfstream meeting, will take the reins for trainer Barclay Tagg.Rapid Proof, who won the Hopemont over the Keeneland grass course during the fall meeting, should have a major shot to upset the top two. Unplaced in the LeComte on the Fair Grounds dirt, Dolphus Morrison's Kentucky homebred will appreciate the return to the grass. His regular pilot Calvin Borel rides.Trainer D. Wayne Lukas always has his stable ready to fire in Lexington. He will saddle Fog City Stable's Deep Shadow, most recently third in the Academy Road Stakes at Santa Anita.
A son of the Lukas-trained Cape Town, Deep Shadow has done his best running on the turf. Kent Desormeaux, who will be a regular member of the jockey colony at the spring meeting, will be in the saddle.
$100,000-added Transylvania Stakes (gr. IIIT), 3-year-olds, 1 mile
PP. Horse (Jockey)
1.Christmas Away (Pat Day)
2. Hypnotist (Mark Guidry)
3. White Cat (Shane Sellers)
4. Rapid Proof (Calvin Borel)
5. Larry B. (Lonnie Meche)
6. Remind (Jerry Bailey)
7. Deep Shadow (Kent Desormeaux)
8. Chicken Soup Kid (Brian Peck)
9. Strizzi (Jose Santos)