Volga Heads Dowager at Keeneland

Joseph Allen's Volga (Ire) heads a field of 10 fillies and mares entered in Sunday's $100,000-added Dowager at 12 furlongs on the Keeneland turf. The four-year-old daughter of Caerleon is coming off a good third-place finish in Woodbine's E.P. Taylor and has never finished worse than second at the Dowager distance. Christophe Clement trains.

Trainer Alton Quanbeck ships Highclere's Lapuma to Lexington from Delaware Park, where the Lord At War (Arg) mare won a division of the Twixtslusive Stakes. She has never finished out of the money in three starts going a mile and a half and looks to extend that streak in the Dowager.
Saffron Dancer (Ire) ships in from Canada off a victory in the Flaming Page at Woodbine. Leased by Diana Holland and Peter Bradley III, the daughter of Bin Ajwaad is trained by Michael J. Doyle.
Northwest Farms' Strikes No Spares makes her marathon debut in the Dowager. Trainer Richard Lundy learned his early lessons from legendary trainer Charlie Whittingham, who was a master at winning long grass races. The three-year-old daughter of Storm Strike could be the upset special.

The Dowager field from the rail out: Volga (Ire) (Day), Ornate (Joe Johnson), Strikes No Spares (Eddie Martin, Jr.), Lapuma (Larry Melancon), Dangerous Girl (Jeff Johnston), Sunscreen (Mark Guidry), Sweet and Red (Elizabeth Butler), San Dare (Willie Martinez), Saffron Dancer (Ire) (Robby Albarado), and Pelusada (Chi) (Calvin Borel).