William Lawrence's undefeated Analyze It heads a field of 12 sophomores entered for the $150,000 Kentucky Utilities Transylvania Stakes (G3T) going 1 1/16 miles on the turf April 6.
The Transylvania is the featured event on the opening-day program of Keeneland's 16-day Spring Meet that runs through April 27. The 10-race card begins at 1:05 p.m. EDT, with the Transylvania slated as race nine.
Trained by Chad Brown, Analyze It has not been tested in his two starts as a 2-year-old. After winning his debut by 6 1/4 lengths in October at Belmont Park, he took the one-mile Cecil B. DeMille Stakes (G3T) at Del Mar in November by 4 1/4 lengths as the 1-2 favorite.
Jose Ortiz has the call on the son of Point of Entry , who will break from the outside post 12.
Brown will be shooting for his second victory in the Transylvania. He won the 2015 edition with Night Prowler.
Also eyeing a second victory in the race is trainer Todd Pletcher, who took the 2013 running with Jack Milton . Pletcher will send out Treadway Racing Stable's Maraud.
Winner of the March 3 Palm Beach Stakes (G3T) at Gulfstream Park, Maraud has compiled a 3-0-2 record from five starts on turf. John Velazquez, who won this race on Jack Milton, has the call and will break from post 1.
Both Analyze It and Maraud will carry the highweight of 123 pounds, giving three to five pounds to the rest of the field.
Vickie Foley and Secure Investments' Tigers Rule began the year with a Feb. 25 allowance optional-claiming turf race score at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots after ending 2017 with a disqualification from second to third place in the 1 1/16-mile Dixiana Bourbon Stakes (G3) behind Flameaway, who is 18th on the Road to the Kentucky Derby leaderboard.
Stakes-placed Captivating Moon will try for his first graded score in the Transylvania. After finishing seventh in the Bourbon Stakes, he came in second in a black-type stakes and won an allowance optional-claiming race on the turf at Tampa Bay Downs.
Keeneland, Friday, April 06, 2018, Race 9Entries: Kentucky Utilities Transylvania S. (G3T)
PP Horse Jockey Wgt Trainer M/L 1 1Maraud (KY) John R. Velazquez 123 Todd A. Pletcher 3/1 2 2Tigers Rule (KY) Joel Rosario 120 Vickie L. Foley 15/1 3 3Tap Daddy (KY) Julien R. Leparoux 118 Steven M. Asmussen 12/1 4 4Dragon Drew (KY) James Graham 118 William B. Bradley 12/1 5 5Admiralty Pier (KY) Luis Saez 118 Barbara J. Minshall 8/1 6 6Determinant (KY) Tyler Gaffalione 118 Mark E. Casse 12/1 7 7Funny Duck (KY) Brian Joseph Hernandez, Jr. 118 George R. Arnold, II 15/1 8 8Captivating Moon (KY) Florent Geroux 118 Chris M. Block 12/1 9 9Golden Dragon (KY) Jack Gilligan 118 Mikhail Yanakov 20/1 10 10King Valero (KY) Sergio Figueroa 118 Alejandro Gonzalez 50/1 11 11Beer Pressure (OH) Robby Albarado 118 Michael Ann Ewing 20/1 12 12Analyze It (KY) Jose L. Ortiz 123 Chad C. Brown 7/5
