Lady Aurelia earned every style point April 15 in her first outing since last September when she whipped her way off the final turn to a 2 1/2-length victory in the $100,000 Giant's Causeway Stakes over the Keeneland lawn.
Each week BloodHorse.com looks forward to the weekend's biggest races. This week we have the final preps for the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (G1) at Oaklawn Park and Keeneland.
Not only will Stonestreet Stables, George Bolton, and Peter Leidel's group 1 winner face an overflow field in the $100,000 Giant's Causeway Stakes April 15 at Keeneland, but she'll also face older horses for the first time.
Trainer Wesley Ward said Keeneland's listed Giant's Causeway Stakes, at 5 1/2 furlongs on turf April 15, is scheduled to mark the 2017 debut of Stonestreet Farm, George Bolton, Peter Leidel's Lady Aurelia, Europe's 2016 champion 2-year-old filly.
Sweet Cassiopeia, a multiple stakes-winning daughter of Five Star Day--My Sweet Caroline, by Salt Lake, has been added to the Fasig-Tipton Kentucky November sale Nov. 3.
Apropos, owned and bred by Claiborne Farm and Adele Dilschneider, seems to have found a good spot in the $100,000 Winning Colors Stakes May 26, when she will face eight opponents in the six-furlong sprint at Churchill Downs.
Two turf stakes on the Preakness Stakes day undercard May 17, The Very One and the James W. Murphy, feature big fields and numerous betting opportunities at Pimlico Race Course.
The last time John Oxley's Spring in the Air dropped back to a sprint after a series of two-turn races, she won the seven-furlong Fury Stakes at Woodbine. She'll make her 2014 debut in the six-furlong Whimsical April 26.
Turtle Bird Stable's Cluster of Stars improved her undefeated record to six wins at the cost of Dance to Bristol in the $300,000 Gallant Bloom Handicap (gr. III) Sept. 21 at Belmont Park.
Dance to Bristol returns to Belmont Park for the $300,000 Gallant Bloom Handicap (gr. II) on Sept. 21 to prep for the Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint (gr. I), and a salty field of eight other 4-year-old fillies awaits her.
Sensible Lady will try to pick up her third stakes win of the season, while grade I winner Pool Play will try to get untracked when the two multiple stakes winners start in stakes Sept. 2 at Parx Racing.
Nikkis Smartypants showed her resiliency when re-breaking in the stretch to draw away for an upset victory in the $150,000 Royal North Stakes (Can-III) on the turf July 28 at Woodbine.
Double Sovereign Award winner Roxy Gap is set to make her return to the races following an eight-month layoff in the $150,000 Royal North Stakes (Can-III) on the turf July 28 at Woodbine.
Holiday Soiree, a grade I-placed daughter of Harlan's Holiday, got the July 15 Fasig-Tipton summer horses of racing age sale off to a good start when she fetched $370,000 from John Greathouse of Glencrest Farm.
Trainer Marty Wolfson, winner of a record three editions of the $350,000 Princess Rooney Handicap, has entered five for this year's July 6 edition at Calder--against the likes of Reneesgotzip and Judy the Beauty.
Dance the Bristol continued her roll with a strong win in the $100,000 Skipat Stakes at Pimlico Race Course May 17, then I'm Mom's Favorite got up in the shadow of the wire in the $100,000 Ms. Preakness Pink Warrior.
Popular Ben's Cat will run in the Jim McKay Turf Sprint Stakes for the third straight time on the undercard for this year's Black-Eyed Susan Stakes (gr. II) program May 17 at Pimlico Race Course.
James Spence's homebred Aubby K won her second graded contest in a row, splashing to victory in the grade I Humana Distaff on the Kentucky Derby Day undercard at Churchill Downs May 4.
Dance to Bristol, giving the biggest effort of her career, waltzed to a nine-length romp in the $200,000 Sugar Maple Stakes at Hollywood Casino at Charles Town Races April 20.
In 2012, Book Review swept from eighth place past a game Holiday Soiree to win the $400,000 Charles Town Oaks for 3-year-old fillies. A year later, those two will rumble again April 20 in the $200,000 Sugar Maple Stakes.
Madame Giry registered her fifth consecutive victory when she motored down the center of the Keeneland turf course to prevail by 2 1/2 lengths in the $100,000 Buffalo Trace Franklin County Stakes Oct. 12.
Inspired will try for her sixth stakes win this season when she faces other top female turf sprinters in the Buffalo Trace Franklin County Stakes on Oct. 12 at Keeneland.
Favored Book Review, invading from New York for trainer Chad Brown, took down the $400,000 Charles Town Oaks with a big sweeping move from the back of the pack on the night of Sept. 22 at Charles Town.
Veteran turf sprinters Ben's Cat and Chamberlain Bridge, who have combined to win the past three renewals of the Turf Monster Handicap (gr. IIIT), head the field for this year's $350,000 race Sept. 3 at Parx Racing.
Craig B. Singer's homebred Salty Strike jumped out to the early lead and never looked back as the 4-year-old filly posted her third consecutive stakes win in the $100,000 Gardenia Stakes (gr. III) at Ellis Park Aug. 11.
| Horse | Trainer | Breeder / Owner |
|---|---|---|
| Extravaganza | Michael Stidham |
|
| Formal Plan | Jennifer Tooley |
|
| Holiday Soiree | Todd A. Pletcher |
|
| Kiss in the Forest | Bruce N. Levine |
|
| Rosa Salvaje | Lisa L. Lewis |
|
| Sally Sally | Ryan D. Walsh |
|
| Sensible Lady | Alan E. Goldberg |
|
| Sounds of the City | Alan E. Goldberg |
|
| Spun Cap | Eduardo Caramori |
|
| Sweet Cassiopeia | William R. Connelly |
|
| Race | Track | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Ontario County S. | FL | |
| Bashford Manor S. (G3) | CD | |
| Debutante S. | CD | |
| Kelly's Landing Overnight S. | CD | |
| Petticoat S. | ALB |
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