One of the nation’s more accomplished three-year-old sprinters and a star juvenile from last season are among a full field lining up Saturday in the $300,000 Perryville (G3) at Keeneland.
Book’em Danno, victorious in the Woody Stephens (G1) earlier this year after finishing a head second to Forever Young in the Saudi Derby (G3), was a rallying third in the H. Allen Jerkens (G1) at Saratoga most recently. But the Perryville is hardly a significant drop in class.
Locked, who captured the Breeders’ Futurity (G1) last season before finishing third to stablemate Fierceness as the favorite in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (G1), will make his first start since that race in the Perryville. Aiming for the Fountain of the Youth (G2) last winter while on the Kentucky Derby (G1) trail, Locked was sidelined due to an injured ligament near his left knee. He returned to the worktab in August at Saratoga, where he has since been based.
Also on the Derby trail last spring was Epic Ride, a stakes winner on Tapeta at Turfway Park before placing in the John Battaglia Memorial and Blue Grass (G1). He backed out readily in the Churchill Downs classic, though, finishing 14th of 20 after showing early foot.
Godolphin homebred Knightsbridge makes his stakes debut in a tough spot. The son of Nyquist has won both starts emphatically, but there have been long gaps between starts for the Bill Mott trainee. He debuted at Churchill last November, winning by 10 lengths, and was last seen in late March taking a Gulfstream allowance by nine lengths.
“It will be good to get him back to the track, as he had some bone bruising in the spring so he needed a few months of turn out before he could resume training,” said Michael Banahan, Godolphin’s Director of Bloodstock.
Other potential players in the Perryville include multiple stakes winner Henro and Illinois Derby winner Patriot Spirit, who has recorded Brisnet Speed ratings of 103 and 104 in winning his last two starts.
Recent form lines for Emery make her the one to beat in the $350,000 Raven Run (G2), a seven-furlong test for three-year-old fillies. The Brad Cox trainee, a winner in four of six starts, has been installed as the 7-5 morning-line favorite in a field of 10.
Emery was an impressive winner of an allowance during the Keeneland spring meet and the Leslie’s Lady S. at Churchill Downs before summering in New York. She next captured the Victory Ride (G3) at Aqueduct, defeating two next-out stakes winners, and was most recently second best to Breeders’ Cup-bound Ways and Means in the Test (G1).
Third in the Test was returning rival My Mane Squeeze, who in the interim captured the Dogwood (G3) by five lengths. Earlier this season, My Mane Squeeze proved best in the Eight Belles (G2), also at Churchill.
Fibber and Miuccia enter the Raven Run off Grade 3 placings, while Haulin Ice figures to appreciate the cutback to one turn after a dull performance when favored in the Charles Town Oaks (G2).
Twirling Queen enters on a four-race win streak, albeit on turf and synthetic surfaces. V V’s Dream, who won the Pocahontas (G3) and placed in the Alcibiades (G1) last season, figures to be more fit following her recent allowance comeback following a six-month spell.
