Keeneland Fall Championship 2012: Results and news

One by one, Joha’s rivals took shots at trying to pass her in the stretch of the Grade 1 Dixiana Breeders’ Futurity. And one by one, Joha repelled them all. In a gutsy and game performance, Joha led every step of the way to win the Breeders’ Futurity and secure a spot in the starting gate for the 2012 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile at Santa Anita on Saturday, November 3rd.

Coming out of the Breeders’ Futurity, Joha’s connections will have a decision to make as they prepare for Santa Anita. Do they run in the Juvenile, the race they qualified for with the win at Keeneland on Saturday? Or do they enter the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf, a race that is probably a better fit given the fact that Joha has never run on dirt and has wins over turf and synthetic surfaces in his career? It’s a tough decision for anyone to make but, in this instance, the race on grass seems like the better spot.

Going into the Shadwell Turf Mile, no one expected any of Wise Dan’s rivals to have a realistic shot at defeating the heavy favorite at Keeneland. Sure, there’s always a chance in a horse race; no horse is ever a 100% lock (despite what us handicappers like to think). But if the 2012 racing season has taught us anything, it’s this: Wise Dan, when he’s in form, is one of the best horses in the country, a legitimate Horse of the Year candidate and almost unbeatable in turf mile events.

Saturday at Keeneland, Wide Dan put in a professional effort to win the Shadwell Turf Mile - his his second Grade 1 race of 2012 and his fourth graded stakes overall. The only blemish on his record this year is a head defeat to Ron the Greek in the G1-Stephen Foster Handicap when he was giving four pounds to the winner. A further testament to his class and versatility is the fact that Wise Dan is a graded stakes winner on turf, dirt and synthetic surfaces.

Wise Dan continued to prove that he’s the best turf miler in North America, if not one of the best horses on any surface on the continent, with a dominating win in the Grade 1 Shadwell Turf Mile at Keeneland.

Silver Max broke well and set an uncontested lead through the first half mile but had no response when Dominus and Wise Dan rolled up beside him on the turn. At the top of the stretch, Wise Dan easily put away Dominus and then ran on to the wire under moderate urging by jockey Jose Lezcano. Wilcox Inn ran on well to finish second while longshot Slip and Drive finished third.

Tapitsfly made a wide move coming off the far turn and gradually wore down Daisy Devine to win the Grade 1 First Lady Stakes at Keeneland in Lexington, Kentucky. Daisy Devine held on to place second while favorite Hungry Island closed hard from the back of the pack to finish third.

Tapitsfly is a five-year-old mare by Tapit out of a Marlin mare (Flying Marlin), trained by Dale Romans and ridden by Jose Lezcano. The First Lady is Tapitsfly’s third graded stakes victory in 2012 (G1-Just A Game, G2-Honey Fox).

Bridgetown passed Great Mills in the final 100 yards to win the Grade 3 Woodford Stakes at Keeneland. Great Mills broke well from the gate, ran quick splits through the opening half mile (21.67 and 44.53), received some pressure from the inside from Ginplay and pulled away to a length lead at the top of the stretch. From that point forward, Bridgetown cut into Great Mills lead with every stride, eventually taking the lead within the shadow of the wire. Chamberlain Bridge finished third to round out the trifecta.

6-Will’s Wildcat was scratched from the Woodford prior to the race leaving a field of just six to go to post.

Saturday’s Keeneland card features a jam packed stakes line up, including three Grade 1 races - First Lady Stakes, Dixana Breeders’ Futurity and Shadwell Turf Mile (featuring Woodbine Mile winner Wise Dan). The first race of the day at Keeneland is scheduled to go to post at 1:05pm Eastern time. The graded stakes portion of the card begins at 3:13pm with the Grade 3 Woodford, followed by the TCOA, First Lady, Breeders’ Futurity and Shadwell Turf Mile.

Keeneland is offering an $0.50 Pick 5 beginning with the TCOA in Race 6 and continuing to the end of the card. Additionally, there are three $0.50 Pick 4s beginning with Race 2, Race 6 and Race 7.