Lucky Seven Stable's Rattle N Roll and Peachtree Stable's Tawny Port, who each made headlines with graded stakes wins at Keeneland in prior years, aim for continued success at the Lexington oval when racing against five other horses in the $300,000 Ben Ali Stakes (G3) April 22.
Rattle N Roll, winner of the 2021 Breeders' Futurity (G1) at Keeneland as a juvenile, makes his second start as a 4-year-old in the Ben Ali after a fourth in a quick renewal of the New Orleans Classic Stakes (G2) at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots March 25 for trainer Kenny McPeek. Last year at 3, he won three stakes—the American Derby, St. Louis Derby, and Oklahoma Derby (G3)—in 10 overall starts while unplaced in four grade 2 or grade 1 class tests.
Regular rider Brian Hernandez Jr. is aboard the son of Connect in the 1 3/16-mile Ben Ali.
Tawny Port took the Lexington Stakes (G3) last year at Keeneland, an effort that propelled him into the Kentucky Derby (G1) at Churchill Downs, where he ran a close seventh. He would go on to win the Ohio Derby (G3) at Thistledown and run third in the Jim Dandy Stakes (G2) at Saratoga Race Course last summer.
After running below expectations in his last three starts, finishing 10th in the Sept. 24 Pennsylvania Derby (G1) at Parx Racing, and fifth in both the Feb. 18 Mineshaft Stakes (G3) at Fair Grounds and March 18 Essex Handicap (G3) at Oaklawn Park, trainer Brad Cox adds blinkers to the Pioneerof the Nile colt.
Flavien Prat, scheduled to ride Angel of Empire for Cox in next month's Kentucky Derby, picks up the ride.
Both Rattle N Roll and Tawny Port race from well off the pace, lacking the tactical speed of two of the other race favorites, Daniel Alonso's Skippylongstocking and Sumaya U. S. Stable's Pioneer of Medina, both graded stakes winners in recent months.
Skippylongstocking won the Dec. 31 Harlan's Holiday Stakes (G3) at Gulfstream Park, defeating Pioneer of Medina, and after a seventh there in the Jan. 28 Pegasus World Cup Invitational Stakes (G1), captured the Challenger Stakes (G3) in his most recent start at Tampa Bay Downs March 11.
"He came out of the Challenger well and gave us the confidence to put him in here," said Beau Chapman, assistant to trainer Saffie Joseph Jr.
Video: $100,000 Michelob Ultra Challenger S. (G3)
Last year at 3 he also won the West Virginia Derby (G3) and showed in the Belmont Stakes (G1). Irad Ortiz Jr. rides the Exaggerator colt.
"He has improved with age," Chapman said of the Keeneland sales graduate. "He is a big, lanky horse and he has grown into himself and really developed."
Pioneer of Medina twice raced at Fair Grounds after his runner-up finish in the Harlan's Holiday, narrowly winning the Mineshaft before finishing sixth in the New Orleans Classic for Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher.
Tyler Gaffalione is aboard the rail-drawn Pioneer of Medina, another son of Pioneerof the Nile.
Trademark, Call Me Fast, and Happy American complete the field.
Keeneland, Saturday, April 22, 2023, Race 9Entries: Ben Ali S. (G3)
PP Horse Jockey Wgt Trainer M/L 1 1Pioneer of Medina (KY) Tyler Gaffalione 118 Todd A. Pletcher 7/2 2 2Trademark (KY) Rafael Bejarano 118 Victoria H. Oliver 6/1 3 3Call Me Fast (KY) Julien R. Leparoux 118 Michael Puhich 20/1 4 4Skippylongstocking (KY) Irad Ortiz, Jr. 118 Saffie A. Joseph, Jr. 7/5 5 5Rattle N Roll (KY) Brian Joseph Hernandez, Jr. 118 Kenneth G. McPeek 3/1 6 6Happy American (KY) James Graham 118 Neil L. Pessin 12/1 7 7Tawny Port (KY) Flavien Prat 118 Brad H. Cox 8/1
