Postponed due to heavy rains in Kentucky that began April 2 and is expected to continue through April 6, turf and sprint division 3-year-olds will have their postponed day in the spotlight on April 7 at Keeneland.
Though the rain is expected to cease by Monday, the course figures to be impacted by the drenching it received, suggesting those competing in the $600,000 Transylvania Stakes (G3T) will be running on a course with plenty of give in the ground—if the 1 1/16-mile race remains on the turf course. Nine of the 12 runners in the overflow field have never run on a turf course rated less than firm.
Keeneland infrequently transfers its stakes races from turf to dirt.
Three of the runners have raced over a "good" turf course once: Gary Barber's Mi Bago won the five-furlong Algonquin Stakes at Woodbine by a neck; West Point Thoroughbreds, David Ingordo, and CJ Stables' Reagan's Wit broke his maiden by eight lengths at the 1 1/16-mile distance at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots; and Gold Square's Hammerhead debuted on a good course finishing sixth, beaten three lengths, at Saratoga Race Course.
Should the Transylvania come off the turf, three of the four also-eligibles have raced exclusively on dirt. Both Pretty Capable and Valentinian exit maiden victories at the 1 1/16-mile distance.
Eddie and Pat Greco, Scott Jaffe, Michael Cloonan, and Vaccarezza Racing's Golden Afternoon should perform well irrespective of the surface for trainer Nick Vaccarezza. The Goldencents gelding was runner-up in Keeneland's Bourbon Stakes (G2T) at the same course and distance last fall and ran a solid fourth, beaten just 2 1/2 lengths, over a sloppy Fair Grounds dirt track in the Lecomte Stakes (G3) Jan. 18.
Mrs. Fitriani Hay's Clock Tower has hit the board in two dirt maiden races to start his career, a third over good dirt and a second over fast dirt. He most recently ran a fading fourth in the Robert B. Lewis Stakes (G3) at Santa Anita Park Feb. 1 after failing to make the lead for the first time in six starts. He seems to be his best on turf for trainer Wesley Ward, winning two of three starts with a grade 3 win and grade 2 placing.
Mi Bago again pops up as a versatile option having broken his maiden on dirt at Colonial Downs and winning an off-the-turf Dania Beach Stakes over Gulfstream Park's synthetic surface Jan. 1. The son of Vekoma trained by Hall of Famer Mark Casse has won three straight listed stakes in wire-to-wire fashion.
Other top contenders in the main field are three-time stakes winner Chasing Liberty, last-out stakes winners Scipio and Tom's Magic, dual grade 3-placed and last-out maiden winner Sabertooth, and dual stakes-placed Test Score and Maui Strong.
Keeneland, Monday, April 7, 2025, Race 8Entries: Transylvania S. Presented by Keeneland Select (G3T)
PP Horse Jockey Wgt Trainer M/L 1 1Chasing Liberty (KY) Luis Saez 118 Rob Atras 15/1 2 2Reagan's Wit (KY) Jose L. Ortiz 118 Cherie DeVaux 4/1 3 3Golden Afternoon (KY) Joel Rosario 118 Nicholas Vaccarezza 15/1 4 4Maui Strong (KY) Vincent Cheminaud 118 Dale L. Romans 8/1 5 5Sabertooth (MD) Brian Joseph Hernandez, Jr. 118 Brittany T. Russell 30/1 6 6Versus (KY) Luan Machado 118 Kelly J. Breen 10/1 7 7Test Score (KY) Manuel Franco 118 H. Graham Motion 8/1 8 8Scipio (KY) Flavien Prat 118 Richard Baltas 6/1 9 9Tom's Magic (ON) Ben Curtis 118 Michael Stidham 12/1 10 10Clock Tower (KY) Gerardo Corrales 118 Wesley A. Ward 10/1 11 11Mi Bago (NY) Irad Ortiz, Jr. 118 Mark E. Casse 3/1 12 12Hammerhead (KY) Luca Panici 118 Chad Summers 20/1 13 13Barricade (KY) Irad Ortiz, Jr. 118 Todd A. Pletcher 8/1 14 14Septarian (KY) Dylan Davis 118 Chad C. Brown 6/1 15 15Pretty Capable (KY) Edgar Morales 118 Thomas M. Amoss 8/1 16 16Valentinian (KY) John R. Velazquez 118 Todd A. Pletcher 4/1
Colloquial Tries Lafayette After Impressive Maiden Win
One race prior, eight sophomore sprinters will line up for a $400,000 seven-furlong contest on dirt in the Lafayette Stakes.
The highly-regarded Colloquial ran a sensational 117 Equibase Speed Figure in his maiden-breaking 3-year-old debut at Aqueduct Racetrack Feb. 7 for owners Harrell Ventures and Starlight Racing. The George Weaver trainee won the 6 1/2-furlong race by seven lengths over a good dirt track, making him one of just two entrants to have raced over a non-fast track.
Video: Race 7 (MSW) at AQU on 2/7/25
The other is Smoken Wicked, who broke his maiden by 7 1/2 lengths going 4 1/2 furlongs on a sloppy track at Evangeline Downs in June. The grade 2-placed son of Bobby's Wicked One is a two-time Louisiana-bred stakes winner at six furlongs for Valene Farms and trainer Dallas Stewart.
Also in the field are Gulfstream Park stakes winners Gate to Wire and Rolando, plus the twice-raced talented 3-year-old Gunmetal.
Keeneland, Monday, April 7, 2025, Race 7Entries: Lafayette S.
PP Horse Jockey Wgt Trainer M/L 1 1Gunmetal (KY) Flavien Prat 118 Brad H. Cox 3/1 2 2Colloquial (KY) Manuel Franco 118 George Weaver 6/5 3 3Smoken Wicked (LA) Brian Joseph Hernandez, Jr. 118 Dallas Stewart 10/1 4 4Touchy (KY) Joel Rosario 118 Wesley A. Ward 8/1 5 5Gate to Wire (KY) Dylan Davis 118 Todd A. Pletcher 9/2 6 6Itsmybirthday (KY) Jose L. Ortiz 118 Robertino Diodoro 30/1 7 7One True Shance (KY) Luis Saez 118 Eddie Kenneally 20/1 8 8Rolando (KY) Irad Ortiz, Jr. 118 Fausto Gutierrez 8/1
