There was no shortage of connections interested in adding a graded sprint victory to their 3-year-old filly's résumé before the year ends as the $400,000 Raven Run Stakes (G2) at Keeneland drew 12 runners and three also-eligibles for Oct. 18.
Although she's not the only graded winner in the field, Godolphin homebred Ragtime is the only runner to have experienced graded success around one turn, which came Sept. 20 at Churchill Downs in the Dogwood Stakes (G3) over the same 7-furlong distance.
Trained by Hall of Famer Bill Mott and ridden by Junior Alvarado, the Union Rags filly has made all four career starts over the distance and has been near-perfect. The lone blemish on her record was a neck defeat when caught late by Kilwin in the Test Stakes (G1), Ragtime's first start in stakes company.
Her proven ability at 7 furlongs earned the nod from the morning-line odds maker as the 3-1 favorite. She faces two familiar faces in Strong State and Delightful Claire, the Dogwood's second- and third-place finishers, respectively.
Video: Dogwood S. presented by Resolute Racing (G3)
Of course, there will be many new faces as well, not just to Ragtime, but to the graded scene.
One of those is Goodfella's LLC's Maida for trainer Brittany Russell, who has utilized her early speed to rally off three straight wins as she's climbed from maiden ranks to allowance to an 8-length triumph in the Sept. 20 Weather Vane Stakes at Laurel Park. Another is Mike Pegram, Karl Watson, and Paul Weitman's Usha, who also used her early speed to defeat allowance foes at Del Mar Sept. 5 to improve her 2025 record to 2-for-2.
Joining the Bob Baffert trainee as a West Coast invader is Connie and Jerry Baker, Michael Golovko, and Terrence Scanlan's Om N Joy for trainer Aggie Ordonez. A California-bred daughter of Om , Om N Joy stepped out of state-bred company to win the 1-mile Torrey Pines Stakes (G3) at Del Mar Aug. 30, extending her record to 5-for-6 this season. Her lone start over 7 furlongs resulted in a 4 1/4-length triumph in the Fleet Treat Stakes.
The Raven Run is also acting as the landing spot for both Shortleaf Stable's Quietside and Grantley Acres, Ryan Conner, Berkels0813, and CMNWLTH's Simply Joking as they make their first starts since the May 2 Kentucky Oaks (G1).
Sixth in the Oaks, Quietside has shown ability over 7 furlongs when she was second in the 2024 Spinaway Stakes (G1) to eventual division champion Immersive over a muddy track at Saratoga Race Course. She returned to the work tab at the beginning of August and has been training steadily since for trainer John Ortiz.
Simply Joking had a bone "flake" removed after finishing last of 13 in the Oaks, and returned to the work tab in late August for her new trainer, Michael McCarthy.
D. J. Stable and Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners' Vixen adds intrigue as the grade 3 winner on turf attempts to show versatility in her dirt debut. A victory on the new surface would be well timed as the Mark Casse trainee is cataloged as Hip 175 in Fasig-Tipton's The November Sale in Lexington Nov. 3.
Also in the field are stakes winners Volleyballprincess and Reputation, as well as two-time grade 1 placed Vodka With a Twist, who returns on two weeks' rest after finishing fourth in the Thoroughbred Club of America Stakes (G2) at Keeneland Oct. 4.
Keeneland, Saturday, October 18, 2025, Race 9Entries: Lexus Raven Run S. (G2)
PP Horse Jockey Wgt Trainer M/L 1 1Delightful Claire (KY) Joel Rosario 118 Philip A. Bauer 10/1 2 2Vixen (KY) Tyler Gaffalione 118 Mark E. Casse 20/1 3 3Strong State (KY) James Graham 118 Albert M. Stall, Jr. 15/1 4 4Volleyballprincess (NC) Jaime A. Torres 118 Louis C. Linder, Jr. 30/1 5 5Om N Joy (CA) Kent J. Desormeaux 118 Aggie Ordonez 15/1 6 6Reputation (KY) Luan Machado 118 Gustavo Delgado 15/1 7 7Maida (KY) Sheldon Russell 118 Brittany T. Russell 10/1 8 8Usha (NY) Irad Ortiz, Jr. 118 Bob Baffert 9/2 9 9Ragtime (KY) Junior Alvarado 118 William I. Mott 3/1 10 10Simply Joking (PA) Lanfranco Dettori 118 Michael W. McCarthy 8/1 11 11Quietside (KY) Jose L. Ortiz 120 John Alexander Ortiz 4/1 12 12Vodka With a Twist (KY) Luis Saez 118 Philip D'Amato 10/1 13 13Kappa Kappa (PA) Mychel J. Sanchez 118 Robert E. Reid, Jr. 8/1 14 14Taliesin (KY) Frankie Pennington 118 Jacinto Solis 12/1 15 15Tetiaroa (KY) Luis Saez 118 Philip A. Bauer 15/1
