Invaders loon big in Sycamore

LEXINGTON, Ky. – There are so many East Coast horses in the Sycamore Stakes on Thursday at Keeneland that Tom Proctor had one of his customary tongue-in-cheek quips for track management.

“They should’ve paid for the shipping,” Proctor said.

By way of Texas, California, Chicago, and other centers of racing, Proctor is now based primarily at the Fair Hill training center in northern Maryland with a stable that continues to win races from coast to coast. Proctor had his first Keeneland winner of the year with Last Promise Kept on Sunday, marking the 15th track where his horses have won in 2017. Proctor has 53 winners on the year.

On Thursday, Proctor will send out Big Bend in a field of 13 in the 23rd running of the Grade 3, $100,000 Sycamore.

Big Bend is one of just two 3-year-olds (with Final Copy) in the 1 1/2-mile turf stakes, which also drew another halfdozen East Coast shippers, including such major contenders as Renown, Hardest Core, and Manitoulin. It will be the first time Big Bend has run in a stakes against older horses, although the Union Rags colt defeated older in a July allowance at Delaware Park prior to capturing the $350,000 Dueling Grounds Derby for 3-year-olds last month at Kentucky Downs.

Drayden Van Dkye will be back from California for a return ride on Big Bend, who breaks from post 11 in the three-turn Sycamore.

Hardest Core (post 8, Emma-Jayne Wilson) will be looking to recapture the form that took him to a memorable victory in the 2014 Arlington Million after getting a needed tightener last month for trainer Eddie Graham. Renown (post 6, Chris DeCarlo) is seeking to repeat as the Sycamore winner after prevailing in a tight photo here last fall for trainer Elizabeth Voss. The 6-year-old gelding most recently was third in the Laurel Turf Cup behind Canessar and Infinite Wisdom, both of whom will oppose him Thursday. Canessar breaks from post 3 with Feargal Lynch up, and Infinite Wisdom is in post 9 with Channing Hill aboard.

Manitoulin (post 13, Florent Geroux), from a prominent Darby Dan Farm female family, ships in from New York for Jimmy Toner following a sharp allowance score over the Belmont turf.

The top locally based contenders include Some In Tieme (post 2, Robby Albarado), unraced since winning the Grade 3 Louisville in late May for Kenny McPeek, and Flashy Chelsey (post 10, Jose Ortiz), stretching out for Mike Maker.

The Sycamore, named for the massive tree that towers over the entrance to the Keeneland walking ring, is carded as the eighth of nine races. First post is 1:05 p.m. Eastern, with two allowances (races 6 and 7) directly preceding the Sycamore (4:57). Sunny skies and a high of 71 are forecast.

The Sycamore is one of the more difficult links in the pick six. The $1 pick six is held on the last six races each day.

The Sycamore is the first of four straight graded stakes to be run here this week, with the others being the Grade 3 Valley View on Friday, the Grade 2 Raven Run on Saturday, and the Grade 3 Dowager on Sunday. The 17-day fall meet closes Oct. 28 with the Grade 2 Fayette.