Daily Racing Form National Digital Edition
3-year-olds look strong in Spinster
LEXINGTON, Ky. – A 3-yearold filly hasn’t won the Spinster Stakes over a dirt track at Keeneland since Take Charge Lady in 2002. That’s ignoring three such winners during the Polytrack era (2006-13), but the fact remains older mares generally have dominated for much of the race’s 62-year history.
That trend may well be interrupted Sunday when the Grade 1, $500,000 Spinster brings an end to another eventful FallStars Weekend at Keeneland. The field of 11 fillies and mares seeking a Win and You’re In berth into the Breeders’ Cup Distaff has five 3-yearolds, including two of the likely favorites in Eskimo Kisses and Talk Veuve to Me.
Eskimo Kisses is trained by Kenny McPeek, who was the trainer of Take Charge Lady. McPeek was elated to see Eskimo Kisses finally put everything together when the filly rallied from well back for a 6 1/2-length triumph in her last start, the Grade 1 Alabama at Saratoga, just as he’d love to see something similar Sunday in the 1 1/8-mile Spinster.
“I’ve got her about as good as I can get her,” McPeek said. “We’d always felt like she could run like she did in the Alabama. She’s a quality filly coming to a peak at a great time.”
Jose Ortiz, the 2017 Eclipse champion who is riding the Keeneland fall meet on a regular basis for the first time (after two spring meets here), has a return call on Eskimo Kisses, a chestnut To Honor and Serve filly who will break from post 4.
“I’d like to see Jose ride her just like he did in the Alabama – let her settle, get into her rhythm,” McPeek said. “The fast pace did help us in the Alabama, but this filly has a nice turn of foot herself.”
Talk Veuve to Me (post 7, Julien Leparoux), who faded to fourth after setting the pace in the Aug. 18 Alabama, again figures prominent on the front end, with perhaps Southernperfection and Sassy Sienna accompanying her. Prior to the Alabama, the daughter of Violence was second in the Grade 2 Eight Belles and Grade 1 Acorn before romping in the Grade 3 Indiana Oaks for trainer Rodolphe Brisset.
“She doesn’t need the lead,” Brisset said. “We’ve got to let her break and see who’s doing what. We’ll be forward, that’s for sure. The filly was pretty tired [after the Alabama], but we gave her a couple of easy weeks and now she’s back to being herself. She’s been training very, very good, and the timing of this race is right.”
The other 3-year-olds in the Spinster lineup are Chocolate Martini, Sassy Sienna, and Skeptic. Some four weeks out from the Nov. 3 BC Distaff at Churchill Downs, they’re part of a class that’s looking increasingly strong for that $2 million race. Monomoy Girl and Midnight Bisou are training right along at Churchill, while the ranks of older horses have taken a hit recently with the defection of Elate and the poor effort by Abel Tasman last Sunday in the Zenyatta at Santa Anita.
Still, there are no white flags being waved by the older set. Blue Prize, for one, merits major respect both Sunday and moving forward to the Distaff, given her overall record and a demonstrated fondness for the Churchill surface. The 5-yearold Argentine-bred mare was assigned post 11 with Joe Bravo riding in the Spinster.
“Ever since she came here from Argentina, she’s gotten better and better,” said Ignacio Correas, who has trained Blue Prize for nearly two years.
“We should be okay from the outside post, no big deal.”
Blue Prize went nose to nose for the stretch run of her last race, the Sept. 15 Locust Grove at Churchill, when eking out a victory over Champagne Problems, who also wheels back Sunday with Calvin Borel aboard in post 8. Champagne Problems, trained by Ian Wilkes, has made solid progress this year, with a victory in the Grade 3 Groupie Doll at Ellis Park and her game Locust Grove effort being high-water marks.
The other older horses in the field are Pacific Wind, Tiger Moth, Fuhriously Kissed, and Southernperfection.
The Spinster, a steady producer of champions since first being won by Doubledogdare in 1956, goes as the ninth of 10 races on a Sunday card that starts at 1:05 p.m. Eastern. The Spinster (post, 5:45) is the last of three stakes, all Win and You’re In events, and will be showcased on a 90-minute telecast on NBC Sports (4:30-6). Those other stakes, both for 2-yearolds on turf, are the Indian Summer (race 6, 4 p.m.) and the Grade 3 Bourbon (race 8, 5:10).
The forecast for Sunday calls for a chance of thundershowers and high temperatures in the mid-80s.
After Sunday, Keeneland goes dark for two days before a five-day race week begins Wednesday with an eight-race card featuring the final Win and You’re In race of the meet, the Grade 2 Jessamine for 2-year-old turf fillies.