Tom’s d’Etat keeps it local for the Fayette

LEXINGTON, Ky. – Handicappers wanting a practice exercise for the Breeders’ Cup next weekend need look no further than the Saturday feature at Keeneland, the Fayette Stakes.

A classy and well-matched field of 10 3-year-olds and up will help bring an end to the 17-day fall meet while whetting the appetites of fans looking ahead to the 36th Breeders’ Cup at Santa Anita.

Tom’s d’Etat, with triple-digit Beyer Speed Figures in his last four starts, is the likely favorite in the Grade 2, $200,000 Fayette, a 1 1/8-mile race that also drew the likes of Mr Freeze, Mocito Rojo, and Bal Harbour.

Tom’s d’Etat was briefly considered for the BC Dirt Mile before trainer Al Stall Jr. chose a different course of action.

“You’ve got the Fayette, then the Clark,” on Nov. 29 at Churchill Downs, said Stall, “and then all sorts of options early next year if you show you deserve to move on.”

Owned by the GMB Racing of Gayle Benson, Tom’s d’Etat has been competitive with McKinzie, Seeking the Soul, and other BC-bound stars during a 14-race career in which he has won seven times and earned $766,892. The 6-year-old Smart Strike horse will break from post 3 and be ridden by Joel Rosario.

Mr Freeze (post 2, Robby Albarado) almost had his hooves on the charter flight that transported Dennis’ Moment to California last weekend for the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile, but trainer Dale Romans decided to keep him home.

“This horse has really come back around for us, and we didn’t want to ask too much of him while we’ve got his confidence back,” Romans said.

Mr Freeze, an eight-length winner of the Grade 3 West

Virginia Derby last year at 3 before his form went south, shows two sharp efforts in as many starts since returning this summer from a sevenmonth layoff, including a 1 1/2-length victory last month in the Grade 3 Ack Ack at Churchill.

Mocito Rojo (post 5, Filemon Rodriguez), a $10,000 claim for owner Wayne Davis and trainer Shane Wilson, is risking a fiverace win streak as he returns from his Louisiana base after winning the Grade 3 Lukas Classic at Churchill last month. The 5-year-old horse has won a remarkable 17 of 25 starts.

Bal Harbour (post 8, Tyler Gaffalione) carries the Todd Pletcher banner in his first start since finishing second by a half-length to Preservationist in the Grade 1 Woodward on Aug. 31 at Saratoga. The 4-yearold gelding has not run a bad race since winning an allowance here last fall.

Fringe players in this 62nd running of the Fayette include

Tenfold (post 6, Ricardo Santana Jr.), winner of the Grade 3 Pimlico Special in May; Core Beliefs (post 7, Joe Talamo), winner of the Grade 2 New Orleans Handicap in March; and Big Dollar Bill (post 10, Chris Landeros), unbeaten in three starts over the Keeneland main track.

Rounding out the lineup are longshots The Great Day, Everfast, and Own Agenda.

The Fayette, named for the county in which Keeneland is located, is the ninth of 10 races on a Saturday card that also includes three allowances (races 3, 7, 8). First post is 1:05 p.m. Eastern, with the feature going at 5:30. Keeneland racing is the first half of a Bluegrass doubleheader that ends with the Missouri-Kentucky football game (kickoff, 7:30) at nearby Kroger Field.

Churchill Downs in Louisville begins a 26-day fall meet Sunday with an 11-race all2-year-old Stars of Tomorrow card.

BARBARA D. LIVINGSTON Tom’s d’Etat has earned triple-digit Beyers in his last 4 races.