Daily Racing Form National Digital Edition
Leading riders aboard contenders in allowance
LEXINGTON, Ky. – Jockeys Joel Rosario and Luis Saez combined to win all nine stakes at Keeneland on Friday and Saturday, the first two days of the spring meeting, and lead all riders with seven and six victories, respectively, at the meet. Both look to have a solid chance in an $83,000 allowance for fillies and mares on turf when racing returns at Keeneland on Wednesday with an eight-race program.
Rosario has the call on Tuned, one of three in this race dropping directly from graded or group stakes company. Saez, meanwhile, has the call on More Good Times, an allowance filly who has finished in the top three in her last four starts.
Tuned, who is out of Eclipse Award champion female turf horse Zagora, came to Graham Motion from France in late 2019, winning an allowance race on the Keeneland turf that fall meet in her U.S. debut. Six races later, she returns to Keeneland, having most recently finished fourth in both the Grade 3 Marshua’s River and the Grade 3 The Very One at Gulfstream. She earned Beyer Speed Figures of 87 and 88 in those efforts, the top last-out numbers in this field.
Walk In Marrakesh, trained by Ignacio Correas, and Pocket Square, trained by Chad Brown, are both dropping in class and coming off a layoff. Walk In Marrakesh, Group 2-placed in France, was second by a nose in the Grade 1 Natalma in 2019 at Woodbine in her North American debut. She was beaten a nose in the Grade 2 Appalachian at Keeneland last July, and most recently finished ninth there in the Grade 3 Valley View in October.
Pocket Square has made all four of her starts in England or France and races Wednesday for the first time in the United States. She won 2 of 3 starts in 2019, including the Group 3 Prix de Reservoirs at Deauville, and was sixth in Group 3 Musidora last July in England the last time she ran. Pocket Square is a daughter of Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Turf winner Shared Account, who also is the dam of Breeders’ Cup winner Sharing.
More Good Times, trained by Mike Maker, comes off a third in an allowance race at Fair Grounds won by Raven’s Cry, who returned to win the Miss Houston Turf Stakes at Sam Houston. Broadway Lady finished second in that Fair Grounds allowance and returns in this field.
In January, Broadway Lady won a Fair Grounds allowance by 2 3/4 lengths over runner-up More Good Times.
Broadway Lady is trained by Mark Casse, who also saddles the comebacking Flabbergasted. Flabbergasted ended her 2020 campaign with a maiden win and an allowance victory at Churchill Downs, and makes her first start in seven months.