Keeneland in July

Saratoga, which gets under way next Thursday, is one of three summer meets opening within a nine-day period. Del Mar begins its annual two-month meet today (Friday); it will run through Labor Day weekend. Keeneland’s five-day event, replacing the cancelled spring meeting, began Wednesday and ends on Sunday. All three meets will be held without spectators.

With Belmont winding down, Keeneland is where most of the action is this weekend. Four G1 stakes are on the schedule, beginning with the Maker’s 46 Mile on Friday. Saturday’s card includes the other three G1s – the Ashland, Jenny Wiley and Madison – as well as the Blue Grass, which was demoted to G2 in 2017.

The Ashland would have featured a showdown between division leader Swiss Skydiver and graded-stakes-winning rivals Venetian Harbor and Tonalist’s Shape if her connections had kept her competing against her fellow 3-year-old fillies. Instead, they opted to run her against males in the Blue Grass, where her opponents include graded winners Basin (2019 Hopeful) and Enforceable (2020 LeComte). A win Saturday would place Swiss Skydiver firmly on the Kentucky Derby trail.

Rushing Fall is heavily favored to repeat in the Jenny Wiley, a race she won last year over a stronger field. A victory would be the ninth in a graded race and fourth G1 for the daughter of More Than Ready. Other expected starters include recent G2 and G3 winners Secret Message, Toinette and Jolie Olimpico.

In the Madison, Guarana makes her second start off a ten-month layoff. The Ghostzapper filly first turned heads last spring with a 14 ¾-length maiden win at Keeneland. She followed that by notching G1s in the Acorn and Coaching Club American Oaks but raced only once more all year. Guarana prepped for the seven-furlong Madison with an allowance win at the distance five weeks ago.