Entries for the $550,000 Horseshoe Casino Cincinnati Spiral Stakes (G3) at Turfway Park this Saturday were drawn Wednesday at the home of the race’s title sponsor. The draw brought no surprises, with all reported probables entering.

Oddsmaker Mike Battaglia marked Uncaptured the 3-1 favorite in a well-matched field of 12. The colt comes in off two straight stakes wins and a six-for-seven record as a 2-year-old, but the Spiral will be his first start since November. After a graduated series of shorter breezes, trainer Mark Casse sent him out for a one-mile breeze over the all-weather surface at the Ocala Training Center on March 12, which he completed in good order in 1:40 flat.

Post positions for the $100,000 Fathead Bourbonette Oaks (G3) also were drawn at Wednesday’s event, held at Jack Binion Steak inside Horseshoe Casino Cincinnati. Heavily favored on Battaglia’s morning line is Ken McPeek’s standout trainee Pure Fun at 8-5.

Like the Spiral Stakes favorite, Pure Fun comes in off two straight wins, most recently the Hollywood Starlet (G1). And as for Uncaptured in the Spiral, the Bourbonette Oaks will be the first start of 2013 for Pure Fun, who raced eight times as a 2-year-old, winning three and finishing second once and third once.

“I normally stop on all my 2-year-olds turning 3 and give them a four- to six-week break,” said McPeek. “It’s a really good program to give them a little time. Pure Fun had really traveled all around and run a lot of races. She has come back really well and fired a couple of bullets in the morning working with Frac Daddy. All systems are go for Saturday.”

McPeek said he may consider giving Pure Fun one more start after the Bourbonette in preparation for the May 3 Kentucky Oaks (G1).

“It depends on the Kentucky Oaks points standings,” he said. “If needed, I could bring her back in the Ashland or the Fantasy.”

Garrett Gomez, who rode Pure Fun to victory in the Hollywood Starlet, will be back in the saddle for the Bourbonette.

The 1 1/8-mile Horseshoe Casino Cincinnati Spiral Stakes offers 50 Kentucky Derby qualifying points to the winner, 20 to the runner-up, 10 to third place, and five to fourth place. The one-mile Fathead Bourbonette Oaks, a points race for the Kentucky Oaks, offers the same points to its top four finishers.

The Horseshoe Casino Cincinnati Spiral Stakes is the 10th of 12 races on Saturday’s card. The Fathead Bourbonette Oaks goes off one race earlier.

From Turfway Park

At last count, the list of hopefuls for Saturday’s $550,000 Horseshoe Casino Cincinnati Spiral Stakes (G3) at Turfway Park stood at 16. With Kentucky Derby qualifying points on the line, the 12 starters will be determined by earnings in graded stakes, then by earnings in stakes, and finally by career earnings.

Breather Has Mac the Man Rested and Ready

Mac the Man cruised to victory in Turfway Park's Prevue Strakes in February by a margin of 6 1/2 furlongs. (Photo from Turfway Park.)

Mac the Man is safely among the dozen who can make the Spiral gate, standing third with two stakes wins, both coming in Turfway preps. Trained by Jeff Greenhillfor his wife, Sherri Greenhill, Mac the Man won the Turfway Prevue at 6 1/2 furlongs in January and the 96ROCK Stakes at a mile in February. But after reviewing the colt’s seven starts, Greenhill decided to sit out the third prep, the John Battaglia Memorial on March 2, and train up to the Spiral. Daily training has kept the stable’s star fit for the 1 1/8-mile Spiral.

“The Battaglia would have been four races in two-and-a-half months, so that would have made the Spiral five races in about three months. I wanted to give him a little break. We breezed him twice since the 96ROCK. The second breeze, last Friday, he went in company. The other horse broke off in front and then Mac the Man caught him about the eighth pole and drew off. The other horse was trying to win, but I told the rider, “If your horse beats Mac the Man, just keep on riding.’

“That was his last breeze before the Spiral, but he gallops a mile and a half and jogs a mile every day, so he’s fit and ready.”

Mac the Man went five furlongs in 1:02.40 for the breeze on Friday at Turfway, where he is stabled. second fastest of 11 at the distance.

Norberto Arroyo Jr., top rider for the holiday meet and currently the winter/spring meet leader, was aboard for Mac the Man’s last three races—all wins—and will have the mount on Saturday.

Deep Bench Gives McPeek a Go-To Spiral Starter

Trainer Kenny McPeek always figured to have a strong hand for Saturday’s Spiral Stakes. He still does, though his representative has changed during the course of the past couple of weeks.

Frac Daddy was originally slated to contest the Spiral, but the Kentucky Jockey Club runner-up has been battling an ulcer, so McPeek will reroute the son of Scat Daddy to the Florida Derby to give him an extra week to recuperate. The McPeek barn has a more than adequate substitute, though, in Taken by the Storm, an allowance winner on the grass last out at Gulfstream Park March 9. Taken by the Storm has already won at the Spiral distance of 1 1/8 miles, taking a maiden special on the Keeneland grass Oct. 27. He also was first in an Oct. 7 maiden special over Keeneland’s Polytrack but was disqualified to second.

“Frac Daddy’s slight ulcer that we’re dealing with is 90 percent there, but it’s not all the way there, so we made the decision to wait the extra week,” said McPeek. “Taken by the Storm is coming off a nice win, and it is fortuitous that we can bring him back quickly for the Spiral.”

Alan Garcia, winner of the 2011 Spiral aboard Animal Kingdom, will have the riding assignment on Taken by the Storm. Garcia rode Taken by the Storm for the first time in the March 9 allowance tally at Gulfstream.

Taken by the Storm is 11th on the probables list with $73,385 in earnings.

McPeek also intends to run Pure Fun in the Fathead Bourbonette Oaks (G3) on the Spiral undercard. Both McPeek horses will fly to Lexington Thursday and stable at Keeneland before vanning to Turfway Saturday morning.

Dutrow Hopes Maturity the key for Giant Finish

While Mac the Man skipped the Battaglia Memorial on March 2, Giant Finish made his first foray into open company in that race. The New York-bred son of Frost Giant rewarded trainer Tony Dutrow’s confidence with a strong second-place finish despite breaking from the far outside in the 11-horse field and dealing with a rapid early pace.

“I was very happy and a little surprised that he ran so well in the Battaglia given that he is still so mentally immature,” said Dutrow. “He’s a young horse. He’s learning and improving. I don’t know what we’re going to see on Saturday. I’m thinking we will see better horses in against him. I’m just anxious to see if he’ll improve.”

Dutrow’s confidence is buoyed by his experience to date with offspring of the young sire Frost Giant.

“I have a handful of them,” he said. “Some have performed well as 2-year-olds, but it’s always been my opinion that they’re going to be better as 3-year-olds.”

The Southern California-based Victor Espinoza will ride Giant Finish for the first time on Saturday.

Giant Finish currently stands 10th on the Spiral Stakes list by virtue of career earnings of $81,900. Stabled at Keeneland, he will van to Turfway on the morning of the Spiral and be saddled by Mark Hubley, a longtime friend of Dutrow’s from their days competing against each other at Delaware Park.

Gorder’s General Election Proven on Polytrack, Dirt

General Election enter Saturday's Spiral having proven himself on both the synthetic Polytrack surface and dirt, a transition that will prove useful for a run at the 2013 Kentucky Derby in May. (Photo from Turfway Park.)

Trainer Kellyn Gorder believed that two sub-par performances at Fair Grounds did not tell the truth about General Election, and the colt proved him right in the Battaglia Memorial, closing to win by half a length over Giant Finish and For Greater Glory, both also on track for the Spiral Stakes.

“He didn’t like the surface at Fair Grounds, but he’s already won on dirt, and he’s already won at Churchill. He broke his maiden at Churchill, and he trained there last summer. And then he won the Battaglia on the Polytrack,” said Gorder. “He came out of the Battaglia in really good shape. We gave him an easy breeze Saturday at Keeneland (four furlongs in :51.80), and we’re looking forward to the race on Saturday.”

Gorder believes as well in his jockey, Albin Jimenez, who was aboard for the Battaglia and will be back up Saturday. Jimenez is currently second in the Turfway standings behind Norberto Arroyo Jr.

“Albin rode the horse really well,” said Gorder. “He’s an up-and-coming rider. I was telling someone the other day, this is a kid you’re going to hear about in the future.”

Turfway Park stakes coordinator Tia Murphy has the Spiral hopefuls list (trainer) in order of preference as follows:

The Horseshoe Casino Cincinnati Spiral Stakes is the 10th of 12 races carded Saturday. The race offers 50 Kentucky Derby points to the winner, 20 to the runner-up, 10 for third, and five for fourth. First post Saturday is 1:10 p.m. ET.

From Turfway Park

The 3-year-old colt was making his first career start in Turfway’s last race that night when he bolted on the turn, lost his rider, jumped the rail, and headed across several parking lots and busy Houston Road. Peterman, Turfway Park’s starter, had just left the track. He saw commotion in the parking lot first, and then saw the frightened horse heading toward traffic. Track veterinarians helped stop cars and were able to get in front of the colt, who by then was on the I-75 South ramp. Peterman caught up as the colt turned back toward Houston Road. He pulled over, jumped out of his truck, and grabbed the bridle. The colt’s momentum pulled them both down to the pavement. Neither was injured beyond cuts and bruises.

Friday’s first race goes off at 5:30pm. The ceremony honoring Peterman will be held immediately following the race.

From Turfway Park

Trainer Graham Motion owns back-to-back wins in the Horseshoe Casino Cincinnati Spiral Stakes, taking the 2011 edition with eventual Kentucky Derby and Eclipse Award winner Animal Kingdom for owner Team Valor International and returning last year with Went the Day Well for Team Valor International and Mark Ford. Motion nominated four to this year’s running: Crop Report and Cerro for Team Valor; Intrepid Citizen for Team Valor and Paul Fowler Jr.; and Heat Press for Kevin Plank’s Sagamore Farm.

Motion made history with Animal Kingdom, who was the first Kentucky Derby winner to never have raced on dirt before attempting the Run for the Roses.

Mac the Man won the Turfway Prevue and the 96ROCK Stakes, the first two local preps for the Horseshoe Casino Cincinnati Spiral Stakes, and likely would have been favored in the third, the John Battaglia Memorial Stakes last Saturday. Trainer Jeff Greenhill skipped that prep, however, and plans to train his stable star up to the Spiral.

Mike Maker won the Spiral Stakes in 2006 with With a City and 2010 with Dean’s Kitten and has nominated seven to the 2013 edition, including stakes winners Animal Style and Admiral Kitten for Ken and Sarah Ramsey and graded stakes-placed Fear the Kitten for Frank Irvin. Also nominated from the Maker barn is undefeated J. J. Got Even, a son of 1999 Spiral Stakes winner Stephen Got Even, for Skychai Racing and Sand Dollar Stable.

Five nominees represent the barn of Mark Casse. Four of those run for owner John Oxley, including multiple stakes winner and Grade I-placed Dynamic Sky and multiple graded stakes winner Uncaptured.

Dale Romans, newly honored with the 2012 Eclipse Award as outstanding trainer, would be seeking his first win in the Spiral Stakes and has nominated six, including graded stakes-placed Dewey Square and impressive last-out Gulfstream winner Pick of the Litter.

The deep bench of trainer Todd Pletcher is represented by 15 nominees, including graded stakes-placed Capo Bastone, Charming Kitten, Delhomme, Forty Tales, and Palace Malice and graded winners Shanghai Bobby, Revolutionary, and Overanalyze. Pletcher won the Spiral Stakes with Balto Star in 2001 and Flower Alley in 2005.

The penultimate race in the first leg of the Kentucky Derby Championship Series, the 1 1/8-mile Horseshoe Casino Cincinnati Spiral Stakes awards 50 points to the winner, 20 points to the runner-up, 10 points for third place, and 5 points for fourth place. The winner is expected to earn enough points to make the Derby field, which is limited to 20 starters.

The Spiral Stakes is sponsored this year for the first time by Horseshoe Casino Cincinnati, which enjoyed its highly anticipated grand opening on Monday. The Horseshoe Casino Cincinnati Spiral Stakes is supported by the Team Valor Rushaway Stakes (listed) and the Fathead Bourbonette Oaks (G3), the latter a 50-point race for the Kentucky Oaks (GI). This year is the first that all three races have been sponsored.

Entries for the Horseshoe Casino Cincinnati Spiral Stakes will be drawn at the new casino on Wednesday, March 20.

From Turfway Park

Energized by the plans of the Keeneland Association to establish a new pari-mutel racetrack in Kentucky that would be expressly for American Quarter Horse racing, representatives of the Kentucky Quarter Horse Racing Association (KyQHRA) met on March 2 at Keeneland. Discussions centered on making the KyQHRA as effective as possible in supporting Keeneland’s efforts; refining the Kentucky Bred Program to promote the state’s breeding industry; and rebuilding interest in the KyQHRA after several years with no live racing in the state.

“I’m excited about the level of enthusiasm of our Board Members,” said Board President Dr. Richard Connelley of Salyersville.

“We are thrilled to be working with Keeneland, the classiest organization in all of horse racing, and we look forward to having a world-class home to showcase our breed.”

Members of the KyQHRA Board of Directors represent American Quarter Horse owners and breeders and racing industry officials from across the commonwealth. They are:

An annual membership in the KyQHRA, which will be used to support the association’s efforts, is $25 per person. Checks for KyQHRA membership may be sent to KyQHRA Treasurer Steve Holder, 1004 Jones Road, LaCenter, KY 42056.

For more information, please contact KyQHRA President Richard Connelley at (606) 219-7827 or by e-mail.

From KyQHRA

Jockey Albin Jiminez navigates

Jockey Albin Jimenez guided General Election past a melee at the start and avoided trouble in the stretch to bring the 3-year-old colt home a 13-1 winner in the $75,000 John Battaglia Memorial Stakes Saturday at Turfway Park.

After contesting the pace, Giant Finish finished half a length behind in second. For Greater Glory was another three-quarters of a length back in third.

The gate melee erupted as Admiral Kitten stumbled badly out of post five. As Admiral Kitten regained his feet, Mellow Fellow lunged out of post three and came over onto both Admiral Kitten and Let’s Run, who broke from post four. Mellow Fellow then shot to the lead and set a :23.65 and :47.80 pace as 2-1 favorite Bye Bye Bernie and Giant Finish tracked him.

General Election, who broke from post seven, meanwhile had avoided the tangle and settled five wide and far back. He made a bold move on the turn and went wider yet into the stretch, wisely removed from what became a roller derby contest to his inside. Both Giant Finish, who led briefly after six furlongs, and For Greater Glory, who came from far back, were caught in the bump fest that marked the stretch run.

When the Polytrack settled, final time for the 1 1/16-mile Battaglia Memorial was 1:46.13.

General Election’s victory proved that patience through trial and error pays off. He broke his maiden at first asking on the Churchill Downs dirt but since then had posted two disappointing finishes at Fair Grounds.

“He really hadn’t run well on the dirt at Fair Grounds,” said trainer Kellyn Gorder, who brought him up to his Keeneland operation from New Orleans a week ago. “He won his first race on dirt, so we thought he just didn’t get hold of the racetrack at Fair Grounds. We tried blinkers [in his second race there] and that didn’t work. We were deciding between the OBS Stakes or here, and we decided to send him here.

“I told Albin to lay mid-pack and make a nice run. We knew there was plenty of speed in the race, so it set up good for us. I thought this race came up tough.”

Finishing fourth through 11th were Takin the Sloroad, Stormin Monarcho, Let’s Run, Bye Bye Bernie, Silver Tongued, Mellow Fellow, Avare, and Admiral Kitten. Star Contender was scratched by his trainer.

General Election returned $28 for the win, $12.40 to place, and $8 to show.

Given his performance Saturday, Gorder said General Election could return for the Horseshoe Casino Cincinnati Spiral Stakes (G3) on March 23 but that he would discuss the colt’s next move with Elliott Walden, president, CEO, and racing manager of owner WinStar Farm LLC.

General Election now has two wins and one second from four starts and earnings of $81,910. By Harlan’s Holiday out of Menekineko, by Kingmambo, he was bred in Kentucky by Meg Buckley and Mike Buckley.

First run in 1982, the John Battaglia Memorial Stakes is the third local prep for the Horseshoe Casino Cincinnati Spiral Stakes, following the Turfway Prevue in January and the 96ROCK Stakes in February. The race honors John Battaglia, who as general manager of Turfway (then Latonia) was the visionary behind the Spiral Stakes, which debuted in 1972.

From Turfway Park

Only a few of the Battaglia’s contenders took one or both of the first two local steps as well, notably Bye Bye Bernie. Trained by Kelly Breen, Bye Bye Bernie was fourth in the Turfway Prevue Jan. 5 after running into traffic and second, beaten two lengths, in the 96ROCK Stakes Feb. 2. The improvement going two turns bodes well for the Bernstein colt, whose bullet works at Turfway indicate he is training exceptionally well over the Polytrack surface. Rodney Prescott was aboard for the 96ROCK and will be back up on Saturday.

Saturday’s race will be Admiral Kitten’s first start at Turfway but he already owns a win over Polytrack; he broke his maiden at first asking as a $50,000 claimer at Keeneland in October at the Battaglia’s 1 1/16-mile distance. That was followed in November by a mile win in the El Joven Stakes on the turf at Retama. The Battaglia will be his first start since that win for the closer. Francisco Torres, who owns a riding title at Turfway, returns to the track to ride for trainer Mike Maker.

Another Turfway newcomer is For Greater Glory, who will try an all-weather surface for the first time Saturday. Trained by Steve Hobby and ridden Saturday by Turfway title holder Marcelino Pedroza, For Greater Glory has never been worse than third in four starts. He broke his maiden last out at Oaklawn in a maiden special weight at the Battaglia distance.

Trainer Mark Casse is shipping Star Contender to Turfway for the Battaglia after an off-the board finish on the dirt the Gulfstream Park Derby on New Year’s Day. Before that outing the colt posted a win, a second, and a third on Woodbine’s Polytrack as well as a turf win at Woodbine. Turfway’s current leading rider, Norberto Arroyo Jr., has the call.

Maker also entered Let’s Run, who will be making his third career start and his second this year. After a fifth place debut at Churchill Downs in November, he returned in January to win a 1 1/8-mile maiden special weight at Turfway, closing to get up by a head. Ben Creed has the mount Saturday.

Admiral Kitten, Star Contender, Eddie Logan Stakes winner Avare, and Thistledown’s Juvenile Stakes winner Silver Tongued have been assigned 124 lbs. All others carry 118.

The field from the rail out (jockey):

The 31st running of the John Battaglia Memorial Stakes is the ninth race on Saturday’s 10-race card.

Saturday’s eighth race is a prep for the Bourbonette Oaks (G3), also set for March 23. Highlighting the field are Allanah, whose late run obliterated the field in the Cincinnati Trophy Stakes at Turfway Feb. 2; stakes winners Julmae and Always Kitten; Valanis, who wired a maiden special at Turfway at 72-1 after stumbling out of the gate; and Chicago shipper Bethany Belle.

First post Saturday is 1:10 p.m.

From Turfway park

The interactive April Sale catalog will be available online at Keeneland.com the week of Monday, March 4. Print catalogs will be mailed the week of March 18.

The April Sale has produced five classic winners during its 20-year history – Preakness (G1) winner and champion Lookin At Lucky; Kentucky Derby (G1) and Preakness winner and champion Big Brown; Kentucky Derby and Belmont (G1) winner and champion Thunder Gulch; and Kentucky Oaks (G1) winners Keeper Hill and Gal in a Ruckus.

Recent graded stakes-winning April Sale alumni include such notables as Golden Ticket (2012 Travers Stakes-G1); Love and Pride (2012 Personal Ensign Handicap-G1 and Zenyatta Stakes-G1); Balance the Books (2012 With Anticipation Stakes-G2 and Bourbon Stakes-G3), and Group 3 winner What a Name (IRE), joint champion two-year-old in France and rated second at 111 pounds in the two-year-old filly category on the 2012 World Thoroughbred Rankings.

“The April Sale has a track record of producing ‘Saturday horses,’ ” said Keeneland Vice President of Sales Walt Robertson. “It is a select group of juveniles from which buyers can find a top-quality, ready-made racehorse.”

Juveniles representing 66 stallions have been consigned to the April Sale, highlighted by such leading sires as A. P. Indy, Arch, Bernardini, Distorted Humor, Empire Maker, Giant’s Causeway, Hard Spun, Harlan’s Holiday, Indian Charlie, Malibu Moon, Medaglia d’Oro, More Than Ready, Pulpit, Smart Strike, Street Sense, Tapit, Tiznow, Unbridled’s Song and War Front, among others.

Keeneland will stream the entire April Sale and Preview Show at Keeneland.com.

Point Given (Photo from Three Chimneys Farm.)

Point Given was bred and raced by The Thoroughbred Corporation. From 13 career races, Point Given won nine times, including five Grade 1 wins at three. He was voted Champion 3-Year-Old Colt and Horse of the Year in a season that included wins in two of the Triple Crown races and the Travers Stakes (G1). Overall, the stallion won six Grade 1 races in his career for $3,968,500 in earnings.

From nine crops of racing age, Point Given has sired 255 winners for over $21 million in earnings.  Point Given has produced 21 stakes winners, including two champions with Canadian Horse of the Year Sealy Hill and Champion Grass Mare Points of Grace. Point Given has sired multiple Grade 1 winners and was recently represented on the track by Haskell Stakes (G1) winner Coil, who won Grade 1 events at 3 and 4 years of age.

Point Given stood for $20,000 in 2012 and stands for a private fee in 2013.

From Three Chimneys Farm

“We are excited to have one of the country’s premier entertainment brands sponsor our most important race,” said Chip Bach, general manager of Turfway Park. “As Northern Kentuckians and Southwestern Ohioans will soon experience, Horseshoe is known for bringing a first class experience to its customers, and we know that Horseshoe’s involvement will elevate the Spiral Stakes experience for our race fans and horsemen as well.” The Spiral Stakes was established in 1972 and has produced several Triple Crown race winners, including Kentucky Derby winners Lil E. Tee (1992) and Animal Kingdom (2011).

In addition to the title race sponsorship, the casino will also host Call to the Post on Wed., March 20, during a reception inside the new Horseshoe Casino Cincinnati VIP lounge. At the exclusive Horseshoe Casino Cincinnati Spiral Stakes pre-race event, entries will be taken and post positions will be drawn. Mike Battaglia, NBC horse racing commentator and longtime Turfway Park announcer and oddsmaker, will be on hand to analyze the field and set the morning line.

In addition, two sponsors will support the March 23 race card. The Fathead Bourbonette Oaks and the Team Valor International Rushaway Stakes will round out the action.

On race day, the Horseshoe Cincinnati VIP Tent will offer as many as 2,200 guests a deluxe buffet, premium open bar, live entertainment, luxury shopping venues, and chances to win prizes. Guests in the VIP Tent can enjoy the day’s races on big-screen monitors around the tent or get close to the action from a private viewing area along the rail. VIP individual race day tickets are $175, and tables of 10 are available for $1,750. General Admission tickets are available for $10 and Grandstand seating options start at $25. Race day tickets are currently available for purchase at www.turfway.com or by calling 800-733-0200.

“Horseshoe Cincinnati is pleased to support Turfway Park’s long tradition of hosting the Spiral Stakes, one of the region’s most exciting races, leading to the Kentucky Derby,” said Senior Vice President and Horseshoe Cincinnati General Manager Kevin Kline. “It’s exciting to have Fathead—a partner company to our Rock Ohio Caesars ownership team—expand their sports and entertainment reach by supporting their first Thoroughbred racing event.”

From Turfway Park