Anne Marie Duff

KEENELAND SATURDAY

9.35 First Lady Stakes (Grade 1) 3yo+ 1m (Turf)

Godolphin’s Better Lucky will attempt to repeat last year’s win when she again takes on Dayatthespa. She has one listed win to her name this year as she faces eight rivals in the turf contest. Trained by Tom Albertrani, Better Lucky prevailed by a head over Dayatthespa last year and last time finished fourth on dirt in the Grade 1 Ballerina at Belmont. Mike Smith rides.

Better Lucky is one of five Grade 1 winners that also includes Dayatthespa, who won the 2012 Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup here for trainer Chad Brown. John Velazquez is on board. Other Grade 1 winners in the field are Centre Court, Discreet Marq and Somali Lemonade, winner of this year’s Diana Stakes but only fifth in the Beverley D last time. Juddmonte Farm’s Filimbi (Joel Rosario) is also with a chance, having looked progressive with two wins before finishing last of six in the Grade 2 Ballston Spa Stakes (Grade 2)

Selection: Dayatthespa

Next Best: Somali Lemonade

10.08 Claiborne Breeder’s Futurity (Grade 1) 2yo 1m 1/2f

Maiden winner Hashtag Bourbon finished third in the Iroquois Stakes at Churchill Downs and is well fancied. His main rival should be Bold Conquest, who finished ahead of him in the Iroquois beaten a neck by Lucky Player. The son of Curlin, trained by Steve Asmussen, won his maiden at Saratoga. Conquest Tsunami, who is unbeaten in four starts with two stakes victories at Woodbine, on polytrack and grass. Mr. Z (D. Wayne Lukas) was second in two Saratoga graded races. Tough Customer (Wayne Catalano) and Carpe Diem (Todd Pletcher) both by Giant’s Causeway were impressive maiden winners.

Selection: Bold Conquest

Next Best: Hashtag Bourbon

10.45 Shadwell Turf Mile (Grade 1) 3yo+ 1m (Turf)

The reigning Horse of the Year Wise Dan faces has won the race in 2011 and 2012 but couldn’t reel in front runner Silver Max last year when rain forced the race to be moved off the turf to the polytrack.

A winner of his last 13 races on grass of which nine were Grade 1s, Wise Dan has won all three of his 2014 starts beginning with a victory at Keeneland in April in the Maker’s 46 Mile. He won the Turf Classic at Churchill Downs on May 3rd and later underwent emergency colic surgery. He came back in the Grade 2 Bernard Baruch on August 30th where he won by a nose from Optimizer. Kaigun finished second in the Maker’s 46 Mile and was fourth in the Turf Classic. He was second in the Woodbine Mile to Trade Storm last time. The Bill Mott-trained Seek Again was a head behind Wise Dan in the Turf Classic, was third in the Grade 1 Manhattan and won the Grade 2 Fourstardave at Saratoga in his most recent start.

Last year’s the Dale Romans-trained Silver Max made all to hold off Wise Dan by a length and a quarter. Following a fourth-place finish in the 2013 Breeders’ Cup Mile, Silver Max returning to win the Grade 2 Firecracker at Churchill Downs in June but was last of six behind Seek Again last time at Saratoga.

Selection: Wise Dan

Next Best: Seek Again

Also on the card, No Nay Never, a dual group winner on the grass in Europe last year as a two-year-old, will return to the turf to face 10 runners in the Woodford Presented by Keeneland Select (Grade 3) over five and a half furlongs at 8.35pm. Trained by Wesley Ward, No Nay Never has not started since finishing second in the Grade 2 Swale Stakes on March 1st in his only start on dirt.

BELMONT SATURDAY

9.29 Champagne Stakes (Grade 1) 2yo colts 1m

Javier Castellano rides the favourite as Todd Pletcher’s Daredevil (More Than Ready) steps up from an impressive debut score at Belmont last month. Pletcher has saddled the winner of the Champagne Stakes five times. Second favourite El Kabeir (Scat Daddy) is also coming off a solid maiden win when he prevailed by over 10 lengths at Saratoga in August. Tony Dutrow’s I Spent It (Super Saver) won his maiden and was impressive in a Saratoga Grade 2 before second to Competitive Edge in the Grade 1 Hopeful. Upstart is unbeaten in two starts.

Selection: Daredevil

Next Best: I Spent It

8.25 Frizette Stakes (Grade 1) 2yo fillies 1m.

Condo Commando (Tiz Wonderful) splashed home to take the Grade 1 Spinaway Stakes by over 13 lengths at Saratoga and is the favourite in a field of seven. Cavorting (Bernardini) who won the Adirondack Stakes from subsequent Grade 1 winner Angela Renee and today’s rival Wonder Gal, is the second choice. Wonder Gal won her maiden by 14 and a half lengths at Belmont Park but didn’t have a clear run in the Adirondack. Feathered (Todd Pletcher) was an almost 10-length winner of a maiden race at Saratoga.

Selection: Cavorting

Next Best: Feathered

KEENELAND SUNDAY

10.45 Juddmonte Spinster Stakes (Grade 1) Fillies & Mares, 3yo+ 1m 1f

One of the star US fillies Juddmonte’s Close Hatches heads the line-up for the Spinster. Close Hatches will face five rivals with Joel Rosario on board. She is unbeaten in four races this year - winning three Grade 1s – and is coming off a five-length victory in the Grade 1 Personal Ensign at Saratoga. The four-year-old filly has won nine of 12 races, was second to Beholder in the 2013 Breeders’ Cup Distaff. Shuruq represents Godolphin and the dual Meydan group winner won the International Trophy in Vielfendi in Turkey last time. Rosie Napravnik rides Got Lucky for Todd Pletcher. Former Breeders’ Cup winner Ria Antonia has yet to win this season.

Selection: Close Hatches

Next Best: Shuruq

CARD: B35