Buy TicketsWilly D’s and Just for Pipa take other stakes; Yomar Ortiz Jr. rides first winner
Dahman’s Bottas rallied past front-running Conducted inside the sixteenth pole for his third straight stakes victory in Saturday’s closing-day featured 22nd running of the $400,000 Bryan Station (G2) at Keeneland.
Tyler Gaffalione, the Fall Meet’s leading jockey, rode the 3-year-old son of Vekoma to a 2¼-length victory over Conducted and jockey Luis Saez. Gaffalione ended the Fall Meet with 22 victories, one more than Saez. Bottas also gave trainer Miguel Clement his first stakes win at Keeneland. He’s the son of the late Christophe Clement, who won 17 stakes at Keeneland during his Hall of Fame career.
Bottas added the Bryan Station to his victories in the National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame (G2) at Saratoga and the KTDF Gun Runner (L) at Kentucky Downs — all three stakes are at 1 mile on the grass.
The winner of Pilgrim (G2) at Aqueduct as a 2-year-old, Bottas improved to 5-for-8 in the Bryan Station and boosted his bankroll to $1,681,563 with the first-place check of $226,300.
Conducted, runner-up to Bottas in the Gun Runner and sixth in the Secretariat (G2) at Colonial Downs, took the lead after the start and led Aces Honor by a length through the first quarter in :23.08 over the good turf. The 5-1 fourth choice increased his margin to 2½ lengths on the backstretch and to the half in :47.21, with Aces Honor, Alpyland, Touch of Fire and 5-2 second choice Bottas leading the chase.
Conducted led by a length through 6 furlongs in 1:11.41, just ahead of Alpyland with Bottas starting to gain ground leaving the far turn. Bottas continued to gain on Conducted through the stretch, surged past inside the final furlong and drew off to win in 1:35.13. Conducted held second, 1 1/4 lengths ahead of 2-1 favorite Remember Mamba and jockey Jose Ortiz. Blinging It Back finished another 3½ lengths back in fourth. McCready, Touch of Fire, Banksy’s, Blackout Time, Alpyland, Aces Honor, Fancy Sailor and Immortalised (FR) completed the field.
Bottas returned $7.50, $4.54 and $3.42. Conducted paid $7.80 and $5.78, while Remember Mamba returned $2.88.
Willy D’s scores determined victory in Hagyard Fayette
Paradise Farms Corp. and Case Chambers’ Willy D’s fended off Stars and Stripes in deep stretch to win his third graded stakes of 2026 in the 69th running of the $350,000 Hagyard Fayette (G3).
Under John Velazquez, Willy D’s won the 9-furlong Hagyard Fayette by a neck over Stars and Stripes. He added Saturday’s co-feature on closing day of the Fall Meet to his victory last time out in the Charles Town Classic (G2) and the TwinSpires Kentucky Cup Classic (G3) in March at Turfway.
Willy D’s also gave Velazquez his fourth graded stakes win of the Fall Meet, along with Classic Q in the First Lady (G1); American History in the Claiborne Breeders’ Futurity (G1); and Adonius (IRE) in the Indian Summer (G3) Presented by Keeneland Select. Willy D’s is trained by Mike Maker, who sent out Malibu Smart to win the Rood & Riddle Dowager (G3) Oct. 18.
Maker and Peter Proscia’s Paradise Farms Corp. claimed Willy D’s for $50,000 out of a second in March 2025 at Oaklawn Park. He’s won six of 13 starts since the claim, including the Michael G. Schaefer Memorial (L) in July 2025 at Horseshoe Indianapolis.
The 8-1 fifth choice in the field of 12, Willy D’s set the pace into and around the first turn and to the backstretch. He clicked off splits of :24.25, :48.61 and 1:12.87, ahead of So Sandy, Tumbarumba, Stars and Stripes and This Is Uscar.
Luis Saez pushed Stars and Stripes a few paths off the rail around the far turn to make a run at Willy D’s at the five-sixteenths pole. Stars and Stripes took a short lead in the upper stretch while Willy D’s battled back. Stars and Stripes led by a head with a furlong to run, past the mile in 1:37.08, but Willy D’s dug in again in deep stretch for the narrow victory.
Stars and Stripes, second to champion Forever Young (JPN) last time out in the Jockey Club Gold Cup (G1), finished 3¾ lengths ahead of the 18-1 This Is Uscar and Edgar Morales for the runner-up spot. So Sandy finished another length back at 16-1 in fourth. Tiztastic, Hit Show, No Bien Ni Mal (BRZ), San Siro, Silent Tactic, 7-2 favorite Nevada Beach, Alexander Helios and Tumbarumba completed the order of finish.
Willy D’s, who won in 1:49.56 over the fast track, improved to 9-for-30 with seven seconds and two thirds. He picked up $198,013 to boost his earnings to $1,734,021.
Willy D’s returned $18.02, $7.52 and $5.16. Stars and Stripes paid $6.04 and $3.70, while This Is Uscar returned $8.44.
Just for Pipa rallies to win Bowman Mill
Saints or Sinners’ homebred Just for Pipa ran down two battling front runners in deep stretch to stay unbeaten and give jockey Edgar Morales his first Keeneland stakes victory in Saturday’s seventh running of the $250,000 Bowman Mill.
The 2-year-old son of Justify collared Conviction and Grade 3 winner Booked just before the finish to add the 6-furlong Bowman Mill to his debut victory Sept. 19 at Churchill. Just for Pipa won by a neck over Conviction in 1:10.43 over the fast track.
Morales also won his first race at Keeneland, guiding Star Dog to victory in his fifth career mount in the fifth race Oct. 15, 2017. Trainer Greg Foley also won his fifth Keeneland stakes victory, and second this year after sending out Trouble Calling to victory in the Lafayette (L) at the Spring Meet.
Tyler Gaffalione sent Conviction to the lead from the start before being joined by 3-5 favorite Booked and Jose Ortiz. Those two sparred for the lead up the backstretch through the opening quarter-mile in :21.80 with the 5-1 Just for Pipa another 4 lengths back in third. The battle continued on the turn with 5-2 second choice Conviction holding a half-length lead over Booked through the half in :44.60.
Conviction, a 3-length debut winner for trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. Aug. 22 at Gulfstream, continued on the lead in the stretch and at the eighth pole. Morales stayed busy on Just for Pipa in midstretch and came to the two frontrunners inside the sixteenth pole before driving past in deep stretch. Conviction held the place spot by a neck over Booked, with first-time starter Teacher another 4 lengths back in fourth and Grand Yaupon last of five.
Just for Pipa picked up $155,000 to boost his earnings to $224,088. He returned $13.64, $7.14 and $3.08. Conviction paid $4.96 and $2.52 and Booked returned $2.10.
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Apprentice jockey Yomar Ortiz Jr. claims first career win
Apprentice jockey Yomar Ortiz Jr., who made his riding debut here Oct. 14, captured his first career victory in Saturday’s fifth race aboard Hard Champ for trainer Joe Sharp. A 17-year-old born in Puerto Rico and raised in Maryland (no relation to jockeys Irad Jr. and Jose), Ortiz Jr. guided Hard Champ up the inside, passing Order Restored in the closing stages to win with his 14th mount by three-quarters of a length.
“I’d been working her the past few times, and honestly, I just rode her with confidence,” Ortiz Jr. said about the 3-year-old filly by Upstart. “I knew she was coming into this race good, and I just want to thank Joe. He helped me out a lot, and has taught me so much. I’m very grateful.”
Ortiz said he has learned a great deal while competing against the top jockeys at Keeneland.
“You have to ride with the best to be the best,” Ortiz Jr. said. “This colony has given me such great advice. I’ve learned a lot in the past few weeks. It’s just crazy.”
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