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Breeders' Cup Winner Caravel Preps for 2023 Debut in Shakertown

Qatar Racing Limited, Marc Detampel and Madaket Stables’ Caravel had her final tuneup Saturday morning for her 2023 debut in next Saturday’s 27th running of the $350,000 Shakertown (G2) when she worked a half-mile in :48.20 on Keeneland’s all-weather training track with exercise rider Edgar Quinteros aboard. 

“You can’t do it any better than that,” said Tessa Walden, assistant to trainer Brad Cox. 

“We called an audible Friday and just galloped on the all-weather and pushed the work back a day,” Cox said Friday morning before heading to Oaklawn Park for this afternoon’s Arkansas Derby (G1). 

Caravel, who was last seen defeating males in the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint (G1) here in November, is scheduled to face the boys again in the Shakertown. 

“(The Shakertown) has been the plan for the comeback all along. I love the way she is training,” Cox said of the 6-year-old mare, who returned to the work tab Feb. 18 with the first of six works over the all-weather surface at Turfway Park prior to her work here Saturday morning. 

A 10-time stakes winner with four victories in graded races, Caravel is undefeated in two Keeneland starts. She took the Franklin (G3) here during the 2022 Fall Meet prior to her victory in the Breeders’ Cup.