Buy TicketsAmerican History, Classic Q, Evanescence, Joe Sheisty win stakes
Gary Barber, Cheyenne Stable and Wachtel Stable’s Rhetorical dominated from the start on the way to his title defense in the 41st running of the $1.25 million Coolmore Turf Mile (G1), the featured event of five stakes on Fall Stars Saturday at Keeneland.
The other winners on Saturday were American History in the $650,000 Claiborne Breeders’ Futurity (G1), Classic Q in the $800,000 First Lady (G1), Evanescence in the $400,000 Thoroughbred Club of America (G2) and Joe Sheisty in the $400,000 Woodford (G2) Presented by FanDuel.
Rhetorical, a three-quarter-length winner last year, became the first back-to-back Coolmore Turf Mile winner since Eclipse Award winner Gio Ponti took consecutive editions in 2010 and 2011. The 5-year-old New York-bred Not This Time gelding also surpassed the $2 million mark in earnings with his 2 1/4-length victory over late-running European import Lake Forest (GB).
Rhetorical guaranteed a spot in the Oct. 31 FanDuel Breeders’ Cup Mile (G1) by winning the Breeders’ Cup Challenge “Win and You’re In” series race.
Irad Ortiz Jr. rode Rhetorical for trainer Will Walden – the same winning team for last year’s running. Rhetorical came into the Coolmore Turf Mile off back-to-back fourths in Grade 1 stakes at Saratoga Race Course. Back at Keeneland, where he finished third in the Maker’s Mark Mile (G1) during the Spring Meet, Rhetorical went to post as the 9-5 favorite in the field of eight.
Ortiz, riding for the second day after returning from almost two months off with a foot injury, put Rhetorical on the lead past the finish the first time ahead of Zulu Kingdom (IRE), Title Role (GB) and Brilliant Berti. Rhetorical clicked off the opening quarter in :24.73, 1 1/2 lengths in front of Zulu Kingdom.
Rhetorical, fourth and a head behind third-place finisher Zulu Kingdom last time out in the Fourstardave (G1) at Saratoga, continued to lead that foe by a length through the half in :49.76. Rhetorical stayed in command around the far turn, led by a half-length at the quarter pole and past 6 furlongs in 1:14.07 and opened up in the stretch. He widened his advantage from 1½ lengths in midstretch to 2 1/4 lengths at the finish in 1:36.35 over the firm course.
Lake Forest, a Group 2 winner in England this season for trainer William Haggas, rallied under Cieren Fallon in deep stretch to finish second, a neck ahead of Title Role and John Velazquez. Brilliant Berti, Zulu Kingdom, Pass the Hat, Plensa and Mercante completed the field.
Rhetorical, bred by Mallory and Karen Mort, earned $596,750 for the victory. He improved his record to seven wins in 12 starts and boosted his bankroll to $2,508,480.
Rhetorical paid $5.72, $3.28 and $2.68. Lake Forest returned $4.58 and $3.62 and Title Role paid $4.78.
American History flies home late to upset Claiborne Breeders’ Futurity
WinStar Farm, First Go Racing and CHC Inc.’s American History surged toward the top of the 2-year-old male division with a come-from-behind victory over two battling rivals in deep stretch of the 113th running of the Claiborne Breeders’ Futurity.
American History won the 1 1/16-mile Claiborne Breeders’ Futurity by a length over Coach Pope and Q B Rocket, who battled most of the way and finished a neck apart at the finish. An $825,000 buy at last year’s Keeneland September Yearling Sale, American History secured a spot in the starting gate for the Oct. 31 FanDuel Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (G1) at Keeneland by winning the Breeders’ Cup Challenge “Win and You’re In” race on Saturday’s star-studded program.
American History also earned WinStar Farm a prestigious Keeneland Tray as part of the Milestone Trophy Program. Owners of horses that win graded stakes races receive a Keeneland Trophy Cup. Once eight Keeneland Trophy Cups are accumulated, the owner receives a Keeneland Tray.
Trainer Todd Pletcher equaled his mentor and former boss, the late Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas, with his sixth Claiborne Breeders’ Futurity victory. He’s won four of the last five – with Forte in 2022, Locked in 2023 and Ted Noffey last year – along with victories by We Miss Artie in 2013 and Carpe Diem in 2014.
American History figures to be one of the main contenders for the $2 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile off his second straight victory. The son of Constitution came into Saturday off a 7 ¾-length debut win on Aug. 22 at Saratoga Race Course. He went to post as the 5-1 third choice in the field of six behind odds-on favorite Coach Pope and 5-2 second choice Q B Rocket.
Q B Rocket and Junior Alvarado took the lead from the start and led the six-horse field through splits of :23.52 and :46.54 with Coach Pope and Jose Ortiz in close pursuit. Those two continued their battle on the backstretch and to the far turn with American History 5 lengths back through 6 furlongs in 1:10.52.
Coach Pope took a narrow lead as the field turned for home to the outside of a stubborn Q B Rocket on the rail, with American History still more than 3 lengths back a furlong from home. Velazquez stayed busy on American History in deep stretch and collared the leaders late for the win. Coach Pope, named for University of Kentucky men’s basketball coach Mark Pope, edged Q B Rocket for the place spot. Title Worthy, Jaded and Phone Booth completed the field.
American History earned $397,963 for the win to boost his earnings to $461,213. He paid $12, $3.94 and $2.66. Coach Paid returned $2.36 and $2.10, while Q B Rocket paid $2.46.
Classic Q edges Lush Lips (GB) in thrilling renewal of First Lady
Gary Barber, Blue Crevalle Racing and Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners’ Classic Q got up just in time to edge Lush Lips at the finish to win the 29th running of the First Lady.
John Velazquez rode the 4-year-old Classic Empire filly to victory by a nose over Lush Lips in the 1-mile First Lady, Classic Q’s second Grade 1 win in her last three starts. Trained by Mark Casse and a $40,000 purchase out of the 2023 September Sale, Classic Q came into the First Lady off a close third as the favorite in the Resolute Racing Kentucky Downs Ladies Turf (G1) at the same distance.
Classic Q’s stablemate, And One More Time, took the lead to the inside of Segesta, dead-heat winner of the Jenny Wiley (G1) during the Sprint Meet. Those two battled through the opening fractions of :23.37 and :47.89 ahead of Classic Q, Love You Anyway, Deep Satin and Lush Lips.
And One More Time continued to lead on the far turn and held a narrow half-length advantage over Segesta after 6 furlongs in 1:12.05. Classic Q inched into third at that point while running wide on the far turn. Lush Lips and Tyler Gaffalione took advantage of an opening on the inside in the stretch to make a strong run approaching the eighth pole.
Lush Lips took advantage from there, opened up and looked to be on her way to adding the First Lady to her resume that includes a win in last year’s Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup (G1) Presented by Dixiana. Classic Q continued her sustained run several paths out from Lush Lips on the rail and got up to win by a nose. She won in 1:35.89 over the firm turf.
Lush Lips finished three-quarters of a length in front of Bless the Broken, who was a half-length clear of Vina Arana (IRE) in fourth. Mandanaba (FR), Expensive Queen (IRE), Deep Satin, And One More Time, Segesta and Love You Anyway completed the field.
Classic Q improved to 6-for-17, picked up $465,000 and boosted her earnings to $1,962,615. She also won the Just a Game (G1) Presented by Resolute Racing during the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival at Saratoga Race Course and the Churchill Distaff Turf Mile (G2) on Kentucky Derby Day this season. She returned $20.08, $8.52 and $5.12. Lush Lips paid $4.72 and $3.62. Bless the Broken returned $5.78.
Evanescence up in time to win Thoroughbred Club of America
Green Lantern Stables’ Evanescence rallied in the stretch to catch defending champion Praying in the final strides to win the 46th running of the Thoroughbred Club of America.
Evanescence, a $250,000 buy at the 2023 September Sale, landed an automatic spot in the Oct. 31 Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint (G1) for her win in the TCA as part of the Breeders’ Cup Challenge “Win and You’re In” series. She also improved to 3-for-3 at Keeneland with her first graded stakes and stakes victory for trainer Eddie Kenneally.
Jose Ortiz rode Evanescence, the 5-2 third choice in the field of seven behind 7-5 choice Echo Sound and Resolute Racing Madison (G1) winner and 2-1 second pick Eclatant.
Evanescence raced toward the back of the field early while Praying and John Velazquez took the initiative. Praying led from the start and clicked off the opening quarter in :22.78, a length ahead of Echo Sound and Eclatant. Praying continued to lead on the turn, with Echo Sound keeping close tabs on the leader ahead of Eclatant, Jersey Pearl and Evanescence. Praying led past the half in :45.86 and put away her nearest pursuers in the stretch to open up by 2½ lengths in midstretch.
Evanescence came wide turning for home and made a sustained rally through the stretch, closing from fourth at the eighth pole to win in 1:16.57 for the 6 ½ furlongs on the fast track. Praying held second, 4 3/4 lengths clear of Eclatant in third with Echo Sound, Queen’s Martini, Jersey Pearl and Zeitlos completing the lineup.
Evanescence improved to 3-for-6 with three thirds on the season and picked up $241,800 for her latest victory. She’s won five of 12 in her career and $668,509. The victories include a win going 6 furlongs in an allowance race during the 2025 Spring Meet and another score in an allowance during the 2026 Spring Meet.
Evanescence paid $7.98, $3.92 and $2.66. Praying, the 14-1 third longest shot on the board, paid $9.36 and $5.86. Eclatant returned $2.76.
Joe Shiesty delivers in Woodford Presented by FanDuel
Fans of the Cincinnati Bengals had back-to-back wins Saturday as Who Dey — named for the team’s rallying cry — won the fifth race. In the next race, the 30th running of the Woodford Presented by FanDuel, the winner was Joe Shiesty, who carries the same nickname as Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow.
Foster Family Racing, Lonnie Reynolds, Vicki Mills and Donald Coomes’ Joe Shiesty took control at the start, put away a stubborn rival in the stretch and fended off another foe late to win the 5½-furlong stakes under Fernando De La Cruz.
A 5-year-old gelding by Air Force Blue, Joe Shiesty won by a half-length over No Nay Hudson (IRE) to trainer Eric Foster his first Keeneland stakes victory and De La Cruz his third win in the Woodford Presented by FanDuel.
The 5-2 second choice in the field of 10, Joe Shiesty took the lead from the break and battled toward the turn with 2-1 favorite Doncho. Those two clicked past the quarter in :21.79, ahead of No Nay Hudson, My Boy Prince and Its Bourbon Thirty.
The battle continued on the turn with Joe Shiesty gaining a slight edge at the top of the lane before Doncho, second via disqualification last time out in the Troy (G2) at Saratoga, made the lead under Irad Ortiz Jr. in midstretch. De La Cruz kept after Joe Shiesty inside the final furlong and regained the lead approaching the finish while No Nay Hudson and Jose Ortiz made a late bid.
Joe Shiesty held off No Nay Hudson late to win in 1:02.58 over the course labeled good. No Nay Hudson finished a half-length ahead of Doncho, who was 1 3/4 lengths clear of Script in fourth.
De La Cruz won back-to-back renewals of the Woodford in 2017 and 2018 with multiple graded stakes-winning Indiana-bred Bucchero. He’s been aboard Joe Shiesty for his last seven starts, including a win last time out in the Tri-State Turf Sprint (L) at Ellis Park and a fifth in the Valvoline Global Shakertown (G2) during the Keeneland Spring Meet.
A $16,000 yearling purchase at the 2022 Keeneland January Horses of All Ages Sale, Joe Shiesty earned $235,600 for the victory to boost his earnings to $1,376,227 from a record of nine wins, four seconds and two thirds in 23 starts.
Joe Shiesty returned $7.70, $4.58 and $3.22. No Nay Hudson paid $7.20 and $4.28 and Doncho returned $3.10.
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Sunday is the final day of Fall Stars Weekend with a 10-race card highlighted by the $650,000 Juddmonte Spinster (G1). Post time for the Juddmonte Spinster is 5:45 p.m.
The races begin at 1 p.m.
Keeneland will offer a Super Hi 5 carryover of $25,540.88.