Kentucky Derby 2023: Long shot Mage offers a lot for a big price
Read this article$200,000 Thoroughbred Club of America Stakes Draws Eight
On Saturday at Keeneland, the $200,000 Thoroughbred Club of America Stakes will offer the winner an automatic spot in the starting gate for the Breeders Cup Filly and Mare Sprint as part of the Breeders Cup Challenge series. The Grade 2 race will be run at six furlongs on the main track.
The morning line favorite in the field of eight is Stonetastic at odds of 2-1. Trained by Kelly Breen, the three-year-old daughter of Mizzen Mast has won three of her seven starts and earned the first graded stakes victory of her career last time out in the Prioress (G2) at Saratoga. She will be facing older rivals for the first time and will have Paco Lopez aboard from post position five.
Jockey change to Mike Smith for R Free Roll
Second choice at odds of 5-2 is R Free Roll for trainer Kirk Ziadie. With Paco Lopez, aboard last time out for her win in the Honorable Miss (G2) at Saratoga, committed to Stonetatsic, she picks up the services of Hall of Fame jockey Mike Smith. The four-year-old daughter of Rockport Harbor has won seven of her seventeen starts and is attempting to earn her fourth straight victory. The bay filly will break from post three.
Leigh Court a triple-threat on any surface
Also in the field at morning line odds of 4-1 is Leigh Court, a homebred daughter of Grand Slam for owner Eugene Melnyk. The four-year-old filly, trained by Josie Carroll, will have regular rider Gary Boulanger aboard. She has won six of her ten starts and has won on all three surfaces – turf, conventional dirt and synthetics. She was last seen winning the Seaway (G3) at Woodbine in her only start of the year.
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