Study Guide: 2024 Keertana Stakes
May 21, 2024
Chop Chop winning the 2022 Juvenile Fillies S. at Kentucky Downs (Photo by Coady Media)
The richest stakes race taking place across the country this weekend is the $250,000 Keertana S. at Churchill Downs.
Named after Keertana, a talented mare who defeated male rivals in the 2011 Louisville H. (G3) at Churchill Downs, the Keertana is a 1 1/2-mile grass race for fillies and mares.
Seven horses have entered the 2024 Keertana. Let's take a horse-by-horse look at the field:
Heavenly Appointed
Start(s): 9
Wins: 3
Place: 2
Show: 1
Owner: Alex G. Campbell Jr. Thoroughbreds
Breeder: Alex G. Campbell Jr. Thoroughbreds
Trainer: Graham Motion
Jockey: Kevin Gomez
Top Speed Rating: (90) when finishing fourth in a Keeneland allowance.
Total Earnings: $86,636
Sire: Point of Entry
Dam: The Right Pew
Color: Chestnut
Heavenly Appointed unleashed big rallies to win three straight turf races at Tampa Bay Downs, then shipped to Keeneland and finished fourth in a 1 1/8-mile allowance. She's bred to shine while stretching out over 1 1/2 miles but must prove she can handle this class level.
Chop Chop
Chop Chop wins the Bewitch (G3) at Keeneland (Photo by Coady Media)
Start(s): 15
Wins: 5
Place: 5
Show: 2
Owner: Selective
Breeder: Cobra Farm and MRJ Thoroughbreds
Trainer: Brad Cox
Jockey: Axel Concepcion
Top Speed Rating: (95) when winning the Juvenile Fillies S. at Kentucky Downs.
Total Earnings: $880,152
Sire: City of Light
Dam: Grand Sofia
Color: Bay
An effective stakes horses on dirt, turf, and synthetic, Chop Chop thrived when stretching out over 1 1/2 miles for the first time in Keeneland's Bewitch (G3) last month, scoring by 2 1/4 lengths over Atomic Blonde and Vergara. She's 3-for-4 on turf and looms as the horse to beat for high-percentage trainer Brad Cox, a 27% winner at Churchill Downs this spring.
Tower Bridge
Tower Bridge wins at Turfway Park (Photo by Coady Media)
Start(s): 8
Wins: 2
Place: 0
Show: 0
Owner: John D. Gunther
Breeder: John D. Gunther
Trainer: Cherie DeVaux
Jockey: Brian Hernandez Jr.
Top Speed Rating: (96) when finishing sixth in the Orchid (G3) at Gulfstream Park.
Total Earnings: $102,349
Sire: Street Sense
Dam: London Mist
Color: Dark bay/brown
Tower Bridge is a winner on dirt and synthetic, but two tries racing 1 1/2 miles on turf yielded a sixth-place finish in the Orchid (G3) and a fourth in the Bewitch. She finished nine lengths behind Chop Chop in the latter race and will need a step forward to turn the tables.
Atomic Blonde
Chop Chop in front of Atomic Blonde in the Bewitch G3) at Keeneland (Photo by Coady Media / Credit to Jetta Vaughns)
Start(s): 18
Wins: 2
Place: 5
Show: 4
Owner: West Point Thoroughbreds, Christophe Clement, and Winters Equine
Breeder: Gestut Karishof
Trainer: Christophe Clement
Jockey: Tyler Gaffalione
Top Speed Rating: (96) when finishing third in the Orchid (G3) at Gulfstream Park.
Total Earnings: $272,130
Sire: The Grey Gatsby
Dam: Alwina
Color: Gray/roan
Atomic Blonde put forth a good effort when facing Chop Chop in the Bewitch, rallying from last place in a six-horse field to finish second by 2 1/4 lengths. She's won or placed in a bevy of graded/group grass stakes and looms as a logical threat to finish in the top three while dropping to the ungraded level for the Keertana.
Vergara
Vergara wins the Aristocrat Ladies Marathon (G3) (Photo by Coady Media)
Start(s): 16
Wins: 4
Place: 2
Show: 5
Owner: Gary Broad
Breeder: Neil Jones
Trainer: Graham Motion
Jockey: Jose Ortiz
Top Speed Rating: (98) when finishing fifth in the 2023 Glens Falls (G2) at Saratoga.
Total Earnings: $1,176,613
Sire: Noble Mission
Dam: Figure of Beauty
Color: Bay
Vergara has tactical speed and figures to be part of a modest pace in the Keertana, which could help her record a top-three finish. But she was beaten after pressing a modest pace in the Bewitch, finishing third by 6 3/4 lengths against Chop Chop and Atomic Blonde, so Vergara will need improvement to reverse that outcome.
Sand and Sea
Sand and Sea wins the Orange Blossom (Photo by Coglianese Media / Credit to Lauren King)
Start(s): 19
Wins: 5
Place: 3
Show: 4
Owner: James S. Karp
Breeder: Dennis Farkas
Trainer: Riley Mott
Jockey: Reylu Gutierrez
Top Speed Rating: (98) when finishing third in a Keeneland allowance.
Total Earnings: $299,393
Sire: Liam's Map
Dam: Hard Mystery
Color: Bay
It could be easy to overlook Sand and Sea off a sixth-place finish in a six-furlong dirt allowance at Horseshoe Indianapolis earlier this month. But that was her first start off a layoff, and Sand and Sea ran quite well when setting the pace in a couple of long-distance grass allowances on the Kentucky circuit last year, finishing second and third behind future two-time graded stakes winner R Calli Kim. A return to that level of form could make Sand and Sea a formidable win threat in the Keertana, especially if she shakes loose on an easy lead.
Holy Foley
Holy Foley wins at Keeneland (Photo by Coady Media)
Start(s): 16
Wins: 2
Place: 2
Show: 2
Owner: Perrine Time Thoroughbreds
Breeder: Adena Springs
Trainer: Brian Lynch
Jockey: Frankie Dettori
Top Speed Rating: (86) when winning a Keeneland allowance.
Total Earnings: $185,259
Sire: Point of Entry
Dam: Belissimo
Color: Chestnut
Holy Foley produced a big rally to win a 1 1/2-mile grass allowance at Keeneland last month by 1 1/2 lengths. But the finishing fractions were on the modest side, as was her 86 Brisnet Speed rating. Holy Foley is improving but may need another step forward to shine against stakes company, especially if a slow pace gives a tactical advantage to speed horses.
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