Brown Lines Up Firepower for Keeneland Summer Meet

A different season will not mean diminished graded stakes participation from trainer Chad Brown when Keeneland opens for a unique summer meet July 8-12. The four-time Eclipse Award winner intends to bring his usual group of top-class horses, including four grade or group 1 stakes winners.

According to Brown, those upper-tier runners include Raging Bull and Without Parole in the July 10 Maker's Mark Mile (G1T), Guarana in the July 11 Madison Stakes (G1), and Rushing Fall in the Coolmore Jenny Wiley Stakes (G1T), also July 11. Brown further plans to run the graded stakes-placed Altea in the Jenny Wiley, the trainer said.

Rushing Fall's appearance at Keeneland would mark her sixth local start, where she previously won the JP Morgan Chase Jessamine Stakes (G3T) in 2017, the Appalachian Stakes Presented by Japan Racing Association (G2T) and Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup Stakes Presented by Lane's End (G1T) in 2018, and the Jenny Wiley last year as a 4-year-old. She lost for the first time at Keeneland when fourth behind barnmate Uni in the First Lady Stakes Presented by UK HealthCare (G1T) last fall.

With four Keeneland stakes wins, Rushing Fall is tied with Take Charge Lady for the second most stakes wins at the track, according to Keeneland publicity. Hall of Famer Wise Dan won a record seven stakes at the Lexington track.

This year the 5-year-old daughter of More Than Ready  won her only start, capturing the June 3 Beaugay Stakes (G3T) at Belmont Park in frontrunning fashion for owner e Five Racing Thoroughbreds.

With a win in the Jenny Wiley, Rushing Fall would join champions Beholder and Lady Eli as the only horses to win grade 1 races at age 2, 3, 4, and 5 since at least 1976.

One of her stablemates, 2018 Jenny Wiley winner Sistercharlie, the champion female turf horse of that year for owner Peter Brant, is nominated to the Jenny Wiley but is likely to instead race at Saratoga Race Course, Brown said, mentioning the July 25 Ballston Spa Stakes (G2T) as a return spot. She is unraced since a third-place finish in the Nov. 2 Maker's Mark Breeders 'Cup Filly & Mare Turf (G1T) at Santa Anita Park.

The summer meet, which partially fills a void left from the 16-day spring meet that Keeneland was forced to cancel due to the COVID-19 outbreak, will be held without fans and with limited owners in attendance. Ten stakes are on deck, topped by the $600,000 Toyota Blue Grass (G2) and $400,000 Central Bank Ashland (G1), for which nominations were formally released by Keeneland June 30. 

"Keeneland thanks the owners and trainers who nominated horses to the summer meet stakes and will be supporting our racing program during this historic five-day season," Keeneland vice president of racing and sales Bob Elliston said in a release accompanying the nominations. "We also salute the exercise riders, grooms, hot walkers, and others in the stable area who have reported to work every day since the pandemic began to continue caring for these horses. This season would not be possible without the hard work and cooperation of countless people and organizations along with the backing of Keeneland's corporate partners."

Runhappy Hopeful Stakes winner (G1) Basin, owned by Jackpot Farm, breezed five furlongs in 1:00 3/5 at Keeneland June 29 for Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen and is one of the expected headliners for the Blue Grass while Peter Callahan's Swiss Skydiver, the leading points earner on the Road to the Kentucky Oaks, could give trainer Kenny McPeek his third Ashland after he captured the race with Take Charge Lady in 2002 and Rosalind in 2014.

Basin on inside. Nice 1:00 3/5. On track for BLUEGRASS Stakes @keenelandracing @myhelio @bobby22960 @MichaelVWagner @CraigVarney8 pic.twitter.com/usosiDuyfF

— Jackpot Farm (@jackpotfarm) June 30, 2020

For 3-year-olds, the Blue Grass and Ashland are respective preps for the postponed Sept. 5 Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve (G1) and Sept. 4 Longines Kentucky Oaks (G1). They each award qualifying points on a 100-40-20-10 scale to their top four finishers.

Six stakes are July 11 followed by two on closing day, July 12, when the Kentucky Utilities Transylvania Stakes (G3T) and TVG Elkorn Stakes (G2T) highlight the card. 

Michael Hui's Zulu Alpha, the top-ranked grass horse in the National Thoroughbred Racing Association's Top Thoroughbred Poll, is being prepared for a start in the Elkhorn by trainer Mike Maker.

NBCSN will broadcast the Elkhorn on July 12 as part of its programming from 5-7 p.m. ET. TVG will provide daily coverage onsite.