Raging Bull, Three Foes Meet Again in Maker's Mark Mile

Roughly 2,000 miles from where they last met at Santa Anita Park in the Shoemaker Mile Stakes (G1T), four of that race's top six finishers meet again July 10 in the $300,000 Maker's Mark Mile Stakes (G1T) at Keeneland.

Shoemaker Mile winner Raging Bull is joined by runner-up Next Shares, third-place Without Parole, sixth-place War of Will, and six different rivals in the Mile, though the same pecking order is not assured this time. Regardless, Raging Bull, the 123-pound highweight under Joel Rosario, warrants favoritism as a dual grade 1 winner.

Although the Peter Brant-owned runner was outstanding in the Shoemaker, sweeping past the field in a rally from eighth for a 2 1/4-length victory, he enjoyed a smooth trip while some of his foes did not. Next Shares was squeezed at the start when War of Will drifted inward, Without Parole was blocked in traffic from the second turn until midstretch, and War of Will was keen in his first start of the year, racing close to a fast pace and tiring late.

A month and a half later, trainer Mark Casse is looking to mix things up with War of Will. He removes the War Front  colt's blinkers, which were on for his past two races, including a ninth-place finish after setting the pace in the Nov. 2 Longines Breeders' Cup Classic (G1) at Santa Anita.

"We think those made him a little too aggressive early. So we're going to try to get him to settle down a little," he said.

Casse would have liked to see War of Will draw a post position closer to the inside—he landed the outside post in the field 10—but the 4-year-old possesses enough tactical speed to secure a useful position in the two-turn grass race, even if he is not as eager early with blinkers off.

"He's overcome worse," Casse said.

The Gary Barber-owned colt won the Risen Star Stakes Presented by Lamarque Ford (G2) at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots at 3 from post 13, one of three stakes victories last year. He also won the Lecomte Stakes (G3) at the Louisiana track and the Preakness Stakes (G1) at Pimlico Race Course. The Preakness came after a troubled seventh-place finish in the Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve (G1) at Churchill Downs.

War of Will is still relatively inexperienced on turf with an 0-1-1 record in five grass starts, though he has been competitive in elite company, beaten 3 1/4 lengths in the Shoemaker. He crossed the wire in fifth in that race but was moved down a position by stewards for bumping rivals at the start.

Tyler Gaffalione, War of Will's rider throughout 2019, returns after Flavien Prat rode him last out at Santa Anita.

Without Parole will look for better racing luck in the Mile after being compromised in the Shoemaker. More forward than stablemate Raging Bull early in that race, he advanced on tiring leaders without a suitable hole, and by the time he received clear running room, Raging Bull had gone past him.

Chad Brown, still looking for his first Maker's Mark Mile victory, trains both Without Parole and Raging Bull.

Without Parole—a 5-year-old son of Frankel owned by Tanya and John Gunther, his breeder—raced overseas earlier in his career, where he won the St. James's Palace Stakes (G1) at Royal Ascot in 2018 for trainer John Gosden before his form declined late in his 3-year-old season and into his 4-year-old year.

Brown has trained him for three starts. Besides his third in the Shoemaker, he was 11th in the Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational Stakes Presented by Runhappy (G1T) Jan. 25 at Gulfstream Park and third in the TVG Breeders' Cup Mile (G1T) at Santa Anita Nov. 2.

Irad Ortiz Jr. remains in the irons.

The Maker's Mark Mile also includes Hembree, the winner of the 2018 Nearctic Stakes (G2T), and English Bee, who captured the New Kent County Virginia Derby (G3T) in 2019.

Completing the lineup are stretch-out turf sprinter High Crime; Parlor, a last-out third in the Wise Dan Stakes (G2T); Everfast, a runner-up in three stakes, including the 2019 Preakness, but unraced on turf; and stakes-winning Emmaus, fifth in the Wise Dan.

According to the National Weather Service, there is an 80% chance of rain Friday in Lexington. 

Many in the field are proven on wet ground, including Next Shares, who won the Shadwell Turf Mile Stakes (G1T) on a "good" course at Keeneland in 2018.

Entries: Maker's Mark Mile S. (G1T)

Keeneland, Friday, July 10, 2020, Race 8

• Grade IT
• 1m
• Turf
• $300,000
• 4 yo's & up
• 4:57 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	1Hembree (KY)	Javier Castellano	118	Michael J. Maker	12/1
2	2High Crime (KY)	Luis Saez	118	Darrin Miller	30/1
3	3Parlor (KY)	Florent Geroux	118	Michael J. Maker	10/1
4	4Raging Bull (FR)	Joel Rosario	123	Chad C. Brown	9/5
5	5English Bee (KY)	James Graham	118	H. Graham Motion	10/1
6	6Everfast (KY)	Ricardo Santana, Jr.	118	Jack Sisterson	15/1
7	7Emmaus (IRE)	Brian Joseph Hernandez, Jr.	118	Conor Murphy	20/1
8	8Without Parole (GB)	Irad Ortiz, Jr.	118	Chad C. Brown	5/2
9	9Next Shares (KY)	John R. Velazquez	120	Richard Baltas	8/1
10	10War of Will (KY)	Tyler Gaffalione	118	Mark E. Casse	6/1