Fancy Liquor Looks to Improve in Transylvania

Trainer Mike Maker's 1-2 punch in the $100,000 Kentucky Utilities Transylvania Stakes (G3T) at Keeneland is intact.

After saying July 10 that three-time stakes winner Field Pass, the 2-1 morning-line favorite and one of his two entries, would be scratched and instead run in the July 18 National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame Stakes (G2T) at Saratoga Race Course. Maker said July 12 that colt's connections had reversed course and that he will indeed run. He also starts Fancy Liquor in Sunday's 1 1/16-mile turf test for 3-year-olds.

Although not as proven as his stablemate, Fancy Liquor is a bright prospect. He's been on the board in all three starts: a first-out victory on grass at Gulfstream Park Feb. 2, a third-place finish behind winner Field Pass in the March 14 Jeff Ruby Steaks (G3) on synthetic at Turfway Park, and a second in a June 11 turf race at Churchill Downs behind Transylvania rival Vintage Print.

In the latter race, Fancy Liquor entered the second turn of the 1 1/16-mile contest ahead by about a length and a half, only to launch himself into the air under Florent Geroux. 

"He was loping along, and then all of a sudden it looked like he was going to jump the rail," Maker said.

Luckily, it wasn't that. A shadow on the turf course under sunny skies led him to leap, which cost him a clear lead and allowed the field to catch up. Still, the colt fought on without incident, losing to Vintage Print, who wore him down over the final sixteenth of a mile.

#6 Vintage Print goes right on by late to win Race 6 at @ChurchillDowns for @TheRealChadCBr1 pic.twitter.com/G44P4zyx1B

— TwinSpires (@TwinSpires) June 11, 2020

"He's a very gifted horse," Maker said of Fancy Liquor, who will wear a shadow roll and other equipment to discourage him from taking flight again.

Shadows might be harder for Fancy Liquor to find Sunday at Keeneland. Some clouds are forecast in Lexington during the afternoon, along with a 60% chance of rain, according to a midday report from the National Weather Service July 11.

Fancy Liquor, by Lookin At Lucky , is owned by Skychai Racing and Sand Dollar Stable. Skychai raced his dam, Brandys Secret, in partnership with Hot Pink Stable, and together they bred Fancy Liquor.

Geroux returns in the irons.

Vintage Print, by two-time Horse of the Year Curlin  out of multiple graded stakes winner Molly Morgan, never cared for dirt racing, the surfaces on which his sire and dam excelled, but he has turned around his career on turf. He has won two consecutive races on grass, including a maiden race Feb. 22 at Gulfstream Park.

The colt was a $1.8 million purchase by owner Larry Best of OXO Equine at the 2018 Keeneland September Yearling Sale from the Summerfield consignment.

Tyler Gaffalione, aboard for Vintage Print's win at Churchill, will again be up for trainer Chad Brown.

Five of the top eight trainers in North America by 2020 turf earnings have entries in the Transylvania: No. 1 Maker, No. 2 Brown, No. 4 Brad Cox, No. 7 Christophe Clement, and No. 8 Graham Motion.

Cox runs Kinenos, Clement starts City Man, and Motion has Irish Mias.

The race is complemented by the presence of the Rusty Arnold-trained Bama Breeze, who ran second to Field Pass in the Audubon Stakes at Churchill Downs June 20, beaten a length.

The Transylvania is the supporting feature on the closing-day summer meet card at Keeneland that is highlighted by the TVG Elkhorn Stakes (G2T). 

Editor's note: An earlier version of this story cited Maker as saying he would scratch Field Pass.