No Sneaky Favorite in Thoroughbred Club of America
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Photo: Benoit Photo
KMN Racing's homebred filly Sneaking Out has not been sneaking up on anyone in her past two starts in graded stakes in Southern California, which is why trainer Jerry Hollendorfer has shipped her to Keeneland for the Oct. 3 $200,000 Thoroughbred Club of America Stakes (G2) going six furlongs on the main track.
"This filly has won two graded stakes, and we felt like she deserved a shot against the best," Hollendorfer said from Los Alamitos Race Course, where the 4-year-old daughter of Indian Evening won the Great Lady M Stakes (G2) in July. "It is an important race before the Breeders' Cup."
The TCA is a Breeders' Cup Challenge "Win and You're In" race for the $1 million Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Sprint (G1) to be run at Keeneland Nov. 7. Regarding Sneaking Out's schedule between this weekend and the World Championships, whether she might ship back to California in the interim, Hollendorfer said he's taking it one step at a time.
"Right now, we are not looking past Saturday," Hollendorfer said. "I'll discuss it with (owner) Kevin (Nish) and make a decision."
California-bred Sneaking Out followed the Great Lady M with a more impressive performance Aug. 21 in the Rancho Bernardo Handicap (G3) at Del Mar, where she won by 3 3/4 lengths and earned a career-high 96 Beyer Speed Figure. Both graded races were at 6 1/2 furlongs.
Sneaking Out has compiled a record of 6-4-0 from 12 starts, and Hollendorfer feels she is at the top of her game. For the filly's most recent work at Los Alamitos Sept. 24, she went six furlongs out of the gate in 1:11 3/5.
"Her rider (Umberto Rispoli) is very keen on her and loved her race at Del Mar," Hollendorfer said. Rispoli was aboard Sneaking Out for the first time in the Rancho Bernardo and has the mount Saturday.
Sneaking Out arrived at Keeneland Sept. 29 and the following morning took a trip through the paddock and then jogged.
Grade 3 winner Lady's Island, who is owned by Averill Racing and Matties Racing Stable and trained by Danny Gargan, will be a key contender in the TCA. The 6-year-old Florida-bred daughter of Greatness comes into the TCA off a close second in the Honorable Miss Handicap (G2) at Saratoga Race Course, where she led for five furlongs and blazed through opening fractions of :21.64 and :43.81. Lady's Island could not hold off grade 1 winner Come Dancing's late charge and finished three-quarters of a length back. The mare has had a solid year with a 3-2-1 record out of six starts, of which five have been at six furlongs.
Lady's Island will be ridden by Tyler Gaffalione.
Other intriguing contenders include Contreras Stable and Andrew Knapczyk's Inthemidstofbiz, who comes into the TCA off a 1 1/2-length win in the six-furlong Satin and Lace Stakes on Presque Isle Downs' Tapeta main track. The 4-year-old daughter of Fed Biz wired the field in a final time of 1:08.82, capturing her fourth win out of eight starts this year. Inthemidstofbiz is trained by Cipriano Contreras and will be ridden by Martin Garcia.
Trainer Wesley Ward brings allowance-level winner Palace Avenger to the TCA off two consecutive wins at six furlongs at Saratoga. The 3-year-old daughter of Palace won a July 16 allowance race by half a length and followed that performance with a three-length romp in a Sept. 3 allowance optional claimer in 1:08.61. Palace Avenger is owned by Dreamfields, Don Brady, Mark Board, and John Gaynor.
Keeneland, Saturday, October 03, 2020, Race 7Entries: Thoroughbred Club of America S. (G2)
PP
Horse
Jockey
Wgt
Trainer
M/L
1
1Sneaking Out (CA)
UMBERTO RISPOLI
122
Jerry Hollendorfer
5/2
2
2Dos Vinos (KY)
Mitchell Murrill
120
W. Bret Calhoun
7/2
3
3On Probation (KY)
Adam Beschizza
120
Neil L. Pessin
20/1
4
4Divine Queen (KY)
Calvin H. Borel
120
William B. Bradley
15/1
5
5Palace Avenger (KY)
Luis Saez
118
Wesley A. Ward
3/1
6
6Inthemidstofbiz (KY)
Martin Garcia
120
Cipriano Contreras
6/1
7
7Lady's Island (FL)
Tyler Gaffalione
120
Danny Gargan
3/1
