Four Graces, Venetian Harbor Vie in Raven Run Stakes

Although this year's official Breeders' Cup qualifiers are over, providing free, automatic entry in those races, at least a couple of potential Breeders' Cup starters are still racing this weekend at Keeneland.

Graded stakes winners Venetian Harbor and Four Graces lead a field of 10 sophomore fillies Oct. 17 in the $200,000 Lexus Raven Run Stakes (G2) at the Lexington track, where a good effort from one or both could propel them into the Nov. 7 Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint (G1), also at Keeneland. Both races are at seven furlongs.

The Raven Run/Filly & Mare Sprint double has been pulled off before. Two years ago, Conrad Farms' Shamrock Rose won both for trainer Mark Casse and was voted champion female sprinter of 2018.

For now, the connections of Venetian Harbor and Four Graces can only dream of repeating the feat. First things first—winning the Raven Run will be hard enough.

"One race at a time. I don't want to put the cart in front of the horse," said Ian Wilkes, the trainer of Whitham Thoroughbreds' Four Graces. "There are no pushovers here. There are no gimmes. We'll take this race and go from there."

Nine of the 10 entrants are either graded-placed or stakes winners, and the one exception, Klaravich Stables' Secondary Market, ran fourth in the Prioress Stakes (G2) at Saratoga Race Course.

She's one of two exiting the Sept. 5 Prioress, the other being Lael Stables' Reagan's Edge, the runner-up who was beaten 2 1/2 lengths by next-out Gallant Bloom Handicap (G2) winner Frank's Rockette. 

The likely favorite is Venetian Harbor, who recorded a blowout win in the Las Virgenes Stakes (G2) at Santa Anita Park in February. She has since been second in three consecutive graded stakes, losing to divisional leaders Swiss Skydiver, Speech, and Gamine.

The Richard Baltas-trained daughter of Munnings  has won $383,400 for owners Ciaglia Racing, Highland Yard, River Oak Farm, and Dominic Savides.

Following the Longines Test Stakes (G1) in which some of her connections expressed disappointment with a patient, pace-pressing ride from Joel Rosario, she is expected to flash speed under jockey Manny Franco.

Four Graces also figures to be prominent early under Julien Leparoux with a draw in post 2. She dueled for the lead in the Eight Belles Stakes Presented by Twinspires.com (G2) at Churchill Downs Sept. 4 before weakening to run second to Sconsin, who has bypassed the Raven Run.

Wilkes is anticipating a better effort, believing she may have been a bit too fresh and "a tad short" after eight weeks away from racing. She now returns after six weeks and most recently posted a five-furlong bullet move Oct. 8 at Churchill in :59 1/5.

The daughter of Majesticperfection also has an affinity for the Keeneland surface. Her largest margin of victory in four wins came locally when she won the Beaumont Stakes Presented by Keeneland Select (G3) by 4 3/4 lengths July 10.

"I don't think we have to take our track with us," Wilkes said of shipping her from Churchill to Keeneland.

Also worthy of Raven Run attention is Southern California invader Secret Keeper, who held second in the Torrey Pines Stakes (G3) at Del Mar after dueling through torrid splits.

Entries: Lexus Raven Run S. (G2)

Keeneland, Saturday, October 17, 2020, Race 9

• Grade II
• 7f
• Dirt
• $200,000
• 3 yo Fillies
• 5:30 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	1Never Forget (KY)	Robby Albarado	118	Victoria H. Oliver	20/1
2	2Four Graces (KY)	Julien R. Leparoux	120	Ian R. Wilkes	5/2
3	3Secondary Market (KY)	Tyler Gaffalione	118	Chad C. Brown	12/1
4	4Finite (KY)	Ricardo Santana, Jr.	120	Steven M. Asmussen	8/1
5	5Venetian Harbor (KY)	Manuel Franco	120	Richard Baltas	7/5
6	6Reagan's Edge (KY)	Florent Geroux	118	Cherie DeVaux	8/1
7	7Tonalist's Shape (KY)	Rafael Bejarano	120	Saffie A. Joseph, Jr.	12/1
8	8Fair Maiden (KY)	Corey J. Lanerie	118	Eoin G. Harty	15/1
9	9Grand Cru Classe (KY)	Martin Garcia	118	William I. Mott	12/1
10	10Secret Keeper (KY)	Brian Joseph Hernandez, Jr.	118	Clifford W. Sise, Jr.	12/1