A Full Field Makes a Typical Puzzle of the Transylvania

Like the first robin or the first buds on the daffodils, the arrival of the snowbirds in Kentucky surely heralds the arrival of spring -- and tough handicapping challenges like the Transylvania Stakes (G3T) on Keeneland's April 7 opening day.

The $400,000 test for 3-year-olds at 1 1/16 miles on the grass drew a predictably full starting gate with equally unpredictable results. The field hails from both coasts of Florida, New Orleans, and California, with a sprinkling of hardy types who endured the northern winter.

The gathering of the clan from diverse points of the compass could make success over the track important, especially for the young 3-year-olds. And that could work to the advantage of Andthewinneris , an Oscar Performance   colt who won the Bourbon Stakes (G2T) over course and distance.

The Susan Moulton homebred finished fourth in his latest, the Black Gold Stakes March 4 at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots, but trainer Wayne Catalano cites circumstances.

"He got bumped pretty good coming out of the gate and then bumped again at the top of the stretch," Catalano said after the colt drew post 3 in the field of 12. "He's doing great here and we know he loves this course."

Andthewinneris followed the Bourbon score with a late-running seventh-place finish, beaten less than 4 lengths after starting last, in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf (G1T), also at Keeneland.

Many of the other big-name trainers also are ready for the change of venue and change of season.

Andthewinneris notwithstanding, the Brad Cox-trained Wonderful Justice  heads the contingent coming from the recently concluded Fair Grounds meeting. Wonderful Justice, by Justify  , is 2-for-2, won the Black Gold Stakes over the troubled New Orleans turf course, and might enjoy the lush bluegrass surface at Keeneland.

"I think he's got a big future," Cox said after the Black Gold. "There's plenty of opportunity on the Kentucky circuit and the (New York) circuit and I think he'll be competitive at the top of that division."

Dude N Colorado  and Webslinger  arrive after finishing first and second in the Colonel Liam Stakes at Gulfstream Park March 4 for Todd Pletcher and Mark Casse, respectively. Chad Brown runs Carl Spackler , fresh off his maiden win at Gulfstream with sparkling speed figures.

Dude N Colorado's owner, Kirk Wycoff, said after the Colonel Liam that some early decisions had to be made about the best surface for the colt.

"Todd started him (on grass) in the fall but he was a little bit immature," Wycoff said. "The first race here was taken off the turf and went to Tapeta. He showed us he can run on that. It wasn't as fast as we thought but since he's hit the grass, he's a fast horse. We debated whether to go (dirt) or turf and this looked like a good spot."

It proved to be so, and Pletcher immediately identified the turf, and the Transylvania, as Dude N Colorado's future.

Candidate  was second in the Kitten's Joy at Gulfstream behind Major Dude  in his last but a neck in front of Dude N Colorado. Arnaud Delacour calls the shots for the Exaggerator  colt.

Graham Motion gets Nagirroc  back into action. The Lea   colt finished third in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf at Keeneland, then was a close third in the Eddie Logan Stakes at Santa Anita Dec. 30 before going on vacation.

"I felt he was doing well, and it was a long break until the spring," Motion said of the trip to Santa Anita. "After that, we gave him all of January off and pointed to this race."

Entries: Kentucky Utilities Transylvania S. (G3T)

Keeneland, Friday, April 07, 2023, Race 8

• Grade IIIT
• 1 1/16m
• Turf
• $400,000
• 3 yo
• 4:44 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	1Freedom Trail (KY)	Lanfranco Dettori	118	John P. Terranova, II	20/1
2	2Webslinger (KY)	Javier Castellano	118	Mark E. Casse	5/1
3	3Andthewinneris (KY)	Corey J. Lanerie	120	Wayne M. Catalano	12/1
4	4Wonderful Justice (GB)	Florent Geroux	118	Brad H. Cox	12/1
5	5Rarified Flair (KY)	Chris Landeros	118	Kenneth G. McPeek	20/1
6	6Mi Hermano Ramon (KY)	John R. Velazquez	118	Mark Glatt	15/1
7	7Mo Stash (KY)	Luis Saez	118	Victoria H. Oliver	6/1
8	8Candidate (KY)	Joel Rosario	118	Arnaud Delacour	10/1
9	9Nagirroc (KY)	Flavien Prat	118	H. Graham Motion	8/1
10	10Movisitor (PA)	Adam Beschizza	118	Edward Vaughan	50/1
11	11Carl Spackler (IRE)	Tyler Gaffalione	118	Chad C. Brown	3/1
12	12Dude N Colorado (GB)	Irad Ortiz, Jr.	118	Todd A. Pletcher	9/2