Pair of Ward Trainees Return in Giant's Causeway

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Pair of Ward Trainees Return in Giant's Causeway
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Photo: Coady Photography
Happy Soul wins the Dixie Belle Stakes at Oaklawn Park

A strong field of 12 fillies and mares 3-years-old and up including Happy Soul  making her return after a six-month break are set to shine in the $250,000 Giant's Causeway Stakes at Keeneland April 15. 

The 4-year-old daughter of Runhappy was last seen as a distant second to Slammed  in the Thoroughbred Club of America Stakes (G2). Trained by Wesley Ward, Happy Soul is 3-4-0 from nine starts and comes in the first choice at 4-1 in the 5 1/2-furlong turf race.

Richard Perkins' homebred Oeuvre  is looking to build on a perfect start to 2023. Five consecutive wins and nine out of 10, including a pair since the calendar change—the Nelson J. Menard Stakes and Mardi Gras Stakes—has the Chris Block's trainee primed to extend her hot streak. The second choice at 9-2, Oeuvre is 10-3-2 from 16 starts.

Co-second choice Twilight Gleaming  is the biggest money earner in the field ($793,430) and like fellow Ward trainee Happy Soul, is coming back after a six-month hiatus. Owned by Stonestreet Stables, Twilight Gleaming last ran fourth in the Franklin Stakes at Keeneland. Finishing 2 3/4 lengths behind Caravel , the Franklin Stakes was the only time in nine starts Twilight Gleaming fell short of a top-two finish (5-3-0).

Completing the field are Amy C  (6-1), Star Devine  (6-1), Little Jewel  (8-1), Train to Artemus  (8-1), Miner's Queen  (15-1), Opening Buzz  (15-1), Minaun  (30-1), Querobin Dourada  (30-1), and Creative Credit  (50-1). Also eligible are Mamba Wamba  (12-1), Sarah Harper  (15-1), and Fast Giselle  (30-1).

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Entries: Giant's Causeway S.

Keeneland, Saturday, April 15, 2023, Race 8

  • STK
  • 5 1/2f
  • Turf
  • $250,000
  • 3 yo's & up Fillies and Mares
  • 4:44 PM (local)
PP Horse Jockey Wgt Trainer M/L
1 1Train to Artemus (KY) Lanfranco Dettori 122 Kelly J. Breen 8/1
2 2Creative Credit (KY) Perry Wayne Ouzts 122 T. R. Haehn 50/1
3 3Happy Soul (KY)Keeneland Sales Graduate John R. Velazquez 122 Wesley A. Ward 4/1
4 4Oeuvre (IL) Jareth Loveberry 122 Chris M. Block 9/2
5 5Amy C (GB) Umberto Rispoli 124 Philip D'Amato 6/1
6 6Minaun (IRE) Luis Saez 122 Brendan P. Walsh 30/1
7 7Opening Buzz (CA) Luan Machado 122 Jonathan Wong 15/1
8 8Querobin Dourada (KY) Joseph Talamo 122 Paulo H. Lobo 30/1
9 9Miner's Queen (KY) Flavien Prat 122 Rey Hernandez 15/1
10 10Twilight Gleaming (IRE) Irad Ortiz, Jr. 122 Wesley A. Ward 9/2
11 11Little Jewel (KY) Javier Castellano 122 Carlo Vaccarezza 8/1
12 12Star Devine (IRE) Jose L. Ortiz 122 Jorge R. Abreu 6/1
13 13Mamba Wamba (IRE) Julien R. Leparoux 122 Brian A. Lynch 12/1
14 14Sarah Harper (KY) Flavien Prat 122 Ron Moquett 15/1
15 15Fast Giselle (KY) Alex Achard 122 Climaco Galindo-Torres 30/1