Bryan Station Stakes to Test Troubleshooting at Route

Troubleshooting , triumphant in the Sept. 6 Franklin-Simpson Stakes (G1T) at Kentucky Downs when sprinting 6 1/2 furlongs on turf, ventures into new territory Oct. 25 at Keeneland when he stretches out to a route in the one-mile Bryan Station Stakes (G3T). He faces an overflow field in the $600,000 turf race that lured a dozen 3-year-olds into the body of the field, plus three also-eligibles.

All nine of the Troubleshooting's starts have come in sprints ranging from 5 1/2 furlongs to seven furlongs, first in three starts on dirt and then over six outings on turf. It is on the latter surface that Donamire Farm homebred son of Not This Time   has been most effective. He is 3-2-0 on grass with earnings of more than $1.3 million on the surface. The bulk of that bankroll was earned in rallying to take the $2 million Franklin-Simpson at Kentucky Downs, where purses are massive due to gaming and the track running a short season. Before the latter race, Troubleshooting's most significant victory had come in the ungraded, $149,500 Dade Park Dash at Ellis Park during the summer. 

Jockey Tyler Gaffalione returns in the irons aboard the 6-1 shot on the morning line.

Golden Afternoon —runner-up to Troubleshooting in the Franklin-Simpson, beaten a half-length—has route experience Troubleshooting does not possess. Though two of his three victories were in sprints, the son of Goldencents   won at a mile late last fall at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots. Although the six-furlong Tom Ridge Stakes at Presque Isle Downs is his top victory, he has two stakes placings at a route on grass.

The Nick Vaccarezza trainee races for Eddie and Pat Greco, Scott Jaffe, Michael Cloonan, and Vaccarezza Racing.

Eight of the 12 entries in the body of the field for the Bryan Station exit races at Kentucky Downs. Those participants include late-running Jeff Ruby Steaks (G3) winner Final Gambit , fifth in the Aug. 30 Nashville Derby (G3T), and Plensa  and Giocoso , 1-2 in the Sept. 6 Gun Runner Stakes.

Rocker O Ranch's Giocoso, winner of the Secretariat Stakes (G2T) at Colonial Downs over the summer for trainer Keith Desormeaux, is the tepid morning-line favorite in the Bryan Station at 9-2 odds.

The Bryan Station is the richest of three stakes on the closing-day card of the Keeneland fall meet. The other two stakes are the $350,000 Fayette Stakes (G2) for 3-year-olds and up and the $250,000 Bowman Mill Stakes for 2-year-olds.

READ: Gosger, Bracket Buster Face Elders in Fayette Stakes

A quick field of seven juvenile sprinters is set to dash six furlongs in the Bowman Mill, with a major contender being Spun D M C , who scored on debut Sept. 12 at Churchill Downs when he sped six furlongs there in 1:09.76. Trainer Randy Morse, who co-owns the son of Spun to Run  with Upcountry Farm, gives the mount to Irad Ortiz Jr.