Keen Ice 'Strong Possibility' for Clark

Trainer Dale Romans said "there's a strong possibility" that Donegal Racing's Keen Ice, who famously snapped American Pharoah  's eight-race win streak with a upset win in the Travers Stakes (gr. I) could make another start this year in the $500,000 Clark Handicap Presented by Norton Healthcare (gr. I) Nov. 27 at Churchill Downs.

 

Romans made the declaration Nov. 15, after the 3-year-old Curlin colt breezed a half-mile at Churchill in :48 1/5 under regular exercise rider Tammy Fox. Keen Ice began his workout at the three-eighths pole over a "fast" track and recorded furlong splits of :11 3/5, :23 3/5, and :35 3/5. He galloped out five furlongs in 1:02 2/5.

 

"Right now, I'm training him like he's going in the Clark," Romans said. "He's a big, strong, and heavy horse that needs a lot of work and he enjoys his work, so it's not hurting him. He's showing no signs of souring. so we'll train like we're running him."

 

Sunday's breeze was the first since Keen Ice finished fourth, 12 1/2 lengths behind American Pharoah, in the Breeders' Cup Classic (gr. I) at Keeneland Oct. 31.

 

"I think he could've had a better performance in the Breeders' Cup," Romans said. "I just don't think that things set up for him from track conditions to everything else. What I think you'll see at this time next year is a horse that will be talked about as Horse of the Year or champion older male. He's doing that well and moves forward so much every time he runs that at the end of his 4-year-old year, you'll see an even better Keen Ice and a special horse that goes down in history.



"He's one of the few horses that I've had that the more he does, the better he gets. A lot of horses I can maintain, but you see very few prove the way he has."

 

The 1 1/8-mile Clark, which will be contested at Churchill for the 141st time, annually lures some of the top 3-year-olds and up in the country and is the centerpiece of seven stakes events cumulatively worth $1.38 million that will be contested at Churchill over the Thanksgiving holiday weekend.



Other races on closing weekend include the $200,000 Falls City Handicap Presented by TwinSpires.com (gr. II) for fillies and mares at 1 1/8 miles and $100,000 River City Handicap (gr. IIIT) for 3-year-olds and up at 1 1/8 miles on Thanksgiving Day, Nov. 26; the $100,000 Commonwealth Turf (gr. IIIT) for 3-year-olds at 1 1/16 miles and $80,000 Dream Supreme for fillies and mares at six furlongs on the Nov. 27 Clark undercard; and the $200,000 Kentucky Jockey Club Presented by TwinSpires.com (gr. II) for 2-year-olds at 1 1/16 miles and $200,000 Golden Rod Presented by TwinSpires.com (gr. II) for 2-year-old fillies at 1 1/16 miles on the Nov. 28 program, which features racing exclusively for juveniles.