Scuba Looks to Continue Winning Ways in Ben Ali

Scuba returns from a five-month layoff and will try to win his fourth consecutive start in the April 15 Ben Ali Stakes (G3) for older horses at Keeneland. The nine-furlong contest carries a $200,000 purse.

Scuba, campaigned by DARRS, won the Greenwood Cup (G3), Temperence Hill Invitational, and Marathon stakes (G2) in succession last year, almost entirely in front-running fashion going between 12 and 13 furlongs. He has run well off the bench in the past and has run second twice at this distance in as many starts. He figures to have some company on the front end with milers like Bird Song and Conquest Enforcer stretching out.

Neither Bird Song nor Conquest Enforcer has been beyond a mile in the past year. Bird Song won the Fred W. Hooper Stakes (G3) wire-to-wire in his second outing this year for Marylou Whitney at a flat mile and figures to be on the pace here. Conquest Enforcer is moving from turf to dirt. His only other non-turf start came in the Queenston Stakes over Woodbine’s Polytrack, which he won; this will be his first start on dirt. He was classy enough to win the Mathis Brothers Mile (G2T) late last year but has lost ground late in his two 2017 starts going a flat mile, so he needs to show he can get the extra furlong.

Eagle won the Ben Ali a year ago and subsequently ran well in the Alysheba Stakes (G2) and Stephen Foster Handicap (G1), getting second in each. He has rolled a trio of fourths since then in graded company and would benefit from a hot pace. Blofeld won the Gulfstream Park Handicap (G2) 13 months ago but has done little to recommend himself since. He has been no closer than 10 lengths to the winner in his last four starts.

Watershed is tough to beat at the allowance level but has not shown the ability to threaten in his stakes efforts. His best chance will be to pick up the pieces if Scuba, Bird Song, and Conquest Enforcer get overly aggressive early.Frammento tried two of the three classics last year as well as the Travers Stakes (G1) without success. He has been backed down to allowance company this season, winning once before finishing well behind Bird Song in the Hooper last out.

Taketothestreets has won three of his past four, but they all came in allowance or allowance optional claiming heats. He will be asked the class question here.

Ben Ali S. (G3)

Keeneland, Saturday, April 15, 2017, Race 7

• 1 1/8m
• Dirt
• $200,000
• 4 yo's & up
• 4:24 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	1Blofeld (KY)	Florent Geroux	118	George R. Arnold, II	8/1
2	2Eagle (KY)	Robby Albarado	118	Neil J. Howard	5/2
3	3Watershed (KY)	Paco Lopez	118	Kiaran P. McLaughlin	7/2
4	4Scuba (KY)	Kendrick Carmouche	120	Brendan P. Walsh	5/1
5	5Taketothestreets (KY)	Channing Hill	118	Kellyn Gorder	20/1
6	6Bird Song (KY)	Brian Joseph Hernandez, Jr.	118	Ian R. Wilkes	3/1
7	7Conquest Enforcer (ON)	Joel Rosario	118	Jeffrey A. Radosevich	5/1
8	8Frammento (KY)	Nik Juarez	118	Nicholas P. Zito	15/1