Ten to Line Up for Lexington

More of a prep for the May 20 Preakness Stakes (G1) than the May 6 Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (G1) these days, Keeneland’s Stonestreet Lexington Stakes (G3) drew a field of 10. The $200,000 race for 3-year-olds April 15 gives 3-year-olds a chance to stretch 1 1/16 miles.

Based on recent class, Roy and Gretchen Jackson’s Lael Stables’ homebred No Dozing is the main player with four graded stakes tries on his ledger. The son of Union Rags   has made two starts in 2017, both at Tampa Bay Downs, where he ran sixth in the Sam F. Davis Stakes (G3), then improved several lengths in a fourth-place finish behind Tapwrit in the Lambholm South Tampa Bay Derby (G2).

At 2 No Dozing was fourth behind champion Classic Empire in Keeneland’s Claiborne Breeders’ Futurity (G1) and second in the grade 2 Remsen Stakes.

No Dozing, out of the Pulpit mare Stay Awake, is trained by Arnaud Delacour. Delacour won the 2015 Lexington with the Jackson’s Divining Rod.

“They are different horses,” Delacour told Keeneland media when asked to compare the two. “No Dozing is more experienced at this time. He ran four times last year including going two turns. He ran well here last fall in the Breeders’ Futurity and that is one positive, and I don’t think he liked the track at Tampa.”

Divining Rod used his victory in the Lexington to move on to a start in the Preakness in which he finished third behind eventual Triple Crown winner American Pharoah  .

Garland Williamson’s homebred Time to Travel and Live Oak Plantation’s Souper Tapit appear to be 3-year-olds moving in the right direction.

Time to Travel (Hard Spun  —Like a Gem, by Tactical Cat), was a sharp maiden breaker April 1 at Gulfstream Park for trainer Michael Matz. The gray/roan colt posted a 102 Equibase Speed Figure in the six-furlong outing, tops among “last-out” figs.

Souper Tapit, a son of three-time leading sire Tapit  , is out of grade 1 winner Zo Impressive, who herself is out of grade 1 winner Zoftig.

Charlotte Weber’s Live Oak Stud and trainer Mark Casse made a splash at Keeneland opening weekend with a pair of graded stakes victories.

Bob Baffert ships Gary and Mary West’s West Coast for the Lexington. A $425,000 Keeneland September year purchase, the son of Flatter earned back-to-back 101 Equibase Speed numbers going a mile and 1 1/16 miles, respectively, at Santa Anita earlier this year.

Few owners have had the success over the years at Keeneland as Glenn Bromagen, and the purple and white silks of his Ashbrook Farm will be represented by the Rusty Arnold-trained Convict Pike. The Son of Broken Vow   was third last time out in the grade 3 JACK Cincinnati Casino Spiral Stakes on Turfway Park’s Polytrack.