Fan Favorite Limousine Liberal Heads Phoenix
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Photo: Keeneland/Coady Photography
Limousine Liberal works over Keeneland's main track Sept. 30
Keeneland's Stoll Keenon Ogden Phoenix Stakes (G2), the first graded stakes of the track's Fall Stars weekend, will feature the familiar face of Limousine Liberal. A winner over the track and runner-up by a nose in the race last year behind A. P. Indian, the 5-year-old Kentucky-bred shares highweight of 122 pounds in the six-furlong Phoenix with the speedy Whitmore.
Trained by Keeneland-based Ben Colebrook, the Ball family homebred won three stakes in row, including a grade 2 and a grade 3, from early May through late June prior to testing grade 1 waters at Saratoga. The dark bay gelding ran well, but tired late to finish third in the Alfred G. Vanderbilt Handicap behind El Deal (who ran second in Belmont Park's grade 1 Vosburgh Stakes Sept. 30) and fellow Phoenix rival Awesome Banner.
The son of Successful Appeal has three local drills since the Vanderbilt, with a key move being made Sept. 23 in a bullet :59 3/5 for five furlongs. He was third behind Awesome Slew (the Vosburgh winner) in Keeneland's Commonwealth Stakes (G3) this spring and won an allowance optional claiming heat there in April 2016.
Whitmore, who races for Robert LaPenta, Southern Springs Stables, and Head of Plains Partners, was the leading sprinter east of the Mississippi earlier in the year before disappointing in his last pair. The Ron Moquett-trained runner returns on short rest—three weeks—since running third at 1-2 in Laurel Park's Frank J. De Francis Memorial Dash Stakes (G3). Seeking to shake things up, the 4-year-old Pleasantly Perfect gelding gets his third rider in as many starts, with Manny Franco taking the reins. Whitmore will also have to break from the outside 11 hole.
LaPenta is also represented in the Phoenix by Uncontested, a 3-year-old Tiz Wonderful colt he co-owns with Harry T. Rosenblum. Shortened back up to one turn in his latest, he rebounded with a sharp 1 1/4-length win in an allowance optional claiming race at Churchill Downs at the Phoenix trip. Red-hot Corey Lanerie will climb aboard for Wayne "The Catman" Catalano.
Fred Brei's Jacks or Better Farm's Awesome Banner is winless this year in seven starts but has faced the best sprinters from South Florida to upstate New York. He'll face another tough task while breaking from the rail.
Others with a big chance to step up include sharp Saratoga winner Threefiveindia, trained by Chad Brown, who has the best last-out Equibase Speed Figure (111); Arindel Farm's Florida-bred Richard the Great who has won two of his last three; and PJG Stable's Favorite Tale, who has only made three starts since running third behind Runhappy in the 2015 TwinSpires Breeders' Cup Sprint (G1) when it was run at Keeneland.
A "Win and You're In" event for the Nov. 4 TwinSpires Breeders' Cup Sprint (G1) at Del Mar, the Phoenix has a post of 4:57 p.m.
Keeneland, Friday, October 06, 2017, Race 8Entries: Stoll Keenon Ogden Phoenix S. (G2)
PP
Horse
Jockey
Wgt
Trainer
M/L
1
1Awesome Banner (FL)
Jose Lezcano
120
Kenneth Decker
8/1
2
2Threefiveindia (KY)
Javier Castellano
120
Chad C. Brown
6/1
3
3Seventh Sense (TUR)
Julien R. Leparoux
120
Murat Sancal
30/1
4
4Loose On the Town (ON)
Luis Saez
120
Brian A. Lynch
12/1
5
5Limousine Liberal (KY)
Jose L. Ortiz
122
Ben Colebrook
5/2
6
6Richard the Great (FL)
Florent Geroux
120
Stanley I. Gold
15/1
7
7Favorite Tale (PA)
Paco Lopez
120
Guadalupe Preciado
6/1
8
8Uncontested (KY)
Corey J. Lanerie
118
Wayne M. Catalano
15/1
9
9Mr Manning (IN)
Brian Joseph Hernandez, Jr.
120
Barbara I. McBride
30/1
10
10It's the Journey (MD)
Alex Cintron
120
Michael J. Trombetta
12/1
11
11Whitmore (KY)
Manuel Franco
122
Ron Moquett
3/1
