Keen Ice Has Been Donegal's Ideal Racehorse

Keen Ice  often gets slighted for only finding the winner's circle three times out of 23 starts, but the 5-year-old son of Curlin  has been exactly the type of racehorse Donegal Racing wanted to campaign since its inception in 2008.

Of those 23 starts, Keen Ice has started in 20 graded stakes. He's taken his ownership to the Breeders' Cup Classic (G1) twice, and twice to the United Arab Emirates Dubai World Cup Sponsored by Emirates Airline (G1). He beat Triple Crown winner American Pharoah  in the 2015 Travers Stakes (G1) and placed in four other grade 1 races, including a third in the Belmont Stakes presented by DraftKings (G1). 

Keen Ice has earned $3,257,245 to date.

"From the beginning we have had a very strong view that the sport needs more classic-distance horses and fewer sprinters, that we need more classic distance races—NYRA has taken a step in that direction—and that we need more horses that race longer into their careers," said Jerry Crawford, president and founder of Donegal, who will be at Belmont Park Oct. 7 to watch Keen Ice start in the Jockey Club Gold Cup (G1).

"The Jockey Club Gold Cup is such a historic race and it would be fitting if he could find the finish line (first) on Saturday," Crawford continued. "But there won't be anything easy about that in this field."

Keen Ice, faces six challengers that include Rally Cry, who was second to Gun Runner in the Woodward Stakes presented by NYRA Bets (G1); Pavel, who is coming of a six-length win in the Smarty Jones Stakes (G3) at Parx Racing; and Diversify, who won consecutive stakes in New York and took the Evan Shipman Stakes by 11 1/2 lengths in his last start.

"One thing that gives me great confidence is that Jose Ortiz has been magnificent on Keen Ice, who responds so well to him," Crawford said. Ortiz has been on board for Keen Ice's last two starts—a victory in the Suburban Handicap (G2) and a second in the Whitney Stakes (G1).

As a Breeders' Cup Challenge "Win and You're In" event, a victory in the Jockey Club Gold Cup will earn Keen Ice his third trip to the $6 million Breeders' Cup Classic. Keen Ice has never raced at Del Mar, where the Breeders' Cup will be held Nov. 3-4, but Crawford said he has reason to be optimistic should Keen Ice be in the starting gate for the Classic. 

"We think the track at Del Mar will suit him, particularly if it continues to be the kind of a deep track it's been," he said. 

Crawford considered sending Keen Ice to Del Mar's $1 Million Pacific Classic (G1), which is run at the Breeders' Cup Classic's distance of 1 1/4 miles, but instead opted for the Whitney at 1 1/8 miles.

"That was a difficult decision, I can tell you," Crawford said. "I eventually deferred to (trainer) Todd (Pletcher), who has done such a wonderful job with him, who saw an advantage in leading him over at Saratoga instead of flying him across the country. After seeing Arrogate lose the Pacific Classic, though, I certainly did some second-guessing."

Keen Ice is now co-owned with Calumet Farm, which will stand the horse at stud next year. His racing career, however, may not end after the Classic, with the co-owners leaving the door open to potentially have their star race in the $16 million Pegasus World Cup at Gulfstream Park in January.  

"The Gold Cup-Classic has been the plan all along. Then we will see where we are," said Crawford. "There is a possibility the parties could agree to extend the horse's career through the Pegasus, but that won't be discussed until after the Classic. It is open. No one plans on it at this moment, but it could be revisited."