Can it be that James Miller's Daisy Devine can read the toteboard? If so, the Andrew McKeever-trained filly seemingly takes offense when shown no respect by the wag ering public, as was the case in Friday's Valley View Stakes at Keeneland.
Sent off at 43-1, Daisy Devine and jockey Calvin Borel stalked the early pace and closed relentlessly down the stretch to get up and win this Grade 3 race run at a mile and a sixteenth on the grass by one-half length. The win mutuel came back $89.00. Earlier this year, the 3-year-old filly won an allowance race at Fair Grounds at odds of 40-1.
That was McKeever's second win on the week at Keeneland. He also sent out Wyn Racing's Spanish Baron, with Dubliner James Graham aboard, in Wednesday's sixth race, a starter allowance at seven furlongs on the main track, to prevail by almost a length. Spanish Baron, which paid $14.20 to win, seems to get along well with Graham, as they are 4-for-9 together.
Graham won three straight races at Keeneland on Saturday, starting with a stalking trip in the second race aboard Lady Citron, which paid $12.20 to win. He then shook things up, coming from far off the pace aboard Lovesmelovesmenot in the third race to the tune of $9.00 at the windows, followed by a frontrunning victory on Halloween Party, the $6.60 winner of the fourth race.
David Carroll and Eddie Kenneally also had some celebrating to do at Keeneland. Carroll sent out Mr. & Mrs. David Randal's Point to the Wild for a maiden-breaking tally in Sunday's ninth race. The 3-year-old homebred filly hadn't shown much of anything in her Sept. 21 debut at Hoosier, so the $28.00 win mutuel came as no surprise. Corey Lanerie had the ride.
Lanerie also rode Lally Stable's Heavenly Landing for Kenneally in Friday's sixth race, a first-level allowance for fillies and mares at a mile and a sixteenth on the lawn. The filly rallied to win by two and one-half lengths, with the win price coming back $13.00.
Kenneally also got another win at Belmont Park in the fifth race on Friday with Anstu Stable's One Note Samba, which won its fourth in a row and second since the Waterford native took over this one's training from Todd Pletcher. This was a second-level allowance sprint on the grass for statebreds. One Note Samba, ridden by Jose Lezcano, paid $6.10 to win.
David Duggan also came up a winner in Belmont's fourth race on Sunday with Doublespeak, owned by the partnership of John Rattigan, James E. Kelly, James B. Kelly and John Felletter. The 3-year-old gelding needed nine tries to get the brass ring, but he had three lengths on the field at the wire of this maiden special weight race for statebreds on the grass. He paid $9.50. Ryan Curatolo had the mount.
LYNCH BAGS FOUR
Cathal Lynch keeps running Peter Hand's Attack Jack where he can dominate, that is, in low claimers, and the 7-year-old gelding rewarded the Derryman with his third straight victory and 11th from 36 career starts when he took the opener at Parx last Monday. This sprint at the $7,500 level was as good as over when Attack Jack sprinted off to an early lead; he was never breathed on by any of his three rivals and he and jockey Angel Arroyo reached the wire in front by four lengths. Attack Jack paid a $3.20 win mutuel. There were no takers at the claim box, either, for this prolific winner.
Daniela Lynch's Pennsylvaniacharlie returned to the races off an 11-month layoff in the ninth race at Penn National on Thursday. Oliver Castillo put the 3-year-old filly on the lead out of the gate and there she stayed to the wire, a winner by two and one-half lengths. She paid $5.00 to win in breaking her maiden at the $5,000 level.
Lynch then had a winning weekend at Parx with C&A Stable's Universal Language in Saturday's second race, followed by his own Bellezza Rosso in Sunday's third race.
Universal Language, making her second start off a layoff, was sent off at 1-5 odds in this nickel claimer at seven furlongs on the main track. She didn't disappoint, either, as she won by 13 lengths with Angel Arroyo in the saddle. She paid $2.40 and went unclaimed.
Bellezza Rosso had been claimed off Lynch in August and he took the 3-year-old filly right back the first chance he got in September for the same price ($7,500) at which he lost her. He boosted her to the $10,000 level on Saturday and she responded with a 5-length victory that paid $4.80. Oliver Castillo rode. And she took off once again, this time to the barn of Marcos Zulueta, who ponied up the 10 grand claiming price.
Finally, Sunday's nightcap at Woodbine was won by a filly named Turn to Shine. She is trained by Kevin Attard and is owned by, presumably, a partnership that calls itself Five Scots and An Irishman. Our only question: did they toast the victory with Glenfiddich or Jameson?
