The wait is over and stay racing returns to Keeneland for the 2025 fall meet starting Friday, Oct. 3. Eight Breeders’ Cup “Win and You’re In” Problem Sequence races are on faucet for an unimaginable Fall Stars weekend of racing within the Bluegrass, together with the $1.25 million Coolmore Turf Mile Stakes on Saturday.
The Grade 1 Coolmore Turf Mile drew a full discipline of 12, together with 5 millionaires, making an attempt to punch their ticket to the Breeders’ Cup Mile in 4 weeks. Donegal Momentum drew the rail put up coming off a pacesetting victory after stumbling at the beginning within the Bernard Baruch Stakes at Saratoga in August. Quatrocento shall be making his stakes debut for coach Fausto Gutierrez recent off back-to-back wins on the allowance-optional claiming stage going one mile on the turf at Kentucky Downs. Howard Wolowitz shall be making his second begin since returning to North America following a bid within the Group 2 1351 Turf Dash Introduced by Boutique Group in Saudi Arabia and can stretch out past a dash distance for the primary time in his profession. Diego Velazquez is the 7-2 morning-line favourite coming into the race off a Group 1 win within the Prix Jacques Le Marois at Deauville in France for coach Aidan O’Brien. Woodshauna can be popping out of a Group 1 race at Deauville and shall be stretching out to a mile for the primary time in his profession for his North American debut. Mercante has two Grade 3 wins below his belt and is searching for his fourth profession win at this one-mile distance. Epic Trip led from begin to end final trip to win the $2.5 million FanDuel TV Mint Thousands and thousands Invitational Stakes at Kentucky Downs by two lengths at odds of 14.27-1 for coach John Ennis. Program Buying and selling is a three-time Grade 1 winner and shall be making his second begin off a 14-month layoff for the powerhouse trio of proprietor Klaravich Stables, coach Chad Brown, and jockey Flavien Prat. Rhetorical shall be making his first begin exterior of New York for coach Will Walden and has a profession document of 4 wins from 5 begins. Rhetorical’s lone defeat was a third-place end by simply three-quarters of a size, and he retains Irad Ortiz Jr. within the saddle. Walden and Ortiz Jr. have received at an incredible 38% clip all time with eight wins from 21 profession begins collectively. Good Berti has earned seven straight triple-digit Equibase Velocity Figures going into the Turf Mile and has a profession document of 4 wins from six begins at this mile distance on grass. Seaside Gold set a course document at Ellis Park two begins again when profitable the KY Downs Preview Mint Thousands and thousands Turf Mile Stakes in a closing time of 1:31.76 for coach Patrick Biancone. Jonquil, who rounds out the sphere in post-position 12, is recent off a win within the Group 2 Virgin Guess Celebration Mile Stakes at Goodwood in England and shall be making his North American debut with Dylan Davis getting the mount aboard the Juddmonte homebred.
Evaluation and Essential Contenders:
Jonquil is certainly one of solely two 3-year-olds entered in Saturday’s Turf Mile and can make his North American debut for coach Andrew Balding. He started his profession as a seven-furlong turf sprinter, profitable his debut at Sandown Park in August 2024, then proved his class with a win in a Group 3 stakes at Newbury off a seven-month layoff in his third profession begin. That effort earned him a visit to France, the place he stretched out to a mile for the primary time within the Group 1 Emirates Poule d’Essai des Poulains (French Two Thousand Guineas) at Longchamp in Could. He ran an enormous race, simply lacking by a head to 2024 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf winner Henri Matisse. Following his runner-up end at Longchamp, Jonquil returned to sprinting however failed to fireside in both the Group 1 Commonwealth Cup at Royal Ascot or the Group 2 HKJC World Pool Lennox Stakes at Goodwood. Nevertheless, final trip he put any doubts about his expertise at a mile to relaxation, profitable the Group 2 Celebration Mile Stakes by a neck in an exciting end. Balding hasn’t shipped many horses to North America (simply 4 begins within the final two years), however he’s received twice with that small pattern. Jonquil additionally has a printed Keeneland turf exercise on Sept. 30, and at 15-1 morning-line odds he appears like a significant worth play on this spot, notably at this mile distance on the turf.
Like Jonquil, Program Buying and selling was bred in England and sired by Lope de Vega. After he was bought as a yearling at Tattersalls, nonetheless, Program Buying and selling was shipped to the U.S., the place he has made all eight profession begins for Brown and Klaravich Stables. In his 3-year-old marketing campaign, Program Buying and selling was just about unstoppable. He received his first three begins, together with a victory within the Grade 1 Saratoga Derby Invitational Stakes in August 2023. Following a second-place end within the New Kent County Virginia Derby in his fourth profession begin, he closed out his 3-year-old season with a win within the Grade 1 Hollywood Derby. Program Buying and selling earned his second-straight Grade 1 victory within the 2024 Outdated Forester Bourbon Turf Basic Stakes at Churchill Downs, incomes a then-career-best 110 Equibase Velocity Determine regardless of a five-month layoff. His solely off-the-board end got here in June 2024, when he completed fifth within the Grade 1 Resorts World On line casino Manhattan Stakes at Saratoga, overwhelmed by 2 ½ lengths by winner Measured Time whereas incomes a 117 velocity determine. Following that race, Program Buying and selling was sidelined for greater than 14 months earlier than returning within the Bernard Baruch in August, when he ran a strong second behind fellow Coolmore Turf Mile entrant Donegal Momentum. He has earned six consecutive triple-digit Equibase Velocity Figures and can flip again in distance to a mile for the primary time in his profession. He ranks second in each common class (113) and common velocity (110) and comes into this race with three Grade 1 wins on the turf. Prat, who has been aboard in every of his final seven begins, retains the mount. Over the previous yr, Prat has excelled in graded stakes turf routes, profitable 23 of 85 (27%) whereas using 62% in-the-money.
Diego Velazquez ranks first in right here in each common class (116) and common velocity (112) and is recent off a win within the Group 1 Prix Jacques Le Marois in France at odds of 17-1. The 4-year-old Frankel colt has received 4 of his final 5 begins, all in group stakes races in Europe. This shall be coach O’Brien’s first starter in North America since his two Breeders’ Cup wins final November at Del Mar. Frankie Dettori shall be aboard on Saturday as he appears for his first profession North American victory aboard an O’Brien-trained horse. With three wins from six profession begins at this mile distance and a confirmed flip of foot in opposition to top-level horses in Europe, Diego Velazquez appears poised to make use of the Coolmore Turf Mile as a launching pad towards the Breeders’ Cup.
The remainder of the sphere (with greatest Equibase Velocity Determine in related races): Donegal Momentum (108), Quatrocento (110), Howard Wolowitz (111), Woodshauna (FR) (122), Mercante (113), Epic Trip (115), Rehtorical (103), Good Berti (108), Seaside Gold (116).
Win Contenders in Choice Order:
Jonquil
Program Buying and selling
Diego Velazquez
