Raven Run- GII
$400.00 For Fillies Three Years Old
7 Furlongs – Dirt
Keeneland – October 17.2026

On the same track and at the same distance as the BC Filly & Mare Sprint in two weeks time the G2 Raven Run offered a perfect opportunity for a practice run. The catch? You have to earn your way into the BC and prior to the running of the Raven Run none of the entries appeared to have earned a spot in the gate a fortnight from now. With her win Zifi catapulted herself into the picture for that race as she now sits in ninth place to qualify with only one “win and you’re in’ contender lower on the list. She is in if the barn wants to run but will she be ready in two weeks? Who knows? That’s what makes it fun. 

Winner: Zifi
Owner/Trainer: Mb Stables
Jockey: J.R. Velasquez
Breeder: La Canada Racehorses (NY) – Zionist/My Fiona (Zigmund)

Broke well and then was immediately engaged in a four way battle for the lead down the backstretch with Heaven Park on the rail, stablemate Dismantle to her outside and then Top Nurse to her inside and lapped on her flank. Began to gain some separation after a half mile. With a furlong left Heaven Park was still hanging on gamely on the rail and the closers were beginning to launch but running out of ground. At the end, it was only by a nose but Zifi managed to gut it out to the wire just in front of a blanket finish of four right behind her. Gritty determined win. 

Second: Grecia Tieta
Owner/Trainer: Waldo
Jockey: F.T. Alvarado
Breeder: Waldo (Cal) – Wii/State Of Peace (Great State)

If the winner was gritty and determined in victory so was Grecia Tieta in defeat. Rated at the back of the field she found a dream run along the rail in the stretch and was closing strongly just missing by a nose. While Zifi now finds herself comfortably qualifying for the BC Filly & Mare Sprint, Grecia Tieta appears to be just outside of the field for that race and would need some to skip the race to be in the gate. 

Third: Keimars Mistress
Owner/Trainer: Luz International
Jockey: M.E. Smith
Breeder: J H Empire LLC (Tex) – Astronokai/See Jane Run (Pinkman)

Last and unhurried throughout most of the race she swung wide in the stretch and was finishing best of all when the wire came up. With a few more yards she might have emerged with the big check. 

Fourth: Top Nurse
Owner/Trainer: Our Athletes
Jockey: R. Santana Jr.
Breeder: Our Athletes (Ky) – Our Dark Knight/P O A (Good Authority)

She pressed the pace right along with the top three early leaders and continued on strongly through the stretch to grab the last prize just missing by a long neck in fourth. 

Preview Pick: Keimars Mistress – third. 

This was the fourth Raven Run win for both Mb Stables and jockey J.R. Velasquez. The pair made it back to back wins having teamed up last year to win with Thousand Hours. Zifi emerges from the race as a graded stakes winner and the $240.00 winner’s share of the purse boosts her earnings to $1,142.36.

Categories: Grade II