Sophomore filly has now won three straight events with the first coming at the close of her juvenile season. She has captured back to back events to start off this year and made a name for herself on the grass with the victory here at KEE on Sunday.
- Appalachian ( Gr.II )- Purse $200.000
- Keenland Park – For Three year old fillies
- One Mile in distance- Turf Track
While the likes of Charleys Latte would win the Wood Memorial a day early and place him fourth in line for Derby Day, his stablemate Forty Chai was here at Keeneland laying claim to her first Graded title of her career. This would be her fourth win in nine career starts and she id definitely starting to make a name for herself on the turf. She was one of three winners this weekend for trainer Estero Farms, who is hoping that Charleys Latte will bring home the Derby title just like Pretty Ferro did two seasons ago.
Maybe Forty Chai never took a swing at going down the Oaks path this season as other fillies decided to do, but her ability to conquer the turf this season just may lead her to a shot later in the year for a Breeders run. Rider J Velazquez has shown he can bring out her talents, breaking her maiden in her first attempt on the grass at Belmont, then a nice closing effort in the higher Gr. I Natalma Stakes missing by two. If she does get a shot at the BC either this season or next, I think her trainer will definitely be looking to this tandem to find the wire on top.
Coming out as the runner-up would be Martyparty’s Too Scared To Party from the outside post for this affair. Her three straight wins since making the switch to the turf was a testament to her ability to close large in this race and only miss by a neck at the wire. For anyone who thought her Gr. III Sweetest Chant victory was just a flash in the pan, she repeated being the post time favorite once again here. She is a half sister to previously mentioned Wood Memorial winner Charleys Latte, and both have proven they have a late kick that puts them with some of the best.
Rounding out the top three would be Waldo’s Audrey Hepburn. This horse has all the grace and beauty as the woman she is named after, and went you see her in the paddock, she is one that is hard to look away from come race time. Her two wins have come on the grass and she looks to be just coming into her own this season. The three dollars spent to get Southern Style as her sire was a bargain, as his price has jumped to a sawbuck this upcoming quarter.
| Race #2 18:25 Appalachian – Grade II 1 Mile Turf Stake Purse $200.00 Filly 3 Year Olds. |
| ## | Horse Name | Owner Name | Jockey | Odds | Fin | Time | SRF | ||
| 1 | Forty Chai | Estero Farms | Velazquez J R | 4.05 | 1nk | 1:33.63 | 93 | ||
| 10 | Too Scared To Party | Martyparty | Bejarano R | 3.15 | 21/4 | 1:33.69 | 93 | ||
| 8 | Audrey Hepburn | Waldo | Bridgmohan S X | 11.90 | 3nk | 1:33.78 | 92 | ||
| 3 | Unmistakable | Mb Stables | Hernandez B J Jr | 15.10 | 41/4 | 1:33.84 | 92 | ||
| 7 | Hollywood Greek | Chili King Stables | Gaffalione T | 9.45 | 5no | 1:33.93 | 91 | ||
| 2 | Reminisce | Mb Stables | Beschizza A | 3.20 | 63/4 | 1:33.94 | 91 | ||
| 6 | Sheza Kat | Greeko Holdem | Centeno D E | 11.50 | 7nk | 1:34.11 | 90 | ||
| 4 | Pirate Petranella | Diablo Diablo | Saez G | 5.50 | 8no | 1:34.16 | 90 | ||
| 5 | Shes Spotted Cat | Threshold | Ortiz I Jr | 27.45 | 9 | 1:34.18 | 90 |
Track: Firm
Time: :224 :454 1:091 1:333
$2 Mutuel Prices:
| 1 – Forty Chai | 10.10 | 5.70 | 4.30 |
| 10 – Too Scared To Party | 4.50 | 3.60 | |
| 8 – Audrey Hepburn | 8.50 |
$1 Exacta: 1 – 10 Paid 29.10
$1 Trifecta: 1 – 10 – 8 Paid 624.10
Scratched: Slipdamaloo
Duffer
Categories: Grade II, STAKES ARTICLES
