Five horses to watch at Keeneland's Fall Meet

What better way to warm up for the Breeders’ Cup than a quick trip to Lexington, Kentucky? Keeneland’s fall meet - which has 17 racedays scheduled between October 3rd and October 25th live on Sky Sports Racing - offers a wide range of late-season Graded action in order to provide the perfect stepping stone for horses preparing for the Championships in early November.

A total of 22 stakes contests feature in the glorious programme, which includes a whopping five Grade 1s in the first week. The highlight is the Coolmore Turf Mile, a $1.25million prize that has been won by the likes of Gio Ponti, Wise Dan, Suedois and Carl Spackler in recent years.

Keeneland always attracts the best horses around, so let’s have a look at five classy performers that we should see competing this month.

TOMMY JO

Grade 1 Alcibiades, Friday 3 October

We shall begin with the general 2/1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies favourite in Tommy Jo. This Spendthrift Farms homebred was mightily impressive in two starts at Saratoga this summer, initially in a maiden sprint that has worked out well and then in the Grade 1 Spinaway.

Trainer Todd Pletcher often uses the Spinaway as his prime preparation for his best two-year-olds, and Tommy Jo proved that she was every bit as capable as he must have imagined when romping home by six and a half lengths. She was Pletcher’s record seventh winner of that race.

In what is otherwise a pretty murky division right now, Tommy Jo looks to strengthen her claims of Breeders’ Cup glory by landing the Alcibiades on the first Friday of the meet. Six fillies have won both this and the Juvenile Fillies in the same year, which includes British Idiom in 2022 and Immersive last year. 

TED NOFFEY

Grade 1 Claiborne Futurity, Saturday 4 October

It will be a rather nervy 24 hours for Todd Pletcher and Spendthrift Farms as they also send out their current 3/1 ante-post favourite for the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile in Ted Noffey, who is set to make his third career start in the Grade 1 Claiborne Futurity on the opening Saturday.

This Into Mischief colt, who was bought for $650,000, has followed a similar path to the aforementioned Tommy Jo in winning two races at Saratoga this summer - a maiden and then a Grade 1.

His top-level victory came in the Hopeful Stakes, where he beat the highly-regarded Buetane from Bob Baffert’s barn by eight and a half lengths, recording an eyewatering speed figure in the process.

Ted Noffey will step up in distance to an extended mile for the first time, but his pedigree suggests it should prove to be no problem. He may not find life as easy as Tommy Jo though, as several other promising types have been nominated to take him on.

JONQUIL

Grade 1 Coolmore Turf Mile, Saturday 4 October

The entries for this year’s featured contest look slightly underwhelming compared to recent seasons, which will please Andrew Balding! The Kingsclere trainer has nominated Jonquil to compete for the rich prize on the back of his victory in the Grade 2 Celebration Mile at Goodwood in August.

Jonquil confirmed that he was a miler in that race. Balding had previously tried him in several sprints, but his best effort this year came in the French 2,000 Guineas over this distance, and he backed that up with a solid display at Goodwood. The track and trip in the Coolmore Turf Mile should be absolutely perfect.

Whether he will handle the long journey to Kentucky is another matter, but he certainly boasts form claims against the likes of Program Trading, Lagynos, Diego Velazquez and Brilliant Berti.

THORPEDO ANNA

Grade 1 Spinster, Saturday 4 October

America’s darling looks set to have her final preparation in the Spinster Stakes on Saturday ahead of her primary target; the Breeders’ Cup Distaff.

A 12-time winner from 15 starts with an incredible seven Grade 1 successes to her name, Thorpedo Anna hasn’t been at her brilliant best this season, but she still proved too strong for her foes last time out in the Personal Ensign at Saratoga.

Regular rider Brian Hernandez Jnr will unfortunately miss the mount after a horrendous fall that saw him break seven ribs, puncture his lung, and lacerate his liver, so Flavien Prat will take over in the saddle for the first time.

She won her only previous start at Keeneland, but that came all the way back in October 2023. She may not have it all her own way either, with several talented types in opposition, including the next horse in this list...

NITROGEN

Grade 1 Spinster, Saturday 4 October

Currently available at 6/1 for the Breeders’ Cup Distaff - double the price of Thorpedo Anna at this stage - Nitrogen will head to the Spinster in a bid to take another notable scalp, and her biggest to date.

A dual Grade 2 turf winner that has switched to dirt this season without any trouble, Nitrogen seeks a third victory from three starts on this surface after wins in the Wonder Again Stakes and Grade 1 Alabama, where she denied Kentucky Oaks winner Good Cheer in a rousing finish.

However, Nitrogen is yet to prove that she handles kickback, as she has had clear sailing in both of her dirt outings. A slightly bigger field may be the test she needs ahead of her trip to Del Mar, and it should be a fascinating contest between two top-quality mares.