By Joe Quillen
Keeneland Race 9 – Grade 1 Ashland Stakes
About this time of year, we start talking about rites of passage. Baseball season has begun. Weather is starting to turn warmer in most parts of the country. In Kentucky, the winter has ended as Turfway Park completed their winter meet, and it is on for the April Keeneland meet in Lexington, Kentucky for the three weeks, and three straight days and articles with races from the Lexington oval.
It is opening day at Keeneland, which means it is Ashland Stakes Day, which is the featured race on their ten-race card. Three-year-old fillies will go a mile and a sixteenth on the main track with their owners and trainers dreaming of racing in the Kentucky Oaks next month.
Favored in the Ashland is the 7 Impel (2/1 morning line) who comes in from Oaklawn having passed the two-turn test while settling behind the leader. She could be very dangerous in a race she will need to get into the Oaks.
The 6 Just F Y I (3/1 ML) is the reigning two-year-old filly champ who returns for her first race since November after missing her 2023 debut race after developing a fever. She’s working well again, but will she need this race for the Oaks? She has the points, but this is a tough race to get back into the races.
Number 3 Leslie’s Rose finished third in the Davone Dale at Gulfstream. She did make a bid on the turn but finished two lengths back at the end. She will be going two turns for the first time but she should be able to handle it.
The 1 Candied (6/1 ML) just missed in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies and has been on the sidelines ever since. Usually you would want a race before this final round of Oaks preps, but trainer Todd Pletcher has had fillies win this race with this scenario in the past with Malathaat in 2021. She may be the “other” Pletcher filly to bet on as the 3 is also trained by him.
Candied has shown the ability to close, and she already has a Grade 1 win over the track back in the October fall meet here at Keeneland. You might be able to get a nice price on her, and that’s what I am looking for here. I’ll call this 1-3-7-6 and my play is $20 to win on the 1. Good luck everyone!
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