By Esther Marr,
James Covello, winner of the 2011 Central Bank Ashland Stakes (gr. I) with Lilacs and Lace, has another good shot at victory this year with Testa Rossi.
The daughter of Dr Fong—Peggy Lane, by Dancing Spree, who Covello co-owns with Thomas Coleman and Mike Dohenney, is looking for her second straight graded stakes score in the Ashland. She heads a full field of 13 3-year-old fillies entered for the April 5 test.
The 1 1/16-mile Polytrack event is carded as the ninth race Saturday with a post time of 5:22 p.m. ET. The Ashland offers 170 points toward the May 2 Longines Kentucky Oaks (gr. I) with 100 points to the winner.
Bred in France by Barbara Moser, Testa Rossi began her career in France and joined trainer Chad Brown's barn for a fall 2013 campaign that included a victory in the Miss Grillo (gr. IIIT) in October and a runner-up finish in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (gr. IT). She enters the Ashland—her first start on a synthetic surface—off a score in the March 8 Florida Oaks (gr. IIIT) at Tampa Bay Downs in her 2014 debut. She won that race over fellow Ashland contender Istanford, who was second by 3 1/2 lengths.
"We loved her turn of foot; we thought it was a classic, European turn of foot," said Covello of why he initially bought Testa Rossi, a winner of three of her first five starts in her native France. "We also liked the fact that she was bred to go longer and was doing well sprinting."
Jose Lezcano, who has been aboard for Testa Rossi's three United States starts, has the call in the Ashland and will break from post 6.
The other graded stakes winner in the field is Gary and Mary West's Room Service. Trained by Wayne Catalano, the homebred Room Service won the March 2 Herecomesthebride (gr. IIIT) at Gulfstream Park, where she defeated Central Bank Ashland foes Candy Kitty and Seeking Her Glory. In her sophomore debut, she finished third in the Jan. 26 Sweetest Chant Stakes, also at the South Florida track.
Room Service has put in two works at Keeneland, the most recent of which was a bullet 1:01 drill for five furlongs March 27.
Shaun Bridgmohan has the mount on Room Service, a daughter of More Than Ready —Dream Lady, by Old Trieste, who will exit post position 2.
"She looked liked she moved over the track very well; we're happy with what we see," said Catalano April 2. "We drew a nice post. We have a nice inside draw, so we'll just hope Shaun has a good trip."
The only starter in the field with stakes experience on Keeneland's main track is Landaluce Educe Stables' Rosalind. Trained by Ken McPeek, Rosalind was second in last fall's Darley Alcibiades (gr. I) prior to finishing third in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies (gr. I).
So far this year, Rosalind has had one start, finishing third in an allowance/optional claiming race going 1 1/16 miles at Gulfstream Park Feb. 27. The winner of the that race, undefeated In Tune, came back March 29 to capture the Gulfstream Park Oaks (gr. II).
Rosalind will break from post 8 and be ridden by Joel Rosario.
Read more on BloodHorse.com: http://www.bloodhorse.com/horse-racing/articles/84176/testa-rossi-heads-13-horse-field-in-ashland#ixzz2xnDxfMWI
By Esther Marr,
Three-time stakes winner Storming Inti and 2013 Generous (gr. IIIT) victor Global View are the most accomplished horses in a full field of 12 that were entered in the Transylvania Stakes (gr. IIIT) on Keeneland's opening day April 4.
The colts will each tote 123 pounds, while all others carry 118.
Named for the Lexington-based Transylvania University, the 1 1/16-mile turf event for 3-year-olds is the ninth race on the card and has a scheduled post time of 5:13 p.m. EDT.
Storming Inti, a son of Stormy Atlantic —Tarfaya, by Pulpit, is trained by Chad Brown for Santa Rosa Racing Stables. His stablemate, Pleuven, a French stakes winner who was third in the 2013 Dania Beach Stakes (gr. IIIT), is also entered in the race.
Storming Inti, who has an affinity for racing on the lead, was bred in Pennsylvania by Brushwood Stables. The versatile colt has won or placed in all six of his career starts, including victories in the 2013 Pulpit Stakes on the Gulfstream Park dirt and the Awad Stakes over the Belmont Park turf course. In his 3-year-old debut, Storming Inti held on for a game head score in the Jan. 19 Kitten's Joy Stakes over the Gulfstream lawn. Most recently, he was third, beaten just three-quarters of a length in the final strides of Gulfstream's Palm Beach Stakes (gr. IIIT) March 1.
Storming Inti will be ridden by jockey Javier Castellano, who has been aboard for four of his six starts. The pair will break from post 10.
Global View, a son of prolific sire Galileo, out of the Storm Cat mare Egyptian Queen, is trained by Tom Proctor for Glen Hill Farm. The dark bay or brown colt has had two firsts, one second, and a fourth from four starts. After breaking his maiden at second asking over Santa Anita Park's turf course last October, Global View secured the lead in the Generous with an eighth of a mile to go and edged clear to a 1 1/4-length score.
An earner of more than $100,000, Global View will leave from post 9 under jockey Jose Lezcano. Bred in Kentucky by Reiko Baum and Michael Baum, Global View was a $500,000 purchase at the 2012 Keeneland September yearling sale.
Other horses to watch in the Transylvania include Kevin Jacobson's Laddie Boy, the only Transylvania-bound horse that has previously won at Keeneland (1 1/16-mile allowance race on Polytrack last October). Laddie Boy also ran a respectable second in the 2013 Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes (gr. II) last November at Churchill Downs.
Read more on BloodHorse.com: http://www.bloodhorse.com/horse-racing/articles/84162/storming-inti-looms-in-transylvania#ixzz2xnDL6sNj
