LEXINGTON, Ky. -- American Pharoah might not be the only 3-year-old favored against older horses in a Breeders' Cup race this month.
Runhappy splashed home by a length and a three quarters Friday in the Grade 3 $250,000 Phoenix on opening day at Keeneland, which hosts the Breeders' Cup for the first time Oct. 30 and 31. Runhappy and 2-year-old filly Gomo, winning the Grade 1 $400,000 Alcibiades by 2 3/4 lengths, earned automatic berths in the Sprint and Juvenile Fillies, respectively.
Runhappy, owned by furniture magnate Jim McIngvale, beat a stellar field in the Phoenix including champion sprinter Work All Week. It was the first Keeneland stakes victory for trainer Maria Borell following Runhappy's Grade 1 triumph in the King's Bishop Aug. 29 at Saratoga.
Runhappy, the 7-5 favorite, paid $4.80, $3.60 and $2.60. Barbados closed late for second under Luis Saez, returning $8.40 and $4.20, while Work All Week, with Florent Geroux aboard, paid $3 to show.
Work All Week (2014 Hot Springs) was one of four Oaklawn Park stakes winners in the Phoenix. Holy Boss (Bachelor) ran fourth, Gentleman's Bet (Hot Springs) fifth and Alsvid (Grade 3 Count Fleet) seventh of 11 starters.
Runhappy, a 2013 Keeneland September yearling-sale graduate, is from the first crop of 2010 Kentucky Derby winner Super Saver and produced by the Broken Vow mare Bella Jolie.
The Grade 1 $1.5 million Sprint is Oct. 31, when Triple Crown winner American Pharoah is expected to cap his career in the Grade 1 $5 million Classic.
Gomo gives West Coast-based trainer Doug O'Neill automatic entries in both Breeders' Cup dirt races for 2-year-olds. Nyquist has back-to-back Grade 1 victories in California and Ralis, the Grade 1 Hopeful winner, goes in today's Grade 1 Champagne at Belmont Park. Both the Juvenile and Juvenile Fillies are Grade 1 races worth $2 million at a mile and a sixteenth and scheduled Oct. 31.
Gomo went a mile and a sixteenth in 1:45.55 for her second victory from five starts, saving ground into the turn before swinging outside under Mario Gutierrez. From the first crop of 2010 juvenile champion Uncle Mo and produced by the Elusive Quality mare Gentle Audrey, Gomo paid $12.60, $6 and $4.
Dothraki Queen, a Juvenile Fillies qualifier off her Sept. 12 Grade 2 victory at Churchill Downs, finished second under Corey Lanerie at $4.40 and $3.40. Ma Can Do, a length farther back under Paco Lopez, returned $5.40 to show.
Other Breeders' Cup "win and you're in" races today include the Frizette (Juvenile Fillies), Flower Bowl Invitational (Filly & Mare Turf) and Jockey Club Gold Cup (Classic) at Belmont. Keeneland's card includes the Shadwell Turf Mile (BC Mile), Breeders' Futurity (Juvenile) and Thoroughbred Club of America (Filly & Mare Sprint). The California headliner is the Grade 1 Santa Anita Sprint Championship.
Sports on 10/03/2015