A field of 10 line up in Friday’s $300,000 Maker’s Mark Mile at Keeneland. (Photo credit: Keeneland)
Trainer Chad Brown sends out a tough duo of contenders in Friday’s $300,000 Maker’s Mark Mile, the first Grade 1 race of the abbreviated five day Keeneland meeting.
There are not many graded stakes races on turf that Brown has not won, and the Maker’s Mark Mile is one of them. However, he has two legitimate shots of winning this race for the first time.
Brown will saddle the 9-5 morning line favorite Raging Bull (9-5), who is coming off a victory in the Shoemaker Mile (G1) at Santa Anita on May 25. Joel Rosario has the return call on the five-year-old, who will break from the four post.
His stablemate Without Parole is the 5-2 second choice on the morning line. The son of Frankel rallied for third in the Shoemaker Mile and did not have a clean trip. Irad Ortiz Jr. retains the mount and will break from post eight.
Last year’s Preakness Stakes (G1) winner War of Will (6-1) drew the outside post. The colt has not won in five trips on turf. He crossed the wire fifth in the Shoemaker Mile and was disqualified for interference coming out of the gate and placed sixth. He reunites with jockey Tyler Gafflione.
2020 Shoemaker Mile Replay
The supporting stake on Friday’s card at Keeneland is the $100,000 Beaumont (G3) for three-year-old fillies that drew a field of six that will go about seven furlongs on the main track.
The Michael McCarthy trained Speech is the 7-5 morning line favorite. The filly was second in the Santa Anita Oaks (G2) in her last outing.
I will have my full card reports for both Belmont Park and Keeneland this week.
Let’s head out to Keeneland for Friday’s featured race of the day:
Keeneland Race 8 The Maker’s Mark Mile (G1) Post time 4:57 ET
8 Without Parole 5-2
1 Hembree 12-1
4 Raging Bull 9-5
3 Parlor 10-1
Without Parole
One of two in here sent out by the Brown barn, this guy stalked the early pace while saving ground angled in and awaited room off heels from midstretch to deep stretch then split rivals late to get up for third, beaten 2 ¾ lengths. He is now 0 for 3 since landing in the U.S., his first start a fast closing third in the Breeders’ Cup Mile (G1) last fall. The five-year-old has not won since taking the St. James Palace Stakes (G1) at Royal Ascot back in ’18. He gets a five-pound shift in weights from his stablemate and should get an honest pace to run at. A little give to the ground if we get some rain should not be a problem for this son of Frankel.
Hembree
The six-year-old made a good late rally to finish third against $150,000 optional claimers last out at Churchill Downs. It was his 10th loss in a row but he has had a few good efforts and his fourth in the Appleton (G3) two back was a decent outing. The Maker trainee picks up Castellano and is going to get some pace to run at. He has a shot of breaking up a Brown exacta and likely gets overlooked in the betting here.
Raging Bull
The favorite is coming off a career top number winning the Shoemaker Mile last out, drawing clear to win by 2 ¼ lengths. It was his first start off an eight-month layoff. He was 0 for 5 last year but earned triple digit Beyers in a third in the Manhattan (G1) and a second in the Fourstardave ‘Cap (G1). He won the ’18 Hall of Fame (G2) on yielding ground so some rain should not pose a problem for this five-year-old. It is tough to find any knocks on this guy except perhaps for the light price.
