Weather Gods Could Play a Role in Bourbon

[Wandering Eyes]

After a stretch of unseasonably hot and dry weather, Mother Nature might be the one to beat in Sunday’s GIII Dixiana Bourbon S. at Keeneland, a Breeders’ Cup Challenge race for the GI Juvenile Turf. While the first two days of the meet were contested under sunny skies and more moderate temperatures, some precipitation was predicted in the overnight hours Saturday into Sunday, with a 60% chance of rain continuing into the afternoon.

Fighting Seabee (Summer Front) is the field’s lone graded winner and enters the Bourbon with a perfect two-for-two record. A professional debut winner at Ellis Park July 6, defeating the future SP Billy Batts (City Zip) by two lengths, the $105,000 Fasig-Tipton July yearling retained his unbeaten mark in the Aug. 28 GIII With Anticipation S. at Saratoga, setting a slow pace and sprinting home to a one-length score from the re-opposing Field Pass (Lemon Drop Kid). The latter, who defeated subsequent GI Summer S. winner Decorated Invader (Declaration of War) over ‘good’ Saratoga turf July 13, adds blinkers off a troubled fourth in the Sept. 21 Laurel Futurity S.

Peace Achieved (Declaration of War) is perfect in two tries over a mile, having graduated by 6 3/4 impressive lengths at Ellis July 27 before rallying from just off the pace to post a 2 1/2-length success in the Aug. 31 Kentucky Downs Juvenile S. The $160,000 Keeneland September purchase will try to give trainer Mark Casse his fourth Bourbon winner in the last five years.

The field’s biggest Beyer belongs to Bruce Lunsford homebred Art Collector (Bernardini). A debut runner-up at Saratoga Aug. 15, the son of SW & GI Flower Bowl S. runner-up Distorted Legacy (Distorted Humor) exits a 1 1/4-length maiden-breaker at Kentucky Downs Sept. 5.

Vitalogy (GB) (No Nay Never), a good third in the Summer S., and two-time turf stakes winner Deviant (Daredevil) can also make their presence known.

 

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