2016 Maker’s 46 Mile Stakes Preview, Entries & Odds

OffTrackBetting.com – Keeneland in Lexington, Kentucky will be the scene of the Grade 1 Maker’s 46 Mile Stakes on Friday, April 15. Horses four years old and upward will take to Keeneland’s turf track and race one mile searching for the winner’s share of the $300,000 purse.

Nine older entries will give it a go in the Maker’s 46 Mile – race 9 on Keeneland’s Friday card. Post time is 5:30 PM. Here is a glimpse into the past performances of all nine combatants for this intriguing Grade 1 stakes.

2016 Maker’s 46 Mile Stakes Race Preview at Keeneland

Heart to Heart 3-1 – Canada’s 2014 champion 3-year-old male, multiple Grade 3 winning Brian Lynch trainee enters on the heels of three straight wins – all in gate-to-wire fashion – the Grade 3 Canadian Turf Stakes at Gulfstream February 27, over the terrific Lukes Alley in the Grade 2 Ft. Lauderdale Stakes on that track January 9 and in the Grade 3 River City Handicap at Churchill Downs November 26. Those results followed an ugly tenth in the Grade 1 Shadwell Turf Mile in October and another win in the Grade 3 Oceanport Stakes at Monmouth Park August 2. In 2014 he also had a nice three race win streak – the Grade 3 Commonwealth Turf Stakes at Churchill Downs, the Grade 3 Jefferson Cup Stakes and the minor Better Talk Now Stake in wire-to-wire fashion. Heart to Heart now has nine wins, two seconds and two third place finishes in 20 career starts and has won four of his last five starts overall. Jockey Julien Leparoux hopes to make it five-in-six and a first ever Grade 1 score for Heart to Heart from post 3 as the tepid morning line favorite.

Shining Copper 7-2 – Chad Brown trained gelding enters off a respectable second place finish in the Grade 1 Gulfstream Park Turf February 6. It followed an eleventh in the Breeders’ Cup Turf in October, a fifth in the Grade 1 Joe Hirsch Turf Classic at Belmont Park September 26, an OK third in the Grade 1 Arlington Millions and a pair of fourth place finishes in Allowance Optional Claiming races at Churchill Downs this past spring. Shining Copper has five wins, four seconds and six third place finishes in 26 career starts, has failed to place in two of his last three starts and looks for his first stakes score Friday from post 7 with Paco Lopez in the reins of the morning line co-second choice.

Tourist 7-2 – Bill Mott pupil won three straight races in the summer of 2014 including the minor Sir Cat Stakes at Saratoga in July and finished a good second in his graded stakes debut- the Grade 1 Secretariat at Arlington August 16, 2014. He went on to a thirteenth place finish in the Breeders’ Cup Mile and was forced out of action for 10 months. He returned to action September 5 and won the minor More Than Ready Mile by 3 3/4 lengths at Kentucky Downs and followed that with a respectable third in the Grade 1 Shadwell Turf Mile on this very track October 3. Last time out was an eighth in the Breeders’ Cup Mile on this track. Tourist has won four of his last eight races overall but hasn’t been scared to throw in a dud along the way. He makes his first start of 2016 from gate 4 with Jose Lezcano in the reins of the co-second betting choice hoping for a first graded stakes win.

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Reload 6-1 – Shug McGaughey trainee has eight wins, four seconds and three third place finishes. He has looked good lately and has won five of his last eight races ahead of this weekend – the Grade 3 Tampa Bay Stakes last time out February 13, an Allowance Optional Claiming in October and the Grade 3 Canadian Turf Stakes in February, 2014 included. He recorded a pair of third place finishes in minor stakes action over that span as well. Reload has been competitive as they come the last 26 months and hopes for a second straight graded stakes score from post 9 Friday. Javier Castellano has the mount.

Itsaknockout 6-1 – Todd Pletcher pupil has eight career starts with four wins so far. He has failed to place in four of his last five starts however – a fifth last time out in the Grade 2 Gulfstream Park Handicap March 5 followed a fourth in the Grade 1 Donn Handicap at Gulfstream Park February 6, a high level Allowance Optional Claiming score by 4 3/4 lengths December 31, a troubled ninth in the Kentucky Derby and a fourth in the Grade 1 Florida Derby. Early in 2015 he posted a win in the Grade 2 Fountain of Youth Stakes here February 21 after a fortunate DQ of Upstart, an Allowance Optional Claiming score January 4 by five lengths and a maiden score at first asking December 7. Itsaknockout has been a tad difficult to figure out but has posted some impressive results in the past against some top-level competition. He looks for his first graded stakes score in 15 months Thursday but enters in less-than-spectacular form Luis Saez is scheduled to ride from gate 8.

Conquest Typhoon 10-1 – Canada’s Sovereign Award winner as 2014 Champion 2 Year Old Colt has three wins, five seconds and a third place finish in 12 career starts for trainer Mark Casse. In 2014 he won the Grade 2 Summer Stakes and the Grade 3 Cecil B. DeMille Stakes at Del Mar and took until last time out to hit the winner’s circle again – in an Allowance Optional Claiming at Gulfstream Park March 12. Before that win was a second in an Allowance Optional Claiming January 30, a fifth in the minor Tropical Park Derby in December, an eleventh in the Grade 2 American Turf Stakes in May and a second in the Grade 3 Spiral Stakes in March of last year. Conquest Typhoon has shown form in the past but chases his first graded stakes score in nearly 16 months Thursday from gate 6. Joe Bravo rides.

Miss Temple City 12-1 – goes against the boys having placed in eight of nine career starts for trainer Graham Motion and enters off a decent second in the Grade 1 Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup here back on October 10. Before that was an OK third in the Grade 2 Sands Point Stakes at Belmont Park September 12, a second in the Grade 2 Lake Placid Stakes at Saratoga August 14, her only off-the-board finish – a fourth at 50-1 odds in the prestigious Group 1 Coronation Stakes overseas at Ascot in June, a win in the minor Hilltop Stakes at Pimlico May 14, a good second in the Grade 3 Appalachian Stakes here last April and a third in the Grade 3 Sweetest Chant Stakes at Gulfstream in January, 2015. Miss Temple City has been competitive virtually every time out and is expected to be again Saturday. Drayden Van Dyke has been tabbed with getting Miss Temple City her first graded stakes score from gate 2 Thursday.

Are You Kidding Me 12-1 – had a nice two race win streak in the summer- both graded stakes at Woodbine – the Grade 2 Nijinsky Stakes July 19 after his win in the Grade 2 Eclipse Stakes June 7. He has been decent since – a nice win last time out in the Grade 2 Autumn Stakes at Woodbine back on November 8 followed a third in the Grade 3 Durham Cup on that track October 3, a fourth in the minor Presque Isle Mile September 6 and another third in the Grade 2 Sky Classic also at Woodbine. Are You Kidding Me makes his 2016 debut having placed in six of his last seven starts overall and now has six wins, three seconds and three third place finishes in 24 career starts. He looks to keep a fairly impressive run going Friday from the rail. James Graham has the mount.

Dac 30-1 – has four wins, two seconds and two third place finishes in 15 career starts for trainer William Brumley. Last time out was an Allowance Optional Claiming score at Turfway Park March 11 which followed seventh in the Grade 3 John B. Connally Turf Cup at Sam Houston in January and a win in the minor Prairie Bayou Stakes at Turfway Park December 19. He also had an OK fourth in his stakes debut – the Grade 3 River City Handicap at Churchill Downs November 26, a second in an Allowance Optional Claiming October 8 and an Allowance score at Indiana Grand in October. Dac looks for his first graded stakes score and his second stakes score overall – from post 5 with Sophie Doyle guiding him.

2016 Maker’s 46 Mile Stakes Entries & Odds

Race 9 on Keeneland’s Friday card with a Post Time of 5:30 PM.