Ashland Stakes 2015 at Keeneland

Las Vegas, NV – The Grade 1 Central Bank Ashland Stakes is on tap for Keeneland in Lexington, Kentucky this Saturday, April 4. A purse of $500,000 and 100 qualifying points toward the Kentucky Oaks will be on the line for three year old fillies willing to go 1 1/16 miles on Keeneland’s dirt track.

Seven well matched three year old fillies will line up in the Ashland Stakes – race 9 on Keeneland’s packed Saturday schedule. Post time is 5:20 PM. Let’s take a peek into the past performances of all seven combatants for this lucrative Grade 1 stakes.

Peace and War – made her North American debut October 3 on this track and made quite a statement – a win at 23-1 odds in the Grade 1 Darley Alcibiades Stakes – the last time she hit the track. Before that she had three starts in Britain which yielded a win and a second place finish including a second in a Novice Weight For Age race August 8 and a maiden win in her debut in May. Julien Leparoux gets the mount on the lukewarm 3-1 favorite from 3 hoping to make it two straight impressive wins on this track, She was supposed to run in November but was forced to miss the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies because of injury.

Lovely Maria – Larry Jones trained filly has two wins and three second place finishes in six career starts. She enters off a good second behind stablemate I’m a Chatterbox in her graded stakes debut – the Grade 3 Rachel Alexandra Stakes at Fair Grounds February 21 which followed an Allowance Optional Claiming score in wire-to-wire fashion January 25 and a fourth in the minor Trapeze Stakes in December. Lovely Maria has certainly been trending upward and hopes to keep the roll going Saturday with Kerwin Clark aboard from post 7 as the 7-2 co-second choice.

Angela Renee – Grade 1 winning Todd Pletcher trained filly has seven career starts with two wins, a second and two third place finishes. Last time out was a fourth in the Grade 3 Rachel Alexandra Stakes at Fair Grounds February 21 after a third in the Grade 2 Demoiselle Stakes at Aqueduct in November. She also had a disappointing tenth as favorite in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies, a terrific win in the Grade 1 Chandelier Stakes at Santa Anita in September, a third in the Grade 1 Spinaway Stakes at Saratoga August 31 and a second in the Grade 2 Adirondack Stakes also at Saratoga August 10. She has raced six straight graded stakes races with mixed results and hopes to snap a three race losing streak Saturday. Angela Renee will leave from gate 4 with John Velazquez aboard at 7-2 on the morning line.

Lassofthemohicans – Brendan Walsh trained filly placed in her first five career starts – one win and four second place finishes but finished fifth last time out in the Grade 2 Davona Dale Stakes February 21. She made her stakes debut January 24 and finished a good second in the Grade 2 Forward Gal Stakes at Gulfstream after easily breaking maiden by five lengths -December 28 and three runner-up finishes in her first three career starts. Paco Lopez will be in the irons Saturday as Lassofthemohicans attempts to bounce back from a career worst effort – from the rail as the 4-1 co-third choice.

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West Coast Belle – Wayne Catalano trained filly won her first three career starts including the minor Rags to Riches Stakes in October and the Grade 2 Golden Rod Stakes in November – both at Churchill Downs. She has failed to place in her last two starts however – a sixth in the Grade 3 Rachel Alexandra Stakes at Fair Grounds February 21 followed a fourth in the minor Silverbulletday Stakes on that same track in January. West Coast Belle hopes to get back to her early career form – from the outside post with Shaun Bridgmohan in the reins at 4-1 odds.

Silverpocketsfull – Ian Wilkes trained filly has four career starts with a win, a second and a third place finish. She made her stakes debut February 21 and recorded her only off-the-board finish – a sixth in the Grade 2 Davona Dale Stakes at Gulfstream Park. Before that was a second in an Allowance Optional Claiming January 16 and a maiden score – at Churchill Downs November 9. Brian Joseph Hernandez will be in charge in Silverpocketsfull’s attempt to bounce back from her career worst effort – from post 5 at 10-1 on the morning line.

Temper Mint Patty – will race for the seventh time for trainer Dale Romans having recorded two wins, a second and a third place finish in six starts. Last time out was an OK third in the Herecomesthebride Stakes at Gulfstream February 28 which followed her only two off-the-board finishes – a fourth in the Grade 3 Old Hat Stakes and a fifth in the Grade 3 Delta Downs Princess Stakes November 22. Before that was a second in the minor Maid of the Mist Stakes at Belmont Park in October and consecutive wins – the best of which was the minor Joseph A. Gimma Stakes by 13 1/2 lengths at Belmont Park in September. She has been OK in her career but looks to make a big splash Saturday with Corey Lanerie in the saddle from gate 2 at 12-1 odds.

Race 9 on Keeneland’s Saturday card with a Post Time of 5:20 PM.