Ben Ali Stakes at Keeneland Race Course
Las Vegas, NV - The Grade 3 Ben Ali Stakes is on tap for this Sunday, April 21 from Keeneland Race Course in Lexington, Kentucky. A purse of $150,000 will be on the line for horses four years old and upward willing to go 1 1/8 miles on Keeneland's all weather track.
The Ben Ali Stakes has attracted a field of seven older entries for race 8 on Keeneland's Sunday card. Post time is 4:42 PM. Here is a brief glance into the past performances of all seven combatants for this Grade 3 stakes.
2013 Ben Ali Stakes Race Favorites
Successful Dan - half brother of Wise Dan was... successful last year until injury put him on the sidelines in June. He has won four of his last six races including the Grade 2 Greenbrier Fayette Stakes in October 2010 and the Grade 2 Alysheba Stakes in May at Churchill Downs. He returns this week after a 10 month layoff and a second place finish last time out - in the Grade 3 Prairie Meadows Cornhusker Handicap behind Fort Larned way back in June. In 11 career starts, Successful Dan has seven wins, two seconds and one third place finish - impressive! He is 4-for-4 on Polytrack surfaces and is the one to beat Sunday.
Boisterous -has won five of his last 10 starts including the 2011 and 2012 Grade 3 Red Smith Stakes at Aqueduct and the 2011 and 2012 Knickerbocker Stakes also at Aqueduct. His lone poor performance the last couple years came in August - a ninth in the Grade 1 Arlington Millions but he won two straight after that. Last time out was a good second in the Grade 3 River City Handicap at Churchill Downs November 5. Sunday marks his first start of 2013 but with wins in two of his last three starts, he is another one to watch!
Ben Ali Stakes 2013 | Remaining Field Entries
Richard's Kid - Last year he was an OK third in the Grade 1 Awesome Again behind Game on Dude after another third in the Grade 1 Pacific Classic right behind Game on Dude again. He had a win before that in the Grade 3 Cougar II Handicap on July 27 to follow another second to Game On Dude in the Hollywood Gold Cup and a win in the minor Prove It Stakes. He has really struggled of late for trainer Doug O'Neill - a fourth in the Grade 3 Native Diver was followed by an ugly tenth in the Grade 2 San Marcos here February 9. He was sixth two back in the Grade 1 Santa Anita Handicap March 2 but rebounded with an OK third three weeks later in the Grade 3 Tokyo City Handicap. He has 42 starts an 11 wins but hasn't tasted victory since July.
Golden Ticket - Kenneth McPeek trained colt is coming off a fourth place finish in the Grade 3 Skip Away Stakes at Gulfstream March 30 after a third in the Grade 3 Mineshaft at Fair Grounds and an Allowance Optional Claiming score at Gulfstream January 26. He won the very competitive Grade 1 Travers in August in a dead-heat upset for his best career effort and followed that with a third in the Grade 2 Pennsylvania Derby in September. A hiccup followed in the Grade 1 Hollywood Derby where he finished eleventh but he has looked decent this year in three starts. Golden Ticket tries for his first win since the Travers Sunday.
Ben Ali Stakes betting at Keeneland Race Course with OffTrackBetting.com
Stephanoatsee - has placed in six of his last eight starts over the last year but is coming off his career worst finish - a ninth in the Grade 1 Santa Anita Handicap March 2 after a nice second place finish in the Strub Stakes here February 2. Before that was an OK third in the Grade 3 Discovery Handicap at Aqueduct behind Called to Serve in November. Prior to that Stephanoatsee won two of three starts including the minor Barbaro Stakes at Delaware Park. He will be looking for his first graded stakes win Sunday and will need a huge bounce back to reach this goal for trainer H. Graham Motion.
Son of a General - enters the Ben Ali having won four of his last five races including two in a row this year - two Allowance Optional Claiming at Oaklawn Park March 22 and January 19. Before that was a sixth in his stakes debut - the minor Prairie Bayou Stakes at Turfway Park December 15. He has six wins, a second and six third place finishes in his career but takes a huge step up in competition this week.
Hattaash - races in graded stakes company for the first time Sunday after 34 career starts yielded six wins, six seconds and eight third place finishes. He has three second place Allowance Optional Claiming finishes in his last five starts including last time out at Hawthorne April 3 and had a Claiming score at Hawthorne March 10.
