Sycamore Stakes 2018 Field & Odds at Keeneland

Three Diamonds Farm's Bigger Picture and Ken and Sarah Ramsey's Oscar Nominated, earners of more than $1 million each, head a field of 13 for the 24th running of the $100,000 Sycamore Stakes (G3) to be run Thursday, October 18 for 3-year-olds and up going 1½ miles on the turf.

The Sycamore Stakes will go as the eighth race at Keeneland on Thursday's nine-race program with a 4:57 p.m. ET post time. First post time Thursday is 1:05 p.m.

Trained by Mike Maker, both runners come out of last month's Kentucky Turf Cup (G3) at Kentucky Downs, where they finished second and fifth, respectively, behind fellow Sycamore runner Arklow.

Bigger Picture, who has compiled a record of 35-11-6-4 for earnings of $1,324,135, will be seeking his first Keeneland victory. Winner of the United Nations (G1) at Monmouth in 2017, Bigger Picture finished second in the Sycamore in 2016 and was third in the 2017 Dixiana Elkhorn (G2) here. Tyler Gaffalione will have the mount and break from post position six.

A three-time Grade 3 winner and earner of $1,501,556 with a record of 28-8-6-2, Oscar Nominated was second in this spring's Dixiana Elkhorn in his lone Keeneland start. He will be ridden Thursday by Jose Ortiz and break from post position four.

While most of the heavy lifting for the Breeders' Cup World Championships Nov. 2-3 at Churchill Downs figures to be complete this weekend, trainer Brad Cox will use Keeneland's Sycamore as a likely springboard to the $4 million Turf (G1) for Arklow.

"Preparing for the (1½-mile) Turf, it is not about the fastest but the fittest," Cox said of Arklow, who worked Friday morning on the dirt at Churchill in :49.80 for a half-mile. Arklow is owned by the partnership of Donegal Racing, Joseph Bulger and Peter Coneway.

"I thought about the Canadian race (the $800,000 Pattison Canadian International-G1 at 1½ miles tomorrow at Woodbine), but it is too tough."

So Cox will bring Arklow back to Keeneland, where he broke his maiden in his turf debut in April 2017 for the Sycamore.

"I know he liked (the turf at Keeneland) a year and a half ago," Cox said with a laugh. "I will probably bring him over a couple of days before the race."

Following his maiden victory, Arklow won the 2017 American Turf (G2) on Kentucky Derby Day but after two subpar efforts in New York in the summer went on the shelf until February at Fair Grounds.

In 2018, Arklow has compiled a 6-3-1-0 record and brings a two-race win streak into the Sycamore. In his most recent start, Arklow won the Kentucky Turf Cup (G3) at Kentucky Downs going 1½ miles.

A maiden winner in his lone Keeneland start, Arklow will be ridden by Florent Geroux and break from post position five.

The field for the Sycamore, with riders and weights from the inside, is: Some in Tieme (BRZ) (Manny Cruz, 121 pounds), Cooptado (ARG) (J.D. Acosta, 121), Campaign (Ricardo Santana Jr., 118), Oscar Nominated (Ortiz, 123), Arklow (Geroux, 123), Bigger Picture (Gaffalione, 123), Slickly Done (Richard Bracho, 121), Final Copy (John Velazquez, 121), Zulu Alpha(Channing Hill, 121), Nessy (Julien Leparoux, 123), Can'thelpbelieving (IRE) (Joe Bravo, 121), Teodoro (IRE) (Adam Beschizza, 123) and Harlan Strong (ARG) (Robby Albarado, 121). v