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Transylvania kicks off Keeneland meet Friday's $150,000 Transylvania S. (G3) is the opening-day feature at Keeneland, and a field of nine sophomores will contest the 1 1/16-mile turf affair. Trainer Bill Mott will send out a pair of top contenders in PRUSSIAN (Danzig) and RILEY TUCKER (Harlan's Holiday); Godolphin will be represented by last-out Whirlaway S. hero BARRIER REEF (Mizzen Mast); and Fair Grounds allowance winner FREE FIGHTER (Out of Place) will make his stakes debut. Prussian won at first asking last summer, taking a grassy maiden special weight event at Saratoga by a widening 6 3/4 lengths, and the bay colt captured the Summer S. (Can-G3) at Woodbine in his second career outing. Sent off the 7-2 second choice in the inaugural running of the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf, Prussian didn't handle the yielding ground at Monmouth Park and wound up a disappointing 10th. He's trained forwardly for his 2008 bow in South Florida and worked four furlongs in :48 2/5 at Keeneland on Tuesday in preparation for the Transylvania. Regular rider Kent Desormeaux will be up. Uncoupled stablemate Riley Tucker will be making his first turf start on Friday, but the Zayat Stables' colorbearer owns an encouraging pedigree for the sod, with his dam already producing a pair of turf winners. Second in last year's Arlington-Washington Futurity (G3) and third in the Saratoga Special S. (G2), Riley Tucker will enter the Transylvania off a runner-up finish in a March 14 allowance at Fair Grounds. Edgar Prado rides. Barrier Reef will also make his initial appearance on grass. A half-length winner of the Whirlaway S. over Aqueduct's inner track, the colt was transferred to Saeed bin Suroor afterward and will return to the races off a 62-day freshening. Garrett Gomez will pick up the mount. Free Fighter has finished first in three-of-four turf starts (disqualified once) and rolled to a 4 1/4-length score last time. The Chris Block runner will receive a positive rider switch to John Velazquez. The complete field, in post order, is Riley Tucker; BOSS LAFITTE (Dynaformer), Robby Albarado; Barrier Reef; Prussian; SR. HENRY (Straight Man), Julien Leparoux; BUDGE MAN (Fusaichi Pegasus), James Lopez; LOVE EVERYBODY (Artax), James Graham; Free Fighter; and GROOM'S CAT (Magic Cat), Jesus Castanon. All starters will carry 117 pounds.
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