Praying upsets elders in TCA; Khaadem rallies last-to-first in Woodford

Saturday’s stakes undercard at Keeneland included a pair of Grade 2 sprints, the $400,000 Thoroughbred Club of America (TCA) for fillies and mares and $400,000 Woodford on turf.

In her first start against older rivals, Newtown Anner Stud’s Praying surged late to post a 9.87-1 upset win in the six-furlong TCA, stamping her ticket for the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Sprint (G1) in the “Win & You’re In” event. 

John Velazquez picked up his third of five wins on the program aboard the Robbie Medina-trained daughter of Vekoma. A 20-1 upset winner of the Aug. 30 Prioress (G3) at Saratoga for three-year-old fillies, Praying overcame a serious class check Saturday to log her second consecutive stakes win, recording a gutsy half-length decision over Grade 1-winning 7-5 favorite Vahva.

“It’s surreal,” said Medina, who recorded his first Keeneland stakes win. “There’s nothing like winning a big stakes at Keeneland. It’s great.”

Praying stalked within a couple of lengths as Long Neck Paula reeled off early fractions in :22.23 and :45.33 while being chased by Vahva in second. Praying advanced off the far turn to challenge, engaging Vahva before gaining the upper hand in deep stretch, and she was timed in 1:10.49.

“I have to give it to Robbie (Medina),” Velazquez said.” This filly has been a lot of work to get her to where she is right now. She’s a very nervous and very powerful girl, and we try to keep those nerves calmed down. He’s done that with her. She’s been a challenge to get her to where we are today. I tried to keep it nice and quiet in the post parade. By the time we got to the gate, right before the gate, she finally calmed down, and she walked into the gate. She broke really good. All I wanted to do was sit down with her and not take too much hold of her, and she got it done.”

Vahva held second by nearly two lengths over last year’s TCA winner Zeitlos, who was followed under the wire by Vodka With a Twist, Long Neck Paula, Taxed, and Halina’s Forte.

Bred in Kentucky by Jeff Kerber, Praying was purchased for $410,000 at the 2024 OBS April two-year-old sale, and the dark bay has now bankrolled $466,040 from a 9-3-4-0 career line.

In the 5 1/2-furlong Woodford, English-based multiple Group 1 winner Khaadem closed boldly to notch his first U.S. triumph, getting up to prevail by a neck over the firm course. Frankie Dettori was up for Charlie Hills on the veteran nine-year-old gelding, and Khaadem stopped the teletimer in 1:02.18.

“(The pace) was the easy part,” Dettori said. “The hardest part is getting to the start and into the gate. He’s a nine-year-old gelding, but he can be a handful. For some reason, today he was calmer than usual. He fluffed the start, but it didn’t matter because he likes a target. For a minute, I thought to go through them, but it looked a bit tight, so I thought, ‘Just get him out.’ He’s an old fox, and today he decided to put his best foot forward, and he won as he liked. He’s a character. Sometimes he doesn’t turn up, but today he did.”

The Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint (G1) at Del Mar on Nov. 1 will be next for the confirmed closer.

Winner of consecutive editions of the about six-furlong Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee (G1) at Royal Ascot in 2023-24, Khaadem completed last year with a runner-up finish to Cogburn in the Turf Sprint (G2) at Kentucky Downs in early September. He returned from a lengthy layoff this July, recording a pair of unplaced finishes in a pair of turf sprint stakes in England, but rebounded with a respectable third in the Turf Sprint at Kentucky Downs on Aug. 30.

Hills kept the son of Dark Angel in America during the 35-day interim, and Khaadem was still last of eight while turning for home in the Woodford, offering a powerful rally past rivals to register his seventh career stakes victory. The dark bay Irish-bred has placed in six additional stakes, and Khaadem has now earned more than $2.6 million from a 42-10-3-5 record.

“He’s been training here since (the Turf Sprint at) Kentucky Downs a month ago, so he is into a nice routine,” Hills said. “I was a little bit worried about how quiet he was, to be honest with you. He’s nine years old, he’s won some fantastic races in his career, and I just think he likes being out here. He’s just gotten used to the different way of training. I think it’s just sparked him up. Ed Vaughan — we go back a long way— he and I looked after him the last few weeks, and he did a fantastic job. He’s got his old spark back, so hopefully we might look at the Breeders’ Cup in a few weeks’ time.”

Campaigned by Mrs. Fitriani Hays, Khaadem was off as the 3.27-1 third choice. 

Script, a 22-1 outsider, rallied late for second, a head better than Joe Sheisty in third. Governor Sam, the 5-2 favorite who pressed early splits in :21.95 and :44.81, wound up another neck back in fourth. Arrest Me Red, Outlaw Kid, pacesetter Doncho, and Charcoal completed the order.