Keefe races to help military personnel, retired horses

Trainer Tim Keefe conditions 30 horses at Laurel Park, and on Saturday

afternoon he'll send stakes winner Eighttofasttocatch (Not for Love) to the

starting gate as one of the favorites in the $75,000 Japan Racing Association

S., the co-feature on the card that also features the $60,000 Jameela S.

However, the 44-year-old will not be at the central Maryland track this

weekend. He is headed to Sandusky, Ohio, for the Revolution3 Triathlon where he

will compete in a full triathlon (2.4 mile swim, 112 mile bike, 26.2 mile

marathon) as a fundraiser for the Maryland Therapeutic Riding School (MTR) and

Kimberly Clark's Thoroughbred Placement and Rescue Inc. Keefe's goal is to raise

$5,000 for each group. The tax deductible donations can be made by logging onto

www.timkeeferacing.com.

"I did several triathlons last year at different distances but thought it

would be fun to do one at the full Ironman distance," said Keefe, who finished

21st out of 615 runners in the Preakness 5K at Pimlico Race Course on May 14.

"There is a 17-hour time limit to complete the race. I am hoping to finish in

the 12 to 13 hour range. The swim is definitely my strongest leg and the weakest

one will be the run."

Based in Annapolis, the MTR helps military personnel facing physical and

mental challenges after serving tours of duty as well as children and adults

with special needs. Clark's organization helps find homes for unwanted and

retiring Thoroughbred race horses. Both organizations rely solely on donations.

"Raising awareness for these two great groups helped push me through

training," Keefe added. "What Kim Clark has done for this industry has been

invaluable and she doesn't get enough credit. She has found homes for many, many

horses who would not have had careers after retiring from the racetrack."

Keefe finished second in the training standings during the 2011 Laurel winter

stand with 16 wins from 57 runners, including an impressive victory by

Eighttofasttocatch in the Harrison E. Johnson S. Since a seventh place finish in

the Dixie H. (G2) on the Preakness undercard, the five-year-old chestnut has run

just twice, a second-place finish in the Joe French Memorial S. at Delaware Park

on June 22 and a fourth-place finish in the August 6 West Virginia Governor's

H., where he finished just one length back.

"We have been pretty conservative with him because we have the Maryland

Million in mind," Keefe said. "He ran well at Delaware and Mountaineer and is

doing well. I am happy we are back to racing at Laurel. I am sorry it has been

raining but he loves the slop."

With regular rider Sheldon Russell attending a wedding in the United Kingdom,

Malcolm Franklin picks up the mount. Eighttofasttocatch is the second choice in

the morning line with odds of 4-1 in the Japan Racing Association S., which drew

11 older runners.

The Jameela, for fillies and mares, has attracted nine Maryland-bred runners,

including defending champion Fascinatin' Rhythm (More Than Ready), the 3-1

program favorite. Forest Boyce is the regular rider for the Richard Small

trainee.

Both the Japan Racing Association and Jameela were carded for the turf but

the aftermath of rainfall from Tropical Storm Lee will send both races to the

main track. Nearly eight inches of rain has fallen at Laurel Park so far this

week.