Rhetorical jumps up in Coolmore Turf Mile; First Lady is Simply in Front

Gary Barber, Cheyenne Stable, and Wachtel Stable’s Rhetorical made the jump from New York-bred stakes company to upstage an international cast in Saturday’s $1,038,750 Coolmore Turf Mile (G1) at Keeneland.

In the process, Rhetorical handed young trainer Will Walden his first Grade 1 trophy and secured a free berth to the Breeders’ Cup Mile (G1).

By red-hot sire Not This Time, the lightly-raced gelding just captured his stakes debut in the Aug. 24 West Point S. for state-breds at Saratoga. His 4-for-5 record, with all of his wins by daylight margins, warranted a test in graded company.

But the Coolmore Turf Mile represented a steeper class hike. The “Win and You’re In” attracted a trio of European shippers – 1.43-1 favorite Diego Velazquez from the Aidan O’Brien yard, British-based Jonquil, and French-bred Woodshauna – along with U.S. divisional mainstays Program Trading and Brilliant Berti. 

Rhetorical proved up to the task, and regular rider Irad Ortiz Jr. did his part by working out the right trip. Well placed early, the 9.59-1 shot raced in a clear fourth as a speedy trio forged ahead.

Quatrocento rattled off fractions of :22.40 and :46.07 while tracked by Howard Wolowitz and Epic Ride. Passing six furlongs in 1:10.08, Rhetorical began to improve position into third, and he accordingly got the jump on the closers.

Rhetorical rolled past a weakening Quatrocento in midstretch and crossed the wire three-quarters of a length clear. The four-year-old clocked 1:33.61 on the firm turf. 

Program Trading got up for second, a neck up on the rallying Brilliant Berti, who had to thread his way in traffic. Jonquil fared best of the Europeans by closing stoutly for fourth. 

Diego Velazquez, who might have been expected to take up a more tactical position, got no nearer than fifth. Next came Quatrocento, Howard Wolowitz, Epic Ride, Mercante, Beach Gold, and Woodshauna, who blew his chance by breaking very slowly. Donegal Momentum was a vet scratch. 

Rhetorical advanced his record to 6-5-0-1, $824,700. 

“There were some doubts about whether the horse could jump up,” Walden freely admitted. “We didn’t know. But he’d been training awfully good and giving us all the signs that we wanted to see going forward.

“Irad came into the office this morning, and we talked about the race. He rode it to perfection. He’s such a clutch rider and makes the right decisions in those split-second decisions. Just happy for everybody involved.”

Ortiz recapped his straightforward passage. 

“He broke so good, and he’s the kind of horse that shows speed early. There was speed in the race, so we were looking to have a pocket trip, and it ended up being beautiful, perfect,” Ortiz said. 

“Going into the first turn, we already pulled that off. He switched off, and after that, I was a good passenger, I guess, because I tipped him out at the quarter pole, and he responded. He was ready to run. Will did a great job, so I’m happy for him to get his first Grade 1.”

Walden commented on how fitting it was for him to score his breakthrough with a son of Not This Time, who stands at the Taylor family’s Taylor Made Stallions. Frank Taylor founded the Stable Recovery program that plays a terrific role in helping people overcome substance abuse, develop occupational discipline, and reintegrate into society. Walden is among the success stories of Stable Recovery.

“I wouldn’t have been able to start training if it wasn’t for Frank Taylor. I had burned so many bridges and ruined my reputation so bad that there wasn’t anybody that was going to give me a horse, and rightly so,” Walden said. “But Frank saw something and decided to put up his own money, and without those (original) 10 horses, we wouldn’t have gotten started. So, yeah, for it to be a (son of) Not This Time, I couldn’t be happier for Frank. I wouldn’t be here without him.”

First Lady (G1)

In the companion race for distaffers, the $776,750 First Lady (G1), Colebrook Farms’ Simply in Front speared between foes to spring a $28.24 upset. 

Trained by Eddie Kenneally and piloted by Ben Curtis, who was celebrating his first Grade 1 victory, Simply in Front had better credentials than her 13.12-1odds implied. The multiple Grade 2 winner was coming off a rallying second in the Ladies Turf Sprint (G2) at Kentucky Downs, beaten just three-quarters of a length by the defending champion and course record-holder, Ag Bullet. 

Yet the First Lady field was so competitive that Simply in Front was lost in the betting shuffle. The Summer Front filly was not lost in the shuffle when it counted, on the racecourse.

Under patient handling, Simply in Front bided her time well off the pace set by Raqiya through splits of :22.95 and :47.07. The picture began to change on the far turn, when Raqiya floated wide and lost the lead before the six-furlong mark in 1:11.39.

That opened the door for Choisya to cut the corner. The lone European invader remaining after the scratches of Simmering and Great Generation, Choisya appeared to have poached a decisive advantage into the stretch. 

But Curtis found the gaps for Simply in Front, who had the gears to prevail in the cavalry charge. Segesta also did her best work late to make it a three-way finish, relegating Choisya to third at the wire.

Simply in Front had a neck to spare over Segesta in a final time of 1:34.76. 

“It’s unbelievable,” Curtis said of his new career achievement. “I can’t put it into words, to be honest with you, and getting it for Eddie (Kenneally) as well.

“I first came over for him (from Ireland) years ago. He used to tell me I was breezing them wrong, but I think we finally got something right! To do it for him, all the team there, Catherine (Mrs. Kenneally) and the kids, it means the world to me. 

“She’s a really nice filly and everything went perfect today.”

“I’m glad Ben was on board today,” Kenneally said. “We got a really good trip and a beautiful ride. The filly is good right now, so it all feels great. She’s had a phenomenal year already prior to today, and today is the icing on the cake. I think she can continue to improve.”

Choisya went down by a grand total of two necks, leaving jockey Frankie Dettori in a self-critiquing mood.

“I had to take the gap,” Dettori said of his gambit. “That possibly made me go a little too early. I made the lead, but then I could feel a break in front, waiting for the others….

“Unfortunately, you have to take the chance when they come. But if I had to run the race again, I would have been a little bit more patient. I wasn’t beaten far, so it could have made a difference.”

Deep Satin was fourth in the blanket finish, followed by Pin Up Betty, Heredia, 3.32-1 favorite Dynamic Pricing, Ozara, Jody’s Pride, Raqiya, and Nanda Dea. 

While Great Generation was a vet scratch, Simmering was entered in next Saturday’s Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup (G1). Also withdrawn were the also-eligibles Special Wan, Aussie Girl, and Crevalle d’Oro.

Simply in Front has now bankrolled $2,868,611 from her 16-6-4-0 line. Runner-up to She Feels Pretty in the 2023 Natalma (G1) as a juvenile, the bay earned her first stakes win in the lucrative Music City (G2) at Kentucky Downs last year. 

After kicking off 2025 with an upset in the Churchill Distaff Turf Mile (G2) on Kentucky Derby Day, Simply in Front regressed to fifth on yielding going in Saratoga’s Just a Game (G1). She rebounded with a score in the Kentucky Downs Preview Ladies Turf Mile at Ellis Park ahead of her return to that unique course last out.

Kenneally indicated that Simply in Front could be seen over Breeders’ Cup weekend at Del Mar, with a target to be pinpointed later.