Showing Up for the Maker's Mark

Multiple Grade 1 winner SHOWING UP (Strategic Mission) will make his 2007

debut in Friday's $250,000 Maker's Mark Mile S. (G2) at Keeneland. Unraced since

a convincing victory in the Hollywood Derby (G1) in November, the Barclay Tagg-trained

colt will be making his second appearance at Keeneland, but his first on the

turf at the Lexington, Kentucky, track. Showing Up captured last year's

Lexington S. (G2) on the dirt. Regular rider Cornelio Velasquez will guide him.

"I actually chose the race because of the Polytrack to train him on for a

while," Tagg said. "It makes his feet more comfortable. It has helped him. When

I won the Lexington, I trained him on the little Polytrack (Keeneland's

five-furlong training track), and he really liked it."

The four-year-old will face eight rivals in eight-furlong contest, including

the dangerous KIP DEVILLE (Kipling), who has won four straight stakes at a mile

on turf. The Richard Dutrow runner exits a smart win in the Frank E. Kilroe Mile H.

(G1) at Santa Anita. Kilroe runner-up BAYEUX (Red Ransom), a close second in his

last two starts after capturing his U.S. debut in the River City H. (G3), is

also entered, and Fourstardave H. (G2) victor REMARKABLE NEWS (Ven) (Chayim)

will be making his second start of the season. A winner of an

allowance/optional claiming event last out, Remarkable News finished second in

the Shadwell Turf Mile S. (G1) at Keeneland in October.

Multiple Grade 2 runner-up FREE THINKING (Unbridled) will lead the post

parade under a 117-pound impost that includes Rafael Bejarano. Next comes SKY

CONQUEROR (Sky Classic), Robby Albarado, 119; Bayeux, Julien Leparoux, 117;

STORM CALLER (Stormy Atlantic), Alonso Quinonez, 117; OLD DODGE (Brz) (Dodge),

Mark Guidry, 117; PURIM (Dynaformer), Jamie Theriot, 117; Remarkable News, Rene

Douglas, 117; Showing Up, 123; and Kip Deville, Edgar Prado, 123.