Transylvania featured on Keeneland opener

The Blue Grass, first run in 1911 at the old Kentucky Association track near

downtown Lexington, is a 1 1/8-mile race for three-year-olds that has been the

springboard for 23 Kentucky Derby-winning horses. The Blue Grass also is the

richest race of the year at Keeneland, which will offer $3.65 million in purses

for 16 stakes races during the spring.

Post time for the first race each day is 1:05 p.m. Keeneland will be closed

on Mondays and Tuesdays and on Easter Sunday, April 4.

The first half of the Keeneland meeting also features three other Grade 1

stakes: the $400,000 Ashland S. for three-year-old fillies at 1

1/16 miles on April 3; the $300,000 Madison S. for older fillies and mares at

seven furlongs on April 8; and the $300,000 Maker's Mark Mile for older horses

at one mile on turf on April 9. The Ashland, the filly counterpart to the Blue

Grass, is a major steppingstone to the Kentucky Oaks (G1), run at Churchill

Downs the day before the Kentucky Derby.

Three-year-olds with Triple Crown aspirations also will compete in the

Lexington S. (G2) on April 17. The 1 1/16-mile race is worth $300,000. The

Lexington often falls in the midst of perfect spring weather, attracting

enthusiastic crowds to Keeneland. Last year 33,680 fans, the second-largest

single-day attendance in track history, was on hand for the race.

TVG will feature Keeneland racing each day beginning at 11 a.m. TVG also will

broadcast the post position draw for the Blue Grass on April 7 from 11:30 a.m.

to noon, and the Lexington on April 17 from 4:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.

As always, fans can watch Keeneland's races live on the track's website,

keeneland.com, at no charge.

This spring, horseplayers will continue to find plenty of action at

Keeneland. New is a 50-cent Pick Three wager in which a player must select the

winner of three consecutive races. Other budget-conscious wagers include a

50-cent Pick Four and Trifecta wager as well as a 10-cent Superfecta.

Nine three-year-old colts and geldings will clash in Friday's opening

feature, the $100,000

Transylvania S. (G3) over 1 1/16 miles on the turf. MACIAS (Purge), who

invades from California for Bob Baffert, should attract plenty of support after

victories in the Eddie Logan S. and Baffle S. over the winter, and a second last

time to Blue Grass candidate Make Music for Me (Bernstein) in the Pasadena S.

ALFARABI (Yes It's True), second in the Eddie Logan and third in the Pasadena,

also comes east for Eoin Harty.

NORDIC TRUCE (Yes It's True), who made up 15 lengths to get his neck on the

wire first in the January 16 Dania Beach S. at Gulfstream, will make just his

third career start for Christophe Clement. Though he enters off a near

three-month break, the bay won the Dania Beach off a two-month layoff. LOST

APTITUDE (Aptitude) returns to the turf after trailing home in 10th in the

Fountain of Youth S. (G2). He had won three of six turf attempts before that

including the Grand Canyon H. at Churchill Downs, though he was second as the

odds-on choice in the Tropical Park Derby two back and third in an allowance

over the Keeneland turf in October.

Others of note are STRIKE THE TIGER (Tiger Ridge), best known as one of

Wesley Ward's two Royal Ascot winners last June, and CALL SHOT (Tale of the

Cat), a length third in the Dania Beach in his only turf appearance to date.