St Elias Stable's Captain Cook (Practical Joke), a heartbreaking second at 20-1 in the GI H. Allen Jerkens Memorial S. at Saratoga Aug. 23, will be favored to register a first career graded success in Saturday's GIII Perryville S. at Keeneland. Winner of the Withers S. in February, the 'TDN Rising Star, presented by Hagyard' was making his first start for Todd Pletcher in the Allen Jerkens.
The field of six for the Perryville also includes GII San Vicente S. winner and Allen Jerkens third Barnes (Into Mischief) and GIII Lambholm South Tampa Bay Derby winner Owen Almighty (Speightstown).
'TDN Rising Star, presented by Hagyard' Ragtime (Union Rags), the 3-1 morning-line favorite in Keeneland's GII Lexus Raven Run S., is a neck away from a perfect four-for-four record. The Godolphin homebred was a too-good-to-lose second in the GI Test S. at Saratoga Aug. 2, then annexed the GIII Dogwood S. at Churchill Sept. 20. The full field of 12 also includes 'Rising Star' Quietside (Malibu Moon) and Simply Joking (Practical Joke), who both return following disappointing efforts in the GI Kentucky Oaks May 2.
Saturday's graded action also includes: the GII Sands Point S. at the Belmont at the Big A meeting and the GIII Ontario Derby at Woodbine, featuring a rematch between King's Plate S. winner Mansetti (Collected) and Prince of Wales S. winner Runaway Again (Hard Spun).
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