October is finally here!  Seems like we’ve been waiting for the Keeneland Fall Meet, and the first-ever Breeders’ Cup at Keeneland forever.

We started off on Thursday with the news that Sweet Halory had her first work at Santa Anita.  She worked 5 furlongs from the gate, and the best part was she had Gary Stevens riding her.  Having a Hall of Fame jockey ride your unraced 2-year-old filly for a  morning work is almost as much fun as a win!   Here’s the video…she’s the horse on the outside.

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Back here in Kentucky, Mother Nature did NOT get the memo that Friday was Opening Day at Keeneland….or maybe she (Mother Nature) is doing the “in like a lion, out like a lamb” thing and Breeders’ Cup on October 30 and 31 is going to be glorious!   (Hope so.)

GOMO
The Darley Alcibiades Gr I – 64th Running
Keenland Race Course Lexington, Kentucky
October 2, 2015 Race #09
Purse $400,000
1-1/16 Miles 1:45.55
Reddam Racing, LLC, Owner
Doug O’Neill, Trainer
Mario Gutierrez, Jockey
Dothraki Queen (2nd)
Ma Can Do It (3rd)
$12.60 $6.00 $4.00
Please Give Photo Credit To: Keeneland / Coady Photography

At any rate, Friday was rainy, windy, damp and in the 50s.  I saw one news account that said “11,601 brave souls” were in attendance.  They saw yet another juvenile star emerge for Sweet Halory’s trainer, Doug O’Neill as GOMO won the $400,000 Grade I Darley Alcibiades S. by almost three lengths.  See this link  for details about the win.  And check out the Keeneland / Coady Photograph at right to see how muddy she got!

That’s potentially the fourth 2-year-old headed for the Breeders’ Cup Races for Team O’Neill — including Ralis, who runs in today’s Champagne S.-G1; Nyquist, the likely favorite for the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile; and Land Over Sea, second in the Chandelier S.-G1 recently.

If Doug has the babies learning from each other, we hope the TV monitor was in front of Sweet Halory’s stall on Friday afternoon!!!!