Killer Graces and stablemate Via Villaggio to represent Hollendorfer in the Raven Run Stakes
Trained and co-owned by Jerry Hollendorfer in partnership with Gillian Campbell and Steve Melon, Killer Graces hasn’t had a good time at the track in almost a year, and this year the 3-year-old filly failed to make it to the winner’s circle in seven attempts.
Jerry Hollendorfer is aware of the fact, and has decided to enter the filly by Congaree and stablemate Via Villaggio in the Grade 2, $250,000 Raven Run Stakes over a distance seven furlongs at Keeneland’s synthetic surface.
The Raven Run Stakes is the richest race remaining on the Keeneland fall stakes schedule, and this time around Killer Graces will look to snap her seven race losing streak, as she will run over the Keeneland race track for the first time in her career.
Bred in Kentucky by Brian Kahn, Killer Graces’ last victory came in the Grade 1 Hollywood Starlet Stakes back in October last year and that race concluded her juvenile season.
This year, the closest she has coming to winning was in her seasonal debut, the Grade 3 Santa Ysabel Stakes at Santa Anita, where she finished second to winner, Willa B Awesome.
Apart from that, she finished third in the Grade 3 Providencia Stakes at Santa Anita’s turf course.
On the other hand, Steve Beneto’s Via Villaggio also trained by Jerry Hollendorfer is pointed at the Raven Run Stakes, and with a single win this year in seven starts, the 3-year-old filly by Bernardini will be looking to snap her own losing streak of 4.
Out of Alhaarth mare Hoh Buzzard, Via Villaggio is exiting a fourth place finish in the Grade 1 Zenyatta Stakes to winner Love and Pride, which was run over a distance of 1 1/16 miles on 29 September, 2012. In comparison with the distance, Via Villaggio
will be cut back in distance to seven furlongs.
On seven furlongs, the filly has run only once, and that too on a synthetic surface at Betfair Hollywood Park, and came out as a victor by landing the Grade 3 Railbird Stakes this year in May.
Both Killer Graces and Via Villaggio will be looking to snap their losing streak against 10 other sophomore fillies.
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