Rahystrada to make his connections beam with pride by winning the Sycamore at Keeneland
The 8-year-old gelding, Rahystrada, last raced at Keeneland back in 2010, and it wasn’t a stake race, it was an allowance race at 1 1/16 miles that he won. The gelded son of Rahy returns to Keeneland after a gap of 2 years, and will look to continue from where he left off.
Running on turf as far as anyone can remember, Rahystrada coming back to Keeneland has a great significance for his owner and trainer as well, as owner Robert Courtney Jr. is from Keeneland, and he has his childhood memories of the race track, while trainer Scooter Hughes has done the same.
This emotional race for Rahystrada and his connections have great emotional value, and would love to win in their hometown.
Bred in Kentucky by Jaime S. Carrion, Rahystrada is pointed at the Grade 3 Sycamore Stakes, and the turf race will be run over a distance of 1 ½ miles on 18 October, 2012.
“Rahystrada has been the kind of horse that people come up to you and say, ‘We’re pulling for you,’ ” said Hughes. “You barely even know them, and you can tell they’re being sincere. It really makes you feel good.”
Out of Deputy Minister mare Ministrada, Rahystrada has raced five times this season, and with a lone victory, the gelding has hit the board in all of his start this season.
He is currently exiting second place finish in the Grade 3 Kentucky Turf Cup to winner, Ioya Bigtime at Kentucky Downs over a distance of 1 ½ miles.
Arlington Park was where Rahystrada registered his first victory of the season, when over 1 ¼ miles he swept the Grade 3 Arlington Handicap in style, downing Boisterous in second to win the race.
“One of the reasons we picked this race is because Robert is from here and I’m from here,” said Hughes. “The two times he’s won here, we’ve probably had at least 50 people in the winner’s circle.”
In the Sycamore, Rahystrada will break from post number 1under Corey Lanerie, and the older gelding will look to post his fifth graded stakes race.
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