Multiple grade 2 winner Hoist the Gold headlines a field of 12 older horses entered for the $350,000 Commonwealth Stakes (G3) April 8 at Keeneland.
A Dream Team Racing homebred trained by Dallas Stewart, Hoist the Gold enjoyed a banner year in 2023 when he won the Phoenix Stakes (G2) at Keeneland and the Cigar Mile Handicap (G2) at Aqueduct Racetrack. He was winless in five starts during a 2024 campaign that saw him target major group and grade 1 races, but the 6-year-old Mineshaft horse got back in the winner's circle in a Feb. 13 allowance race at Fair Grounds Racecourse & Slots.
Hoist the Gold finished second, beaten just a neck, in the 2023 Commonwealth by Nathan Hayden's Here Mi Song, who is back for a rematch in Tuesday's seven-furlong dirt race. It will be the 7-year-old Cross Traffic gelding's first start of 2025 for trainer William Stinson Jr.
Nutella Fella, winner of the 2023 Hopeful Stakes (G1) at Saratoga Race Course, enters off a neck victory in the Pelican Stakes at Tampa Bay Downs. The 4-year-old Runhappy colt trained by Gary Contessa beat Caramel Chip at Tampa, and that 7-year-old Midshipman horse also shipped north for the Commonwealth.
Nutella Fella has been sidelined twice in his career, but Contessa said he is doing well now.
"You don't come here unless you have a good horse," Contessa said after Nutella Fella got a feel for the track April 2 with a three-furlong blowout in :36 3/5 with Lacey Williams aboard.
There is up-and-coming talent that could challenge the field's older, established runners. Montalcino, a 4-year-old Take Charge Indy colt trained by Cherie DeVaux, is a head away from being undefeated in four lifetime starts. He won a second-level allowance optional claiming race by 5 1/2 lengths Feb. 22 at Fair Grounds, stopping the timer for six furlongs in 1:08.97. Jose Ortiz retains the mount.
Epic Ride ran third in the 2024 Blue Grass Stakes (G1) and Perryville Stakes (G3) at Keeneland. The 4-year-old Blame colt trained by John Ennis enters the Commonwealth off two consecutive open-length victories at Turfway Park.
Winchell Thoroughbreds' Extra Anejo, a talented, lightly raced 5-year-old by Into Mischief , makes his 2025 debut in search of his first graded success for trainer Steve Asmussen.
Keeneland, Tuesday, April 8, 2025, Race 7Entries: Commonwealth S. (G3)
PP Horse Jockey Wgt Trainer M/L 1 Best Actor (KY) Evin A. Roman 118 Ed Moger, Jr. 15/1 2 Montalcino (KY) Jose L. Ortiz 118 Cherie DeVaux 3/1 3 Epic Ride (KY) Luan Machado 118 John Ennis 6/1 4 Caramel Chip (KY) Fernando Jara 118 Carlos A. David 30/1 5 Nutella Fella (KY) Luis Saez 118 Gary C. Contessa 12/1 6 Hoist the Gold (KY) Brian Joseph Hernandez, Jr. 118 Dallas Stewart 9/2 7 Prince of Power (KY) Santo Sanjur 118 Jesus Esquivel 20/1 8 Here Mi Song (KY) Edgar Morales 118 William Stinson, Jr. 8/1 9 Surly Furious (KY) Edgard J. Zayas 118 Glenn S. Wismer 30/1 10 Extra Anejo (KY) Flavien Prat 118 Steven M. Asmussen 8/1 11 Whatchatalkinabout (NY) Irad Ortiz, Jr. 118 Wesley A. Ward 4/1 12 Ashcroft (KY) Julien R. Leparoux 118 John A. Hancock 30/1
