Parx Racing-based trainer Butch Reid resides in Pennsylvania, but Kentucky is his apparent home away from home.
He won the 2020 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1) at Keeneland with Vequist, added the $1.3 million Ladies Marathon Stakes (G3T) last year at Kentucky Downs with Neecie Marie, and Oct. 18 at Keeneland landed the $334,688 Raven Run Stakes (G2) at the Lexington oval with Kappa Kappa.
"We love it here in Kentucky," he said.
WATCH: Reid on Raven Run Upset
He has that stout-hearted filly to thank for Saturday's victory. She battled back under Hall of Fame jockey John Velazquez to defeat runner-up Vodka With a Twist by a head in the 7-furlong sprint. She took the early lead through a quarter-mile in :22.81, was passed on the turn by a neck by a couple of rivals after a half-mile in :45.94, then duked things out with Vodka With a Twist, who had surged from seventh to take a head lead with a furlong to run.
"She showed a lot of heart," said Velazquez, who recorded his third lifetime victory in the Raven Run and his sixth stakes win of the ongoing Keeneland fall meet.
Kappa Kappa completed 7 furlongs in 1:23.90, .45 of a second slower than the winning 7-furlong time from Barnes in the Perryville Stakes (G3) also on Saturday.
Kappa Kappa registered a 27-1 upset, paying $56.06 to win.
Late-running favorite Ragtime, away last and slow into stride, closed belatedly with a wide rally to be third in the field of 10 3-year-old fillies.
Four horses in the original lineup were scratched, and another from the also-eligible list. The body-of-the-field scratches cleared the way for Kappa Kappa to start after initially being a Raven Run alternate. Reid said he found out from other trainers about their scratching intentions and sent her down to Keeneland from Parx early in the week.
She was the first also-eligible in an overdrawn field due to having just two wins, the most recent being a 6-length score over first-level Pennsylvania-bred allowance foes at Parx Racing in which she sizzled 6 1/2 furlongs in 1:15.87.
Due to the Raven Run being just two weeks before the Nov. 1 Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint (G1), Raven Run participants infrequently wheel back into that race to face older fillies and mares. The Mark Casse-trained Shamrock Rose was one of these exceptions in 2018, winning both races on her way to an Eclipse Award as champion female sprinter.
A try in the Breeders' Cup would require supplementing Kappa Kappa, who is not Breeders' Cup-nominated. Pre-entries for the Breeders' Cup are due Oct. 20.
Reid seemed reluctant to pursue the Breeders' Cup, saying, "We'll keep her with straight 3-year-olds as long as we can. Other than that, we're just gonna let her rest. This was a big, tough week on her. She'll get all the rest she needs."
Kappa KappA's Pedigree, Sales History
The 3-year-old chestnut daughter of Omaha Beach improved to 3-1-0 in four starts with Saturday's victory, increasing her earnings to $278,375 for Glenn Bennett's LC Racing, Charles Zacney's Cash is King, and Reid's Wellesley Stable. LC Racing bought Kappa Kappa out of the Vinery Sales consignment at the 2023 Fasig-Tipton Midlantic Fall Yearlings Sale for $65,000.
Kappa Kappa, bred by Stone Jug Ranch in Pennsylvania, is the first winner from four foals to race from the winning Pioneerof the Nile mare Pharoah's Princess.
Kappa Kappa became the 25 black-type stakes winner for Omaha Beach, last year's leading second-crop sire who also tops all third-crop stallions by progeny earnings through Oct. 18. The Spendthrift Farm stallion will stand in 2026 for a $75,000 fee, up from $35,000 in 2025.
