Donna Wright and Reeves Thoroughbred Racing's 2025 Carter Stakes (G2) winner Crazy Mason will make his first appearance in the Bluegrass State April 4 in the $350,000 Commonwealth Stakes (G3) at Keeneland.
The son of Coal Front , who makes his seasonal debut Saturday, enters the race off a third-place finish in the 2025 Cigar Mile Handicap (G2). Trainer Gregory Sacco opted to ship the horse from his base at Tampa Bay Downs to Kentucky, rather than send the 5-year-old to New York to defend his title in the Carter.
"It was a tough decision, but this is a good starting point, and if he runs well, we will stay in Kentucky and come back on Derby Day (for the $1 million Churchill Downs Stakes)," Sacco said.
"He always breaks good, but then he settles back. I'd like to see him closer (early)," Sacco said. "But I am sure Irad (Ortiz Jr.) will work out a trip. The way he has been training, he will come rolling, and I expect a big effort."
Seven horses were entered in the 7-furlong race, including the Brad Cox-trained Saudi Crown. The 2023 Pennsylvania Derby (G1) winner returned to his winning ways March 5 at Oaklawn Park with a confidence-boosting victory in a ratings handicap.
Reeves Thoroughbred Racing will also send out its New York-bred National Identity, who ventures outside the Empire State for the first time in his career. He enters the race off a four-race win streak, with the latest victory coming in the Feb. 14 Say Florida Sandy Stakes at Aqueduct Racetrack.
"He is just as good as any of them," trainer Danny Gargan said of National Identity. "I am not afraid of any of them in there, and the New York-breds ... Will Walden won a grade 1 here with Rhetorical, and I won the Frizette with Iron Orchard."
Entries: Commonwealth S. (G3)
Keeneland, Saturday, April 4, 2026, Race 7
- Grade III
- 7f
- Dirt
- $350,000
- 4 yo's & up
- 4:12 PM (local)
| PP | Horse | Jockey | Wgt | Trainer | M/L |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1Be You (KY) | John R. Velazquez | 118 | Todd A. Pletcher | 7/2 |
| 2 | 2Crazy Mason (KY) | Irad Ortiz, Jr. | 118 | Gregory D. Sacco | 3/1 |
| 3 | 3Track Mate (KY) | Axel Concepcion | 118 | George R. Arnold II | 12/1 |
| 4 | 4Dr. Saikali (KY) | Jose L. Ortiz | 118 | Ed Moger, Jr. | 20/1 |
| 5 | 5National Identity (NY) | Joel Rosario | 118 | Danny Gargan | 9/2 |
| 6 | 6Multitask (KY) | Tyler Gaffalione | 118 | David Jacobson | 8/1 |
| 7 | 7Saudi Crown (KY) | Flavien Prat | 118 | Brad H. Cox | 8/5 |
Lion Lake, Sister Troienne Meet Again in Appalachian
Emcee Stable's Herecomesthebride Stakes (G3T) winner Lion Lake and Woodslane Racing's homebred Sister Troienne, who finished a head behind Lion Lake in that Feb. 28 race at Gulfstream Park, will face off once again in Saturday's $500,000 Appalachian Stakes (G2T).
Brendan Walsh trains Lion Lake, and also entered last year's Jessamine Stakes (G2T) winner Imaginationthelady. The 3-year-old daughter of Not This Time was last seen finishing fourth in the Oct. 31 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (G1T).
Sister Trioenne has never finished off the board in all of her seven career starts. The Brian Lynch trainee was on a five-race win streak—three of them stakes—before being nabbed at the wire by Lion Lake in the Herecomesthebride.
"That was a tough beat the other day," Lynch said. "This will be a little bit more of a test for her."
Lynch also enters Storm's Wake, who finished third in the Herecomesthebride.
"She got some pace to run at the last time (in the 1-mile Herecomesthebride) and another sixteenth of a mile, she would have won," Lynch said. "Being by Oscar Performance, she will get better with more distance."
Keeneland, Saturday, April 4, 2026, Race 8Entries: Appalachian S. Presented by Japan Racing Association (G2T)
PP Horse Jockey Wgt Trainer M/L 1 1Spirit Doll (KY) Luan Machado 118 Saffie A. Joseph, Jr. 15/1 2 2Alone Time (KY) Jose L. Ortiz 118 Cherie DeVaux 20/1 3 3Faithful Departed (KY) Jareth Loveberry 118 Grant T. Forster 20/1 4 4To a Flame (KY) Axel Concepcion 118 George R. Arnold II 12/1 5 5Kokomotion (KY) Junior Alvarado 118 D. Whitworth Beckman 6/1 6 6Storm's Wake (KY) Joel Rosario 118 Brian A. Lynch 15/1 7 7Just Aloof (KY) Flavien Prat 118 Chad C. Brown 10/1 8 8Lion Lake (IRE) John R. Velazquez 118 Brendan P. Walsh 9/2 9 9Sister Troienne (KY) Irad Ortiz, Jr. 118 Brian A. Lynch 5/2 10 10Imaginationthelady (KY) Tyler Gaffalione 120 Brendan P. Walsh 7/2 11 11Counterbalance (KY) Luis Saez 118 Michael W. McCarthy 15/1
Stone Farm's Litigation Heads Shakertown
Stone Farm's homebred Litigation will look to secure a third straight win Saturday in the $400,000 Shakertown Stakes (G2T). The 4-year-old son of Twirling Candy is off to a great start in 2026 with back-to-back stakes wins.
Litigation is not the only one to enter Saturday's race off dual stakes victories. BG Stables and Selman Shaby's Usually Wrong won back-to-back stakes at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots in his last two starts. Since switching to the turf, the Robertino Diodoro trainee has shown his true talent.
"He has a better turn of foot on the grass, and he's the kind of horse that doesn't need the front and can sit off the pace," Diodoro said. "You have a horse that can do that at any level, and that makes it nice.
"He has already beaten a couple of those in there. I would rather be a few spots in (from post 12), but it is better than the 1 or 2."
Rezasrolex, who finished second to Litigation in the Silks Run Stakes, and Gary Barber's My Boy Prince, who won the Turf Dash Stakes at Tampa Bay, will be the main threats in the 5 1/2-furlong turf sprint.
Keeneland, Saturday, April 4, 2026, Race 10Entries: Valvoline Global Shakertown S. (G2T)
PP Horse Jockey Wgt Trainer M/L 1 1Clock Tower (KY) Walter A. Rodriguez 122 Wesley A. Ward 20/1 2 2My Boy Prince (ON) Jose L. Ortiz 122 Mark E. Casse 6/1 3 3Its Bourbon Thirty (KY) Luan Machado 122 Jeremiah O'Dwyer 15/1 4 4Yellow Card (KY) Flavien Prat 122 Michael W. McCarthy 10/1 5 5Bear River (KY) James Graham 122 J. Keith Desormeaux 12/1 6 6Heart Headed (KY) Irad Ortiz, Jr. 122 Joe Sharp 15/1 7 7Mondogetsbuckets (KY) Tyler Gaffalione 122 Chris M. Block 10/1 8 8Litigation (KY) Mario Gutierrez 122 Brian A. Lynch 4/1 9 9No Nay Hudson (IRE) Joel Rosario 124 Wesley A. Ward 15/1 10 10Rezasrolex (FL) Edgard J. Zayas 122 Joseph F. Orseno 6/1 11 11Joe Shiesty (KY) Fernando De La Cruz 122 Eric N. Foster 8/1 12 12Usually Wrong (KY) Isaac Castillo 122 Robertino Diodoro 9/2 13 13Works for Me (NY) Luis Saez 122 Joseph R. Lee 20/1 14 14Full Disclosure (FL) Jose E. Morelos 122 Amzadali Jehaludi 20/1
