Older runners who favor going a distance on the grass will take center stage Oct. 9 at Keeneland with a renewal of the $400,000 Sycamore Stakes (G2T) that is run at 1 1/2 miles.
Almost half of the 12 horses in the main body of the field, who are all 4-year-olds and up, have already shown not only an affinity to route but also an affinity for the Keeneland grass.
Just a Touch, the 5-2 morning-line favorite, has two wins at 1 1/2 miles this year and during Keeneland's spring meet won a 1 1/16-mile allowance race at the Lexington track. That win followed a second in the Louisiana Stakes (G3T) at Fair Grounds Race Course and Slots and a fourth in the Santa Anita Handicap (G1), both on dirt. Going forward from the Keeneland win, Just a Touch captured a 3 1/2-length win in the listed Cape Henlopen Stakes at Delaware Park and the Colonial Cup Stakes at Colonial Downs—both stakes at 1 1/2 miles on turf.
Qatar Racing, Fergus Galvin, Adrian Regan, and Marc Detampel campaign Just a Touch with trainer Brad Cox. Galvin purchased the son of Justify for $300,000 during the 2023 Ocala Breeders' Sales Spring 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale from Scanlon Training and Sales. The now 5-year-old has six wins from 15 starts is approaching millionaire status with $993,408 in earnings. He will be ridden in the Sycamore by Irad Ortiz Jr.
The field also includes Desvio, a 5-year-old gelded son of Yoshida, who won last year's Sycamore at 34-1. Trainer Madison Meyers returned to Keeneland for this year's spring meet and ran into a buzzsaw named Burnham Square in the Elkhorn Stakes (G2T). Meyers said she was still proud of the Elkhorn performance.
"We celebrated that like a win because he ran huge," she told Keeneland publicity. "He was beat by an absolute monster. It was off the layoff and the ship and everything. I was just so proud of him that day, and obviously proud of him last fall when he won."
Last out Desvio went unplaced in the Kentucky Turf Cup Invitational Stakes (G2T) at Kentucky Downs, which was run on a brutally hot day against an exceptionally strong field that included group 1 winner Tiffany, 2025 Breeders' Cup Turf (G1T) winner Ethical Diamond, and Burnham Square.
"He actually handled the heat really well, thankfully, and bounced right out of it. It was just a bit firm for him. And honestly, that race came up like a Breeders' Cup race," Meyers said, adding that she is hopeful for a better result back at Keeneland.
"He seems to really like it at Keeneland, and he enjoys the environment and the atmosphere," she said. "Whenever we've shipped into Keeneland, he just settles right in. There's a lot to look at and he likes that. He's obviously run two good races there and likes the ground."
Desvio is owned by Stonelea Stables and Bonnie Rye Stable and will be ridden Luan Machado.
Others in the Sycamore with good records at Keeneland and at longer distances include Limited Liability, a 7-year-old gelded son of Kitten's Joy who ran second in the 2025 Elkhorn; Navy Seal, a 5-year-old gelding by Dubawi who was third in this year's Elkhorn behind Desvio and second in the Belmont Gold Cup Stakes (G2T) going 2 miles; and Goldeneye, a 7-year-old gelding by Hard Spun who ran second to Gold Phoenix in the San Juan Capistrano Stakes (G3T) and won going 1 1/2 miles in a $119,500 allowance race at Keeneland in 2024.
Keeneland, Friday, October 9, 2026, Race 9Entries: Sycamore S. (G2T)
PP Horse Jockey Wgt Trainer M/L 1 1Goldeneye (KY) Edwin A. Maldonado 122 Peter Eurton 30/1 2 2Just a Touch (KY) Irad Ortiz, Jr. 122 Brad H. Cox 5/2 3 3Mercante (KY) Joseph D. Ramos 122 Brian Knippenberg 20/1 4 4Navy Seal (IRE) Jose L. Ortiz 122 Wesley A. Ward 6/1 5 5Echo Lane (FL) Brian Joseph Hernandez, Jr. 122 Rohan G. Crichton 12/1 6 6English Actor (ON) Junior Alvarado 122 Rachel Halden 20/1 7 7Limited Liability (KY) Luis Saez 122 Claude R. McGaughey III 8/1 8 8Tiz Dashing (KY) Javier Castellano 122 Barclay Tagg 9/2 9 9Layabout (KY) Keith J. Asmussen 124 Patrick L. Biancone 12/1 10 10Vote No (KY) Umberto Rispoli 122 Kelsey Danner 6/1 11 11Desvio (KY) Luan Machado 122 Madison F. Meyers 8/1 12 12Rothschild (KY) Axel Concepcion 122 Norm W. Casse 30/1 13 13Lambeth (KY) Jose L. Ortiz 122 Joe Sharp 4/1 14 14Sumood (KY) Tyler Gaffalione 122 Brendan P. Walsh 20/1 15 15Carcano (KY) John R. Velazquez 122 Victoria H. Oliver 9/2 16 16Ur Benja (KY) James Graham 122 Jose Luiz Aranha 50/1
