It would appear that the Grade 3 $100,000 Shakertown Stakes will go to either Perfect Officer or Chamberlain Bridge, but will face strong competition from several others.
Although Tony Dutrow’s Perfect Officer will be making his first start this year in Saturday’s 5 ½ furlong turf race, Perfect Officer has the speed and the experience to tackle this strong field. In his last race, the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint, Perfect Officer earned a Brisnet speed figure of 103 for his third place finish to Regally Ready. He hasn’t won since the Wolf Hill Stakes in July, but since that 5 ½ furlong sprint, he’s increasingly moved up in class and speed. The question is whether or not the five month layoff will be too much to ask. However, with seven in-the-money finishes in eight starts last year, he should be dangerous.
Chamberlain Bridge, who won the 2010 Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint, finished second by a length to Country Day in his last start, the Colonel Power Stakes. He was five wide at the ¼ pole and rallied into the stretch, but was unable to get the win. In the Bonapaw Stakes two months earlier, Chamberlain Bridge did get the win over Country Day and earned a Brisnet speed figure of 103 for the effort. Hopefully, he’s coming back into form from his poor eighth place finish in last year’s Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint.
Great Attack may be the one to attack this field. The Wesley Ward runner comes into this race off a ¾ length win in the Turf Dash. He closed late to win the five furlong sprint. Great Attack finished fourth in last year’s Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint and seems to be improving from that performance.
Rounding out the field is Concorde’s Flight, who is two-for-two this year; Havelock, who turned in a sharp work at Keeneland earlier this week; longshot Byesville; Zeb, who’ll have jockey Edgar Prado aboard; Great Mills, coming in off a stakes win; foreign invader Surfrider; and Unsaddled Glory, with three of four in-the-money wins this year.
The race is the 10th on Keeneland’s card with a scheduled post time of 5:44 p.m. It can be seen on TVG.
Keeneland Photo
