Churchill Downs Picks | Keertana Stakes 2024

Selective LLC’s recent Bewitch Stakes (Grade III) winner Chop Chop leads a field of seven talented fillies and mares entered in Saturday’s 11th running of the $250,000 Keertana Stakes (Listed) at Churchill Downs.

Carded as Race 10 of 11, the Keertana is set to take place in Lane 2 on the Matt Winn Turf Course, positioned 12 feet from the inner rail. First post is 12:45 p.m. (all times Eastern) and the featured Keertana will go at 5:27 p.m.

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Run at 1 ½ miles on the Matt Winn Turf Course, the Keertana sets the stage for a rematch between the top four finishers from Keeneland’s Bewitch Stakes held one month ago.

Chop Chop finished 2 ¼ lengths clear of runner-up Atomic Blonde (GER) in the Bewitch, marking a successful return to turf after 13 months competing on either the dirt or Tapeta. The third and fourth place finishers of the Bewitch, Vegara and Tower Bridge, respectfully, are also entered in the Keertana.

Trained by Brad Cox, Chop Chop emerged as one of the top prospects on the Road to Kentucky Oaks 149 following her game runner-up finish to Wonder Wheel in the Alcibiades (GI) as a 2-year-old. In her 3-year-old season, Chop Chop went on to finish second to The Alys Look in the Silverbulletday Stakes before her disappointing fifth-place effort in the Rachel Alexandra (GII).

Following that start, Cox briefly switched Chop Chop back to turf, where she finished third in the Allen “Black Cat” LaCombe Memorial. Chop Chop would compete on dirt in her next three starts before switching to Tapeta for her next four.

Jockey Axel Concepcion will pilot Chop Chop in the Keertana from post No. 2.

Atomic Blonde, trained by Christophe Clement and owned by West Point Thoroughbreds, Clement and Winters Equine, will seek redemption against Chop Chop in the Keertana.

A former Group III winner in Italy, Atomic Blonde arrived in North America in early 2023. Since then, the daughter of The Grey Gatsby finished third in both the Sheepshead Bay (GII) and Orchid (GIII).

The Keertana will be the second start of Atomic Blonde’s 5-year-old campaign where she’ll be ridden by Churchill Downs leading rider Tyler Gaffalione out of post 4.