Transylvania Preview: Fire At Will Leads Field With Short Entries, Tall Talent Level

LEXINGTON, KY – Three Diamonds Farm’s Fire At Will leads a field short on entries but tall on talent level in Friday’s $150,000 Transylvania Stakes (G3) at Keeneland.

The Transylvania is a 1 1/16-mile turf route restricted to 3-year-olds. This year’s edition is the penultimate event on a 10-race opening day card and has a local post time of 5:30 PM.

Here’s a look at the full field for the Transylvania:

1. Scarlett Sky 2/1 – He seemed to turn the corner when the new year began, first by posting a 5-length score going this distance against Gulfstream Park optional claimers and then by just missing winning the Palm Beach Stakes by a head. The winner of that race returned to win last weekend’s Cutler Bay Stakes, giving further indication that this Shug McGaughey trainee’s close to breaking through.

2. Palazzi 6/1 – After only hitting the board once in his first 4 starts, all on dirt, he transferred to turf and immediately found success, winning a mile-long Fair Grounds route with a strong, sustained stretch rally. He made a similar move to repeat in the Texas Turf Mile Stakes next out and was most recently third going this distance at Fair Grounds in the Black Gold Stakes.

3. Breadman 15/1 – His 2021 debut comes in his first start since last November’s Central Park Stakes, when he finished seventh going this distance on Aqueduct’s lawn in his initial attempt against open company rivals. He defeated New York-breds on debut while going a mile on the Belmont Park turf and finished third on dirt in the Sleepy Hollow Stakes behind the eventual Remsen Stakes (G2) winner.

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4. Fire At Will 9/5 – He returns to turf after firing a blank on dirt in the Fountain of Youth Stakes (G2) when his connections gave the Kentucky Derby (G1) trail a shot. He not only returns to a surface he’s proven to love, but also the same course over which he won the 2020 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf (G1) – just don’t expect to see anything close to the 30/1 price he was in the world championships.

5. Barrister Tom 12/1 – He returns to Keeneland after finishing eighth in last October’s Bourbon Stakes (G2) over this course and distance, his first defeat on turf after winning mile-long events at Arlington Park and Kentucky Downs, the latter in the Juvenile Stakes. He was most recently sixth in last December’s Eddie Logan Stakes at Santa Anita Park and fired back-to-back bullet works for this race.

6. Earls Rock 2/1 – Trainer Phil D’Amato ships him east for his first North American start away from Santa Anita Park, where he broke his maiden going 1 mile on January 9 and repeated in the 6 1/2-furlong Baffle Stakes last time out. The Irish-bred colt has tactical speed that should prove extra valuable in this short field and teams up for the first time with jockey Florent Geroux, who hits at 14% with D’Amato.