Horse Racing News on October 1, 2014

Better Lucky will be looking to defend her title as she squares off against eight fillies and mares going one mile on the Keeneland turf Oct. 4 in the $400,000 First Lady Stakes.

Martin Racing Stable's Marchman, winner of the Shakertown Stakes at Keeneland earlier this year, returns to the Lexington track for the $150,000 Woodford Presented by Keeneland Select Stakes Oct. 4.

Bourbon Lane Stable's Hashtag Bourbon, who broke his maiden in the Mountaineer Juvenile Stakes and then finished a troubled third in the Iroquois Stakes at Churchill Downs.

Recent Grade 2 winners Stonetastic and R Free Roll top a solid field of fillies and mares entered in the Oct. 4 Thoroughbred Club of America Stakes that is part of the opening weekend stakes extravaganza at Keeneland.

Morton Fink's two-time Horse of the Year Wise Dan faces the stiffest challenge of his remarkable return from colic surgery when he takes on Seek Again and Silver Max among seven rivals in the $1 million Shadwell Turf Mile at Keeneland Oct. 4.

Mike McCarty's Lemon Drop Dream tops a field of eight sprinters in the 162nd running of the $200,000 Stoll Keenon Ogden Phoenix Oct. 3, on opening day of the Keeneland fall meet.

Centennials Farms' Wicked Strong, who clipped heels in the Jockey Club Gold Cup, stumbling and unseating jockey Rajiv Maragh, will not be sent to Santa Anita Park for the Breeders' Cup World Championships.

With the installation of a new dirt surface this year after racing on Polytrack since 2006, Keeneland and its fans can say goodbye to the old Darley Alcibiades Stakes.