Race Details
Race 10 on Friday, August 28, 2025, is the $500,000 Keeneland Sales Tapit Stakes, a 1 mile 70 yards turf event for 3-year-olds and up at Kentucky Downs. Thanks to a newly installed 14-horse starting gate, the race can accommodate a full field of 16 entrants, with four also-eligible entries in reserve.
Track & Conditions
• Distance: 1 mile 70 yards (turf)
• Purse: $500,000 (1st $315,000; 2nd $100,000; 3rd $50,000; 4th $35,000)
• Age: 3-year-olds & up
• Post Time: 6:05 PM ET
• Turf: firm by historical Kentucky Downs standards
Pace & Tactical Considerations
• Early Speed: Mountain Bear, Astronomer and Track Phantom are likely to press the pace from the outset.
• Midpack Sitters: Sherlock’s Jewel and Multitask can settle behind the leaders and punch through on the turn.
• Late Kickers: Quatrocento’s stalking pattern and Paros’s seven-race win streak suggest a strong late surge, while Lagynos is an outsider with a known late punch.
• Turf Bias: Kentucky Downs tends to favor horses who track the pace and unleash into the stretch on firm ground.
Trainer & Jockey Angles
Michael Maker / Joel Rosario (Paros): Maker has won 3 of the last 10 Kentucky Downs turf stakes; Rosario sports a 22% win rate on all late turf hand-togethers at Keeneland Sales races.
Claude McGaughey III (Sherlock’s Jewel & Ohana Honor): Two entrants trained by “Shug” McGaughey bring elite US turf pedigree—his graduates compile an average win rate of 18% in graded stakes.
Steven M. Asmussen (Track Phantom & Lagynos): The Hall-of-Fame conditioner has sent out two runners, combining for a 16% win rate in turf stakes; Jose Ortiz aboard Lagynos adds class but faces pace pressure.
Pedigree Insights
Paros is by Cairo Prince out of Kalabaka (by Trappe Shot), offering a turf-influenced male line and stamina-loaded female side.
Quatrocento (War Front – Huasca) brings world-class miler genetics—War Front sired multiple Kentucky Derby contenders and turf stars.
Astronomer’s sire Air Force Blue, a champion juvenile miler, and dam Qaraaba (Shamardal) blend early speed and proven turf aptitude.
Multitask, by Candy Ride (ARG), has strong American turf credentials, and Divided Attention (A.P. Indy) adds classic stamina.
Betting Outlook
The marquee showdown is a three-horse affair:
Quatrocento (+160 ML) commands respect as morning-line favorite, thriving on pace compression and a potent late kick.
Paros (3-1) arrives unbeaten in four starts and should sit a ground-saving trip before launching.
Astronomer (19-5) merits consideration as a versatile stalker with a 125 official rating—the highest in the field.
Longshot plays include Multitask (17-10) for value, especially if the pace collapses, and Lagynos (45-1) for exotics if allowed to snag early fractions.
Expect Quatrocento to settle just off the pace, colliding with Paros and Astronomer in the final furlong. In a photo finish, Quatrocento pulls away to win by a neck, with Paros second and Astronomer third.
