Keeneland: The day at the races

Yesterday's figures: On-track attendance, 12,256; on-track betting, $1,127,483; total betting including simulcast, $6,958,737.

This day last year: On-track attendance, 14,150; on-track betting, $1,353,319; total betting including simulcast, $8,018,728.

Coming up: A total of 36 2-year-old fillies have been nominated to Thursday's 18th running of the JPMorgan Chase Jessamine, a 11⁄16-mile turf test that will reward the winner with a spot in the $1 million Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf to be run Oct. 24 at Santa Anita. There is still one more Grade I race on tap for the meet as well, the $500,000 Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup on Saturday. Grade I winners Backseat Rhythm and Magical Fantasy top the list of invitees.

Final furlong

Bittel Road, winner of his first two career starts, came flying from next to last late in the race to nail Driving Snow by a head at the wire in the Grade III Woodford Reserve Bourbon Stakes over 1 1⁄16 miles, earning a trip to the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf.

The victory by the son of Stormy Atlantic was particularly emotional for co-owner and breeder John Iracane, who along with his father, Joseph, have only about four mares in their breeding program.

"I'm a very small breeder, and to have a horse win at Keeneland is beyond my imagination," said John Iracane, an Owensboro native who owns Bittel Road in partnership with James Scatuorchio. "I went to UK, and this is my home track. I love Keeneland more than any track in America and, to breed a horse and have it win a stakes race here, it's hard to comprehend."

ALICIA WINCZE