Kentucky Downs

THE big money weekends in Kentucky Downs continued over the weekend but with little Irish success.

The only winner on the board came from the Team Valour and Steven Rocco-owned, Patrick Foley-trained Special Wan who picked up $80,000 when she came with a late run to win an allowance race by a length and three quarters.

Aidan O’Brien’s Greenfinch (Frankie Dettori) had looked the most likely winner, going off favourite for the Grade 3 $1,300,000 Light & Wonder Ladies Marathon for fillies over a mile, two and half furlongs.

She was slowly away, recovered to be close up in third three furlongs out, but when under a drive, she only kept on at same pace final furlong. Neecie Marie, who had decent US form, came with a late run down the outside to take the $595,200 first prize by two and three-quarter lengths from Vergara, winning for jockey Joel Rosario and trainer Robert Reid Jr.

The Roger Varian-trained, Japanese bred, Three Priests, picked up $96,000 for Merry Fox Stables in third place with Greenfinch fourth.

The best horse on show over the weekend was undoubtedly the US’s top turf sprinter Cogburn. Beware any European sprinters who think they will keep tabs on this horse at the Breeders’ Cup.

Even the quirky track could not hold him back and he sprinted away in the final of the six furlongs of the Grade 2 $1,797,200 Ainsworth Turf Sprint to win by three and a half lengths. Charlie Hills’ British raider Khaadem deserved credit (and the $186,000 second place prize money), in coming through from among horses to take second under Jamie Spencer.

The only Grade 1 on the card, the $1,847,100, Aristocrat Franklin-Simpson Stakes for three-year-olds over six and a half furlongs went to Howard Wolowitz, a son of Munnings, giving first Grade 1 win for the young Venezuelan trainer Jose D’Angelo. The race is not part of the Breeders’ Cup Win and You’re In series but it’s likely the horse will be targeted there.

Whisper Hill Farm, very active at the Keeneland sales, took the Grade 2 $1,995,000 Fanduel TV Kentucky Turf Cup over a mile and a half with the five-year-old entire Grand Sonata.

There was no luck for the two Irish raiders in the two big money races at Kentucky Downs on Wednesday but they provided a big pay-day for Frankie Dettori.

Gordon Elliott ran bumper and Tramore winner Familiar Dreams, now in the Qatar Racing colours, in the $500,000 Blackwood Distilling Nashville Gold Cup over an extended two miles. The field was reduced to seven but after being difficult to load, she raced on the pace but had nothing left by the home turn, fading to a distant last, as Frankie Dettori made all on Limited Liability for Stuart Janney and Shug McGaughey. There was a little better luck for the Johnny Murtagh-trained Siege Of Troy in the Listed $1,600,000 Dueling Grounds Oaks Invitational. The blinkered filly, also owned by Qatar Racing, stayed on strongly to take third place and $89,500 in prize money. Dettori challenged in the final furlong on Kathynmarissa who went on to win by a length and a half.

South African

There was an interesting winner of a stakes race at Colonial Downs in the five and a half Da Hoss Stakes when the dual Grade 1 South Africa runner Isivunguvungu, made a winning US debut for Graham Motion.

Del Mar

DEL Mar featured the two west coast’s first Grade 1 juvenile contests of the season and predictably, both went to Bob Baffert-trained runners.

The Grade 1 Fanduel Racing Del Mar Debutante Stakes for fillies on the Saturday went to the Nyquist filly, Tenma.

Baffert was expected to get his 11th Debutante win, but with Nooni, the 4/5 favourite. Tenma went off as the second choice in the seven-furlong race.

Nooni led early but Vodka With A Twist went past to lead by over a length with Tenma under Kazushi Kimura coming with her run. The two battled deep in the straight, with Tenma gamely shading a nose win over Vodka With A Twist with nine lengths back to the third.

The winner races for Charles and Susan Chu under the name Baoma Corp and paid $850,000 for her at this year’s Ocala Breeders’ Spring Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training

On Sunday, Gaming, a son of Game Winner, took the seven-furlong Grade 1 Del Mar Futurity, for Baffert’s ownership team of in the colours of Michael Pegram, with Karl Watson and Paul Weitman. Gaming was the longest priced of three Baffert runners. His sire was one of Baffert’s now 18 Futurity winners, winning in 2018. The winner’s dam, So Stylish raced here for Michael Tabor, winning a Navan maiden.

Baffert’s more fancied Getaway Car ran the first quarter-mile in a fast 21.85secs as Saratoga’s top jock, Flavien Prat, held back before Gaming took the lead turning for home, drew clear for a length and three-quarters win.

“Bob told me just don’t rush him and he’ll come with a run, and that’s what he did today,” Prat said. McKinzie Street took second for Tim Yakteen, a head in front of Baffert’s Citizen Bull.

There was a surprise in the other graded race as jockey Kazushi Kimura, in from Woodbine to California, won both of the day’s graded raes, providing a shock in the Grade 2 John C. Mabee Stakes on the Phil D’Amato-trained Hang The Moon, a daughter of Uncle Mo.

The race included Grade 1 winners Anisette and Didia, but coming from last, the winner found a split between horses in midstretch, and held stablemate Lucky Girl by a half-length, Anisette lacking her usual late acceleration in third.

“Give a big shout out to KK (jockey Kimura). She showed a really nice turn of foot to beat a couple of Grade 1 winners today.” D’Amato said.