THE action centres on the big money card at Kentucky Downs again and the three-year-old filly Greenfinch looks the best chance of Irish success in the Grade 3 Kentucky Downs Ladies Marathon (8.27pm), with a prize fund of $2 million.
She does have to take on older mares over the 10-and-a-half-furlong trip and the Justify filly missed an intended outing at Saratoga last month but had previously won the Listed Irish Stallion Farms E.B.F. Cairn Rouge Stakes at Killarney. She breaks from stall 4 under Frankie Dettori in the nine-horse field.
Last year’s winner, Vergara, for Graham Motion looks like going off favourite. She is winless since that success but has performed well when placed at graded level this season.
Neecie Marie, third in a decent field for the Grade 2 Beverly D Stakes is another to be involved.
In the Grade 2 Kentucky Downs Turf Cup (10.55pm) over 12 furlongs, Aidan O’Brien’s Chief Little Rock will break from the outside 11 stall under Dettori.
Down the field in the King Edward Stakes at Royal Ascot, he had previously won the Group 3 Heider Family Stables Gallinule Stakes following a third in the Betfred Blue Riband Trial to last week’s Kentucky winner Bellum Justum.
Integration, ridden by Kendrick Carmouche for Shug McGaughey, is the favourite.
Winner of four of his eight races, he was most recently second in the Grade 1 Arlington Million to Nations Pride at Colonial Downs having won the Million Preview Stakes trial on his previous outing.
Get Smokin is another likely to be involved off his win at Monmouth Park in the Grade 2 United Nations Stakes last time. He also won this last year against what looked a stronger field.
The Grade 3 Mint Millions over a mile (9.41pm) is worth an incredible $2 million, with over a million to the winner.
Last year’s winner Ancient Rome (Jamie Spencer/Charlie Hills) is back again off his last time third in the Arlington Million.
The Grade 2 Kentucky Downs Turf Sprint (11.31pm) also has a $2 million prize fund.
The eight-year-old Khaadem under Jamie Spencer represents Charlie Hills but he is up against it on this idiosyncratic track and against the very fast US top turf sprinter Cogburn.
Special Wan gets a run for Patrick Foley in an earlier allowance race at 7.50pm.
The juvenile races on Sunday have two Irish among the reserves. Mick Mulvany’s Bessie Abbot (Joel Rosario) in the $1 million Fillies contest and Lush Lips (Luis Saez) for Donnacha O’Brien in the colts’ mile (9.42).
On the Del Mar weekend, there are two Grade 1 juvenile contests over six furlongs.
Today, the Grade 1 FanDuel Racing Del Mar Debutante Stakes looks bound for Nooni, a Bob Baffert-trained daughter of the Grade 1-winning sprinter Win Win Win. Nooni is unbeaten in two starts and brings serious speed.
In tomorrow’s Sunday’s Grade 1 Del Mar Futurity for colts, Bob Baffert is seeking an 18th win with three of the seven runners. Gaming and Citizen Bull each won on debut, while Getaway Car has won both of his races by daylight.
The top turf mare Ansiette lines up in the John C Mabee Handicap where she meets Didia, who beat her last in the Grade 1 Rodeo Drive Stakes.
Ainsiette comes off wins in the Grade 1 Gamely Stakes and Grade 2 Yellow Ribbon Handicap and can gain revenge.