Saturday, June 09 2012

CHURCHILL DOWNS BARN NOTES Friday, June 8, 2012

SCOTUS TO TRY TURF FOR FIRST TIME IN SATURDAY’S OPENING VERSE – Peter Callahan’s Scotus will make his fifth career start beneath the Twin Spires in Saturday’s $73,600 Opening Verse at Churchill Downs, but it will be his first visit to the Matt Winn Turf Course. In fact, it will be his first race on the turf anywhere.
In his 11 career starts, Scotus has recorded seven starts on the dirt and four on a synthetic surface. A 4-year-old dark bay or brown son of Successful Appeal, Scotus has wins on both surfaces, but his biggest victory came on the main track at Churchill Downs in the Matt Winn (Grade III) last spring.

Friday, June 08 2012

UPTOWN BERTIE WINS THURSDAY FEATURE AT CHURCHILL DOWNS

LOUISVILLE, KY (Thursday, June 7, 2012) – Bert, Elaine and Richard Klein’s heavily favored Uptown Bertie outdueled Tapit Dancer in the Churchill Downs stretch and won the $58,749 Thursday afternoon allowance feature for fillies and mares by one length.

Uptown Bertie broke cleanly from the gate at odds of 3-5 and was rated in fourth through fractions of :24.65, :49.40 and 1:15.13 set by Time Counts. Jockey Corey Lanerie began to improve his position aboard Uptown Bertie with three furlongs remaining and was within a length of Tapit Dancer, who had just taken the lead from Time Counts, at the top of the stretch. A 3-year-old dark bay or brown daughter of More Than Ready, Uptown Bertie gained a narrow advantage over Tapit Dancer inside the eighth pole and gradually edged clear.

Wednesday, June 06 2012

Wise Dan, Alternation, Nehro Top Stephen Foster Handicap Nominations

LOUISVILLE, KY (Wednesday, June 5, 2012) – Morton Fink’s high-powered homebreds Wise Dan and Successful Dan join Pimlico Special (GIII) 1-2 finishers Alternation and Nehro atop a glittering roster of 16 older stars nominated to compete in the $400,000-added Stephen Foster Handicap (Grade I), the main event on a spectacular night of racing at Churchill Downs on Saturday, June 16 that will feature four graded stakes events with purses that total $750,000.

The 31st running of the Stephen Foster for 3-year-olds and up at 1 1/8 miles on the main track will make history as it will be run under the lights for the first time as part of the “Downs After Dark” Presented by Stella Artois and Finlandia Vodka racing program. For the first time, the Stephen Foster Handicap is part of the Breeders’ Cup World Championships’ “Win and You’re In" series and its winner will earn an automatic starting berth in the $5 million Breeders’ Cup Classic (GI) on Nov. 3 at Santa Anita.

Monday, June 04 2012

CHURCHILL DOWNS BARN NOTES Sunday, June 3, 2012

COX ENJOYING SUCCESS AT HOME TRACK – Very few people have the opportunity to live out their childhood dreams, but trainer Brad Cox counts himself among the lucky ones. The 32-year-old Cox grew up just blocks from the Twin Spires and always desired to become a successful trainer at Churchill Downs.

With seven wins at the Spring Meet from just 17 starters, Cox’s dreams have become reality.

Sunday, June 03 2012

McPEEK GETS 300TH CHURCHILL DOWNS WIN WITH BIZZY CAROLINE IN EARLY TIMES MINT JULEP BEFORE 21,827

LOUISVILLE, KY (Saturday, June 2, 2012) – Catesby Clay’s Bizzy Caroline charged furiously down the Matt Winn Turf Course and gave trainer Ken McPeek his 300th career win at Churchill Downs when she got up in the final jump to take the 36th running of the $111,000 Early Times Mint Julep Handicap (Grade III) by a neck over pacesetter Heavenly Landing.

The Early Times Mint Julep was the last of three graded stakes races run under the lights as part of Churchill Downs’ special “Downs After Dark Presented by Stella Artois and Finlandia Vodka” nighttime racing program. Earlier, Island Bound won the Grade III, $110,100 Winning Colors and Rothko prevailed in the Grade III, $109,400 Aristides. On-track attendance totaled 21,827.

Island Bound Rallies to Score in Grade III Winning Colors

LOUISVILLE, KY (Saturday, June 2, 2012) – Robert T. Manfuso’s Island Bound, ridden by Leandro Goncalves, rallied from the outside and edged clear late to win the ninth running of the Grade III, $110,100 Winning Colors by 1 ¼ lengths over Beat the Blues on Friday night at Churchill Downs.

The Winning Colors – named in honor of the filly that prevailed against colts in the 1988 Kentucky Derby – was the first of three graded stakes races run under the lights as part of Churchill Downs’ special “Downs After Dark Presented by Stella Artois and Finlandia Vodka” nighttime racing program.

CHURCHILL DOWNS BARN NOTES Saturday, June 2, 2012

WISE DAN DEFINITE FOR STEPHEN FOSTER, SUCCESSFUL DAN POSSIBLE – One would be hard-pressed to find a duo of older males in better form than Morton Fink’s homebreds Wise Dan and Successful Dan and it’s possible the talented half-brothers could battle for barn bragging rights in the $400,000-added Stephen Foster Handicap (Grade I) at Churchill Downs on June 16.

The 31st running of the Stephen Foster for 3-year-olds and up at 1 1/8 miles on the main track will be run under the lights for the first time as part of the “Downs After Dark” Presented by Stella Artois and Finlandia Vodka racing program.

Saturday, June 02 2012

Goodtimehadbyall Rallies to Take Friday Feature

LOUISVILLE, KY (Friday, June 1, 2012) - Merrill Scherer, Dan Lynch and Ken Sentel's Goodtimehadbyall rallied furiously down the Churchill Downs stretch and got up in the final jump to take the $61,962 Friday evening allowance feature by a neck over Philippe.

Goodtimehadbyall rated toward the back of the field of nine, ahead of only In the Beat, through opening fractions of :22.76 and :45.38 set by Closerwalk and Maximus Ruler. A 4-year-old gelded son of Quiet American, Goodtimehadbyall began to move toward the leaders as the field approached the top of the stretch and then swung nearly six wide under Miguel Mena.

Thursday, May 31 2012

CHURCHILL DOWNS BARN NOTES Thursday, May 31, 2012

GOOD DEED WILL TRY TO BECOME FIRST 3YO WINNER OF WINNING COLORS – Bert, Elaine and Richard Klein’s Good Deed will seek to improve off her runner-up effort to Contested in the Eight Belles Presented by Xerox (GIII) on Kentucky Oaks Day and become the first 3-year-old winner of Saturday’s $100,000-added Winning Colors (Grade III).

The ninth running of the Winning Colors will be run under the lights at Churchill Downs as part of the Downs After Dark Presented by Stella Artois and Finlandia Vodka racing program. It will be co-featured Saturday evening with the 24th running of the $100,000-added Aristides (GIII) and the 36th running of the $100,000-added Early Times Mint Julep Handicap (GIII). The Winning Colors is scheduled as Race 6 at 8:30 p.m. (all times Eastern).

Millionaire Noble’s Promise Set to Defend Title in Saturday’s Aristides at Chuchill Downs

LOUISVILLE, KY (Wednesday, May 30, 2012) – JCM Racing Stable’s Noble’s Promise, a Grade I stakes winner with more than $1 million in career earnings, will face seven rivals on Saturday at Churchill Downs as he defends his 2011 victory in the $100,000-added Aristides (GIII), one of three stakes races to be run under the lights during the evening’s Downs After Dark Presented by Stella Artois and Finlandia Vodka racing program.

The 24th running of the Aristides, a six-furlong race for 3-year-olds and up named in honor of the winner of the first Kentucky Derby, will be co-featured with the ninth running of the $100,000-added Winning Colors (GIII) and the 36th running of the $100,000-added Early Times Mint Julep Handicap (GIII). The Aristides is scheduled to go as Race 7 at 9:05 p.m. (ET).

Tapitsfly to Carry Top Weight in Saturday’s Early Times Mint Julep Handicap

LOUISVILLE, KY (Wednesday, May 30, 2012) – Frank Jones Jr.’s Tapitsfly, runner-up to Hungry Island in the Churchill Distaff Turf Mile Presented by American Commercial Lines (Grade II) on Kentucky Derby Day, will shoulder the top weight of 121 pounds when she faces eight rivals in Saturday’s 36th running of the Early Times Mint Julep Handicap (GIII) for fillies and mares, 3-year-olds and up at 1 1/16 miles on the Matt Winn Turf Course.

The Early Times Mint Julep will be run under the lights at Churchill Downs as part of the Downs After Dark Presented by Stella Artois and Finlandia Vodka racing program. It will be co-featured on Saturday evening with the ninth running of the $100,000-added Winning Colors (GIII) and the 24th running of the $100,000-added Aristides. The Early Times Mint Julep is scheduled as Race 9 at 9:39 p.m. (ET).

Tuesday, May 29 2012

Strong Willed Lady Wins Memorial Day Feature

LOUISVILLE, KY (Monday, May 28, 2012) - John Helmers and Woodford Racing LLC's Strong Willed Lady found room to run down the middle of the Matt Winn Turf Course and sprinted away to win the $58,996 Memorial Day feature for fillies and mares at Churchill Downs by 1 ¾ lengths over Beijoca.

Strong Willed Lady broke well and then rated in mid-pack through opening fractions of :23.84, :48.37 and 1:12.64 set by odds-on favorite Onepointhreekarats. Jockey Corey Lanerie asked Strong Willed Lady for more run with a quarter-mile remaining and angled the 5-year-old bay daughter of Leroidesanimaux-BRZ out in the stretch to give her plenty of room. Once in the clear, Strong Willed Lady put in a strong rally, took the lead at the sixteenth pole and edged away from the field.