Bold Strength holds edge looking for breakthrough win

A pair of allowance-level events top Sunday’s 11-race card at Churchill Downs, capping the penultimate week of the spring-summer race meet.

The ninth race, a $127,000 allowance at seven furlongs on dirt, has drawn several lightly raced but promising runners in a lineup for 3-year-olds and up who have never won a race other-than or who have never won two races. The 4-year-old Bold Strength has a recency edge over well-bred comebackers Envision – who gets a weight allowance as a 3-year-old – and Only Phil.

Bold Strength, a Juddmonte homebred trained by Brad Cox, would like to be forwardly placed. Although he has drawn the outside under Irad Ortiz Jr., a long run out of the chute and down the backstretch should help him avoid getting hung wide around the turn. The son of Constitution was second in his debut last June at Churchill, then won his next outing, but not until December, going a one-turn mile at Aqueduct. Although fourth in his next outing, he bounced back with a pair of solid runner-up efforts against one-turn allowance company at Aqueduct.

Envision, drawn in post 2 under Axel Concepcion, also will likely want to press the pace from post 2. He is making his second career start off a debut win sprinting on Turfway’s Tapeta on Dec. 26, never far off the pace before clearing late. Tapeta form often transfers well to Churchill’s main track, and this gelding is bred for dirt. The son of leading sire Into Mischief is out of the Tapit mare Dreamologist, who won an off-turf edition of the Grade 3 Las Cinegas; the second dam is champion Dreaming of Anna.

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Only Phil would typically want to be in a beneficial spot just off the pace. However, he might be a handful for Jose Ortiz in his first start since August, and Ortiz also will have to work out a trip from the rail. This gelding was fifth on debut last June, coming out of the same race as Bold Strength, then won his maiden going seven furlongs Aug. 1 at Ellis Park. Phillip Sagan’s homebred, trained by Wayne Catalano, may be one to watch moving forward at longer distances. The son of McKinzie is a half-brother to Two Phil’s, a multiple graded stakes winner who was a strong second in the 2023 Kentucky Derby.

Timing Difference would benefit from a strong pace in his second start off a long layoff. He was an allowance winner in May going 6 1/2 furlongs here at Churchill, with another entrant in this race, Gamblers Tail, in third.

Jimmy’s Dailys is dangerous if a return to Kentucky reinvigorates him. He was multiple stakes-placed in this state last year, including a second in the Harrods Creek going this seven furlongs at Churchill. In two starts this year since moving to trainer Jose D’Angelo, in Florida and New York, he has shown little.

A very strong pace could be key in the 10th race, a $134,000 allowance/optional-claiming turf sprint for fillies and mares who have not won twice other-than, who have never won three races, or for an $80,000 claiming tag. Dream On Stormy and Gigabit, drawn in the two inside posts, are speedy types, as are Caberneigh and Sadie Earp.

Cloe, drawn in the outside post with Tyler Gaffalione in the irons for Mike Maker, wants to stalk just off the pace and will be well positioned to watch things unfold in the clear. The filly was a stakes winner and multiple graded stakes-placed last year, including a runner-up effort to eventual champion Shisospicy in the Grade 2 Music City at Kentucky Downs.

Dangherecomesshang will want to work out a similar stalking trip but has a tougher draw to work out a trip from post 6 under Jose Ortiz, with speed on the outside of her that will want to be coming in to save ground. The consistent filly is coming off an allowance win at Keeneland in her lone start this year for Wesley Ward.

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