After weathering Grade 1 company, Kneedeepinsnow faces just a flurry in allowance

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – There’s no shame in running second to Jackie’s Warrior. In fact, it’s a point of pride.

“He ran a big race his first time at Saratoga,” trainer Matt Shirer said of Kneedeepinsnow, who was defeated just two lengths by Jackie’s Warrior, the leading sprinter in North America, as the runner-up in the Grade 1 Vanderbilt on July 30.

“Then he probably bounced a little,” added Shirer, referring to Kneedeepinsnow subsequently finishing a distant seventh behind Cody’s Wish and Jackie’s Warrior in the Grade 1 Forego four weeks later at Saratoga. “Now we’ll be giving him a little class relief with this next race.”

Indeed, Kneedeepinsnow will be dropping back into allowance company when returning to action in the Friday feature at Churchill Downs. The 6-year-old gelding will have Ricardo Santana Jr. aboard breaking from post 1 in a field of eight older horses going 6 1/2 furlongs in the ninth of 10 races, a $148,000 allowance with hybrid conditions.

“I think he’ll run really well,” said Shirer, a 38-year-old Ohio Wesleyan graduate who currently oversees a stable of 22 at Churchill. “We drew the rail, but he’s quick, so that shouldn’t affect him too much.”

Kneedeepinsnow, owned by a three-way partnership that includes Shirer’s top client, Ten Strike Racing, will be looking to win for the first time in four starts – all stakes – since Shirer claimed him for $80,000 out of an April 29 win at Keeneland that graded out to a career-high 100 Beyer Speed Figure. His big Vanderbilt effort was worth a 99.

The main obstacles to Kneedeepinsnow getting back to the winner’s circle likely are Bango (post 6, Tyler Gaffalione), a five-time stakes winner with a 7-for-14 record at Churchill, and Mucho (post 8, Reylu Gutierrez), a familiar face among elite sprinters in the Midwest – although both will need to return to peak form following disappointing efforts in their last two respective starts. Overall, those two proven veterans have combined for more than $1.4 million in career earnings.

One race earlier, a well-matched field of 10 fillies and mares will go six furlongs in the only other allowance of the day, race 8. Top contenders in that $127,000 first-level allowance include Portilla (post 1, Santana) and Backyard Money (post 4, Edgar Morales), both back home from Saratoga, along with Kant Believe It (post 10, Tyler Gaffalione), the wild card of the group, returning from an 11-month layoff following a promising start to her career last fall.

All listed purses include substantial bonuses for horses registered to the Kentucky Thoroughbred Development Fund.

First post Friday is 12:45 p.m. Eastern. Mostly sunny skies and a high of 71 are in the local forecast.