Annapolis clearly the class of Opening Verse Stakes
?q=100)
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – It’s not all that often you see a Grade 1 winner dropping down just two races later to compete in a non-graded stakes, but that’s the caliber of racing being staged these days on the Kentucky circuit.
Annapolis, the War Front colt who defeated older rivals last fall in winning the Grade 1 Coolmore Turf Mile, will make his 4-year-old debut Thursday at Churchill Downs in the $300,000 Opening Verse, the richest of three stakes on an 11-race “Thurby” card that starts at 12:45 p.m. Eastern.
Annapolis was never a factor when defeated by 5 1/4 lengths in the Nov. 5 Breeders’ Cup Mile, his only start after winning the Oct. 8 Turf Mile at Keeneland. Todd Pletcher, who trains Annapolis for owner-breeder Ramona Bass and her son Perry II, said he considered entering in a variety of spots before settling on the one-mile Opening Verse as the best one.
“He got a little freshening in Ocala after the Breeders’ Cup,” said Pletcher. “He’s come back very well, looks great. We felt like this was a good spot to get his season under way. It was really about timing. We wanted to give him a nice little break and really have him ready for the summer. Looking at the calendar, this fit his schedule well.”
Annapolis will have Irad Ortiz Jr. back aboard when he faces 11 other older horses in the 18th Opening Verse (race 10, 5:45). He has the speed and versatility to make or force the pace when needed, but that doesn’t seem a likely scenario here when he lines up against Get Smokin and Churchtown, both of whom enjoy showing heels early.
Behind those front-runners, a fresh Annapolis could be next in line as they straighten away down the backstretch, perhaps alongside Stitched and English Bee. From the back, Set Piece seems the greatest threat, but handicappers need to know that his 4-for-6 record on the Churchill turf was compiled mostly on the course that was scrapped in the summer of 2021 in favor of its $10 million replacement, with the lone exception being his fourth-place finish in the Arlington Million over the new course last summer.
More than 40,000 ontrack fans are expected for “Thurby,” the marketing label first applied in 2014 by Churchill to its Thursday-before-Derby program. A terrific card also includes the Kentucky Juvenile (race 5, 2:52) for 2-year-olds, the St. Matthews (race 9, 5:11) for older sprinters, and two allowances (races 2 and 6).
Bango heads St. Matthews
If ever there was a horse for the course, it’s Bango at Churchill Downs. The 6-year-old horse has won nine of 16 starts over the Churchill main track, with four of those victories coming in stakes.
:: Get Daily Racing Form Past Performances – the exclusive home of Beyer Speed Figures
Trained by Greg Foley for the Tamaroak Partners of Fred and Debbie Schwartz, Bango will have Tyler Gaffalione aboard when he breaks from post 7 in a field of eight in the $175,000 St. Matthews. Foley has spoken repeatedly of his stable star’s fondness for his home surface, and after getting a little time since finishing second in back-to-back stakes at Fair Grounds over the winter, Bango has been sent through several local works in preparing for another crack at a Churchill stakes score.
Foremost among his opposition in the six-furlong race is Miles Ahead, entered off a pair of solid stakes efforts at Oaklawn Park over the winter; Surveillance, a three-time stakes winner from five Fair Grounds starts at its 2022-23 meet; and Bagboss, who will break from the rail with Irad Ortiz Jr. aboard with a 3-for-4 record over the Churchill main track on his ledger.
:: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.