Arrest Me Red sticking to his routine for Mighty Beau

Arrest Me Red is a creature of habit and will be following his regular routine Saturday when he takes a short trip to Churchill Downs for the $225,000 Mighty Beau.

The five-furlong turf sprint for 3-year-olds and up highlights an 11-race card that begins at 12:45 p.m. Eastern. It has drawn a field of 10, including stakes winners Run Carson, Doncho, Epic Ride, Joe Shiesty, and Charcoal.

Arrest Me Red, who is based at nearby Keeneland, is the class of the field as a Grade 2 winner of more than $1.3 million. He has won three of his last four starts and overall is 10 for 25.

“He’s doing really good,” trainer Wesley Ward said. “He’s an easygoing guy as long as everything goes well for him. He lives at Keeneland and he loves his same groom, his same stall, same everything. You change that routine, and it wouldn’t be so.

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“It’s just like you like to go home and sleep in your own bed instead of going to a hotel, or you just don’t eat or sleep as good. He’s that kind of horse.”

Arrest Me Red faced Grade 2 rivals last out in the Turf Sprint at Churchill and finished fourth, beaten three lengths by Think Big. Arrest Me Red’s Beyer Speed Figure of 91 is one of the best last-race numbers in the Mighty Beau.

“He ran his race,” Ward said. “No issues. No troubles.”

Arrest Me Red, who has tactical speed, will break from post 2 on Saturday. He will be ridden by Corey Lanerie for the third straight time.

“We’ve got a rider that’s won 5,000 races or so, Corey Lanerie, who knows the horse,” Ward said. “Patient rider. I think that’s good for him.

“I would think we would come from a little off the pace. When you have a five-eighths of a mile race, there’s a lot of fast horses in there.”

Champlin, Doncho, Joe Shiesty, and Epic Ride all bring speed into the Mighty Beau.

Champlin will start from the rail in what will be his first start on the grass. He is a son of Ransom the Moon, who is getting 10 percent winners on turf, according to statistics from Daily Racing Form.

Champlin’s dam, Now I Know, was a Grade 3 winner on dirt who earned more than $450,000. She was a winner on turf, too, and has produced a pair of turf winners in Bayshore Drive and Sense of Self.

Champlin worked over the Churchill turf May 18 and went a half-mile around the dogs in 49.40 seconds. The ground was listed as firm. Edgar Morales has the mount for trainer Greg Foley.

Epic Ride, who has registered all four of his wins on synthetic surfaces, also is slated to make his turf debut in the Mighty Beau. His sire, Blame, gets 11 percent winners from his first-time turfers and 14 percent winners overall on the grass.

Brian Hernandez Jr. has the mount from post 5 for trainer John Ennis. Epic Ride is coming off a runner-up finish to Booth in the Grade 3 Maryland Sprint at Pimlico.

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