Awesome Sky looms in Wednesday allowance feature
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Awesome Sky looked like a horse to watch in 2013 when, as a maiden, he finished third in the Grade 2 Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes. However, the hinted form was delayed in materializing. A switch to turf proved key for the gelding, who some 17 months later again looks like a horse to watch in the $52,000 allowance feature Wednesday on the Churchill Downs lawn.
Awesome Sky was beaten a nose and a neck in his first two turf tries before rolling by 3 3/4 lengths on the Churchill course to win his maiden in his 10th career start. The Mark Casse trainee then finished third and second in a pair of Gulfstream Park allowance events, the most recent coming Jan. 31.
Awesome Sky, a John Oxley homebred, is ideally drawn in post 6 under Shaun Bridgmohan. Oxley and Casse have a one-two punch in this race with Dynamic Decision, a maiden winner on the Churchill course last year who’s making his first start of 2015. However, he landed outside in post 10 under Julien Leparoux.
Stakes-placed Los Borrachos was troubled at the start in his first two outings of 2015. He bounced back with two runner-up efforts against respectable allowance company, most recently in a race rained off the turf on Keeneland’s opening day. The Bill Mott trainee landed in post 3 under James Graham.
Sportscaster has shown an affinity for the Churchill course, winning a maiden race and finishing third in the Grade 3 Jefferson Cup last September. The Dale Romans trainee, who comes in off a win in a claiming race at Gulfstream, drew post 7 under Corey Lanerie.
Main-track-only entrants Chas’s Legacy, a three-time winner at Churchill, and Wry would factor if they draw in. However, they’re likely out of luck, with only light rain forecast through the early part of the week.
KEY CONTENDERS
Awesome Sky (Last 3 Beyers: 84-83-85)
◗ After starting his career on the main track – facing the likes of Tonalist and Tapiture – he has found new life on turf, having not missed the board in five starts on the surface.
◗ After firing a handful of bullets at Palm Meadows in March, he has progressed steadily in his works since arriving back at Churchill, most recently going four furlongs in 47.80 seconds, the second-fastest of 21 works at the distance April 22.
DRF FORMULATOR FACT: No. 1 Awesome Sky and No 1A Dynamic Decision. Trainer Mark Casse is 23-1-4-4 with a $0.17 ROI over the past five years in turf routes at Churchill following a layoff of 45 days or more. Click for more details. – Mike Hogan
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Los Borrachos (Last 3 Beyers: 81-88-73)
◗ This Mott trainee owns the highest career Beyer Speed Figure in the field, an 89 while the runner-up in the Better Talk Now Stakes last summer at Saratoga.
DRF FORMULATOR FACT: No. 4 Los Borrachos. Trainer Bill Mott is 78-13-7-5 with a $2.56 ROI over the past two years going dirt to turf in routes. Click for more details. – Mike Hogan
Sportscaster (Last 3 Beyers: 87-80-79)
◗ He owns the top last-out Beyer in the field, an 87 for winning a claiming race by 3 3/4 lengths at Gulfstream.
