Things did not end well when Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen sent out odds-on favorite Skelly in the most recent older-horse dirt sprint stakes at Churchill Downs, the Aristides on May 31. One-way speed horse Skelly, coming off a couple sharp Oaklawn Park wins, hooked into a brutal speed duel and faded to sixth, and Asmussen harbors some concern that Booth could meet a similar fate Saturday at Churchill in the Grade 3, $250,000 Kelly’s Landing, a 6 1/2-furlong dirt sprint. Booth won the Maryland Sprint last month at Pimlico after landing three straight Oaklawn dirt sprints. He has hit triple digits on the Beyer Speed Figure scale in three of his last four starts after failing in six tries to get back to the 96 Beyer he earned winning his career debut in October 2023. His regular jockey, Erik Asmussen, has plunked Booth onto the lead in his four recent scores and Booth has taken care of business. The trainer doesn’t worry about Booth stretching from six to 6 1/2 furlongs. He worries – or, at least, notices – the presence of speedy Roll On Big Joe drawn just outside Booth. “The horse obviously has a very high confidence level right now, and Erik is getting along with him extremely well. He’s put up some numbers that make him one of the better sprinters in the country,” Asmussen said. “The 6 1/2 is not the issue. How much pressure he takes early will have more to do with it.” :: Access the most trusted data and information in horse racing! DRF Past Performances and Picks are available now. Eight are entered in the Kelly’s Landing. Happy Is a Choice was cross-entered in the De Francis Memorial Dash at Laurel Park but starts at Churchill, trainer John Ortiz said. Asmussen has a second entrant, Otto the Conqueror, while Roll On Big Joe’s trainer, Bob Hess Jr., has a longshot closer, Red Flag, who holds a measure of appeal if the pace burns too hot. Durante won the Aristides at 33-1, benefiting from several rivals running below form. Three Technique hasn’t started since November and probably needs more distance. And drawn on the rail is Booth’s main on-paper challenger, California shipper Dr. Venkman. Trainer Mark Glatt sent Dr. Venkman and several others from California to Churchill for races this weekend. Even with Booth entered, Dr. Venkman takes a step down in class. Racing for the first time since August, Dr. Venkman finished a distant second to the mighty Nysos on May 31 in the Triple Bend Stakes. “I thought it was a good comeback race. He just ran into a very, very good horse, maybe one of the best horses in the country,” Glatt said. “I don’t think it was a terribly tough race on him, and hopefully he’s all set now.” Dr. Venkman went to Keeneland in October 2023 and took a tough beat in the Perryville Stakes. Glatt stretched him to routes last summer but will focus on sprints this season. There’s no reason Dr. Venkman can’t win the Kelly’s Landing, though Glatt rues the horse’s rail draw. “I hate it, never want it,” he said. If Flavien Prat can wrangle Otto the Conqueror back to a stalking position and keep him in the clear, he’ll run better than in his first two races this season and should have an upset chance. Otto the Conqueror has won half of his six Churchill starts and a year ago finished a solid second to Met Mile hero Raging Torrent in the Maxfield Stakes. If his favored stablemate Booth shakes loose, it could be game over. If not, the Kelly’s Landing could land on a price. :: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.