Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf: Gung Ho out, Tequila Factor in

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – There has been some shuffling to the field for Saturday’s Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf.

Longshot Gung Ho, trained by Mike Maker, was declared out of the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Thursday morning by co-owner Ken Ramsey due to hind-end soreness, clearing the way for the race’s lone also-eligible, Tequila Factor, to draw into the field.

“When I checked him this morning he was off in the rear end,” Ramsey said of Gung Ho. “They’ve done some X-rays, no broken bones or anything.”

Steward Butch Becraft said that as of 9:30 Thursday morning the stewards had not yet received an official scratch of Gung Ho, or any other Breeders’ Cup entrant.

The deadline for scratches is not until early Friday morning.

Wayne Catalano, the trainer of Tequila Factor, said Ramsey called him Thursday morning to let him know Tequila Factor would draw into the field. Catalano also trains horses for Ramsey, including Bourbon runner-up Coalport, another Juvenile Turf entrant.

Tequila Factor, like Gung Ho, is a minor stakes winner and a Juvenile Turf longshot. He won the Sunny’s Halo at Louisiana Downs and El Joven at Retama Park earlier this year.

Following the El Joven, owner Coby Tresner sold an interest in the horse to Darrell and Evelyn Yates, and the colt was transferred from trainer Ingrid Mason to Catalano.

Catalano said it was unfortunate that Tequila Factor would have to start from the outside in post 14 in the Juvenile Turf, a race with a short run to the first turn. But he seemed happy to merely participate

“I couldn’t win from post position 15, let me just say that,” Catalano said.