Cameo Performance takes Preview, earns berth in Nashville Derby

Cameo Performance earned a berth in the Grade 3, $2.5 million Nashville Derby on Saturday with a commanding win in the $250,000 Kentucky Downs Preview Nashville Derby at Ellis Park.

The Nashville Derby will be run Aug. 31 at Kentucky Downs. Ellis on Saturday held three stakes that served as preps for major races at the upcoming Kentucky Downs meet.

Tut’s Revenge wired the field in the Kentucky Downs Preview Mint Millions on Saturday and Awesome Treat won the Kentucky Downs Preview Mint Ladies Turf Sprint in which favorite Ova Charged fell and had to be euthanized.

Cameo Performance ($7.84) trailed the field early as Abrumar and Oscar’s World traded the lead through fractions of 24.08 seconds for the opening quarter, 49.06 for the half-mile and 1:12.98 for six furlongs over a turf course rated good.

Cameo Performance advanced three wide on the final turn, came five wide into the stretch, and was eating up ground to the wire to cover 1 1/8 miles in 1:48.09.

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Luan Muchado was aboard for trainer Brendan Walsh.

Cameo Performance is a son of Oscar Performance who races for Fergus Galvin and Marc Detampel. Cameo Performance is now 2 for 5.

The 8-year-old veteran Tut’s Revenge ($11.58) took the lead and never looked back for a 1 1/2-length win over Win for the Money.

Ricardo Santana Jr. was aboard for trainer Mike Maker.

Tut’s Revenge set fractions of 24.92 seconds for the opening quarter, 49.23 for the half-mile and 1:13.10 for six furlongs before covering a mile on good ground in 1:35.99.

Tut’s Revenge’s efforts earned him a berth into the Grade 3 Mint Millions on Sept. 7 at Kentucky Downs. The son of Eskendereya races for Flying P Stables.

Awesome Treat ($52) earned a berth into the Grade 2 Ladies Turf Sprint on Aug 31 at Kentucky Downs for her neck win over Red Carpet Ready on Saturday.

Awesome Treat tracked leader B G Warrior, who was pressed by Ova Charged through fractions of 21.86 seconds for the opening quarter and 44.41 for the half-mile. The winner rallied to cover the 5 1/2 furlongs on good ground in 1:02.33.

Sophie Doyle was aboard for trainer Justin Wojczynski.

Ova Charged, who was seeking her eighth consecutive stakes win, took the lead in the stretch and was battling between horses when she fell. Her rider, Corey Lanerie, escaped serious injury, and another rider who was thrown as a result of the incident, Alex Achard, walked back to the jockeys’ room with Lanerie, according to a spokesman for Ellis.

The spokesman said Ova Charged had to be euthanized because of a significant injury to her right front fetlock, or ankle.

Ova Charged, whose final point of call for the race reads first by a head, won 15 races from 19 starts for earnings of $918,575. She had been honored as the Louisiana Thoroughbred Breeders Association’s champion older mare during a Friday night banquet. Ova Charged, a 6-year-old, owns the year’s highest Beyer Speed Figure, a 113.

Awesome Treat was winning her first stakes Saturday. She is a daughter of Awesome Patriot and races for Rakesh Sikand and Kumud Sikand.

Ellis puts on another round of stakes Sunday that are designed to produce starters for major races at Kentucky Downs. The card Sunday is led by the Grade 3, $400,000 Pucker Up.

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