Card finishes up with nice sequence
RACE REPLAY IS NOT AVAILABLE
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Three straight allowances anchor a 10-race Sunday card at Churchill Downs, where summer weather is settling in with recent highs reaching the low 90s.
Races 7 through 9 make up an all-allowance pick three on the back end of a program that begins at 12:45 p.m. Eastern. The allowances also begin a pick four ending with a maiden-special mile that ends the card at 5:26 as race 10.
Race 7 is a $102,000 first-level route for fillies and mares on dirt. Lulumaru, first or second in 11 of 19 career starts while making her way up the class ladder, is among the ones to beat in a field of eight when stretching out from a starter-allowance sprint here last month. David Cohen rides for trainer Robertino Diodoro.
Race 8 is probably the deepest race of the entire card. It’s a $102,000 seven-furlong race for 3-year-olds, also with a first-level condition. Macron, Bayou Gem, Angkor, and Colonel Bowman all appear to rate solid chances in a very well-balanced field of 12.
Race 9 is a $106,000 third-level race matching eight fillies and mares going 1 1/8 miles, with favorable weather conditions more than likely to permit it to remain on the turf as scheduled. Two horses who also were entered Saturday night in the Grade 3 Mint Julep, Sister Hanan and Dominga, were expected to scratch from that race to go in this lighter spot, and both can be expected to seriously contend with top efforts.
Purses listed here are the maximum, given that non-claiming/starter races at Churchill include sizable bonuses for registered Kentucky-breds only.
Earlier in the day, the 3-year-old gelding Zippy Baby is back none the worse for wear as one of the favorites in race 3 after being the source of the fourth race here June 4 being declared a no contest. The gray son of Cairo Prince was unhurt when crashing through the temporary inner railing on the turf course, an incident that led the race to be called off part-way through.
After Sunday, Churchill goes dark for three days before another four-day week resumes Thursday with an eight-race twilight card. The highlight next weekend is the $110,000 Roxelana on Saturday. Just seven cards at the 38-day spring meet will remain after Sunday.