Champali working fast

LEXINGTON, Ky. - Champali, a narrow winner of the Turfway Prevue Stakes earlier this month, ran the fastest five-furlong work of the day at Churchill Downs Trackside on Tuesday, breezing in 1:00. Champali will seek his third stakes win in the WEBN Stakes on Feb. 1 at Turfway, according to trainer Greg Foley.

In addition to the Turfway Prevue, Champali, a son of Glitterman, also won the Grade 3 Iroquois Stakes at Churchill in November.

Following his victory in the Iroquois, Champali was entered in the Grade 2 Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes at 1 1/16 miles and finished fifth, beaten less than three lengths. The WEBN, at one mile, will be his second attempt around two turns.

"Some people knock his pedigree and say he might not be effective at a mile and an eighth or longer, but I have no concerns about a mile or a mile and a sixteenth," Foley said.

Champali and Great Notion, who lost by a nose in the Turfway Prevue, have distinguished themselves from the rest of the 3-year-olds at Turfway this winter. It is reminiscent of last year, when Perfect Drift and Request for Parole dominated the local 3-year-olds. Perfect Drift went on to win Turfway's biggest race, the Grade Spiral Stakes, and finish third in the Kentucky Derby. Request for Parole who finished third, beaten a neck, in the Spiral, recently won a $100,000 optional claiming race at Gulfstream Park.

Champali and Great Notion will face stiffer competition if they run in Turfway's richest races for 3-year-olds, the John Battaglia Memorial and the Lane's End, which usually attract high-quality shippers.

For now Foley remains focused on Champali's main challenger. "Great Notion is a tough colt and he proved that the other day," he said.

* To say jockey Jason Lumpkins is enjoying his first winter at Turfway Park would be an understatement.

After winning only three races during the holiday meeting in December, Lumpkins has caught fire during the winter meet, which began Jan. 1, and has seemingly wrapped up the jockey race.

Lumpkins won 13 races in four days last week, four each on Saturday and Sunday, including the Cincinnati Trophy Stakes aboard the Foley-trained Golden Marlin. His total wins for the meet stood at 29 through Sunday. In second place was Dean Butler, with eight wins. Lumpkins and Butler had each ridden in 83 races.