Churchill Downs: Tapit’s World tries dirt for red-hot trainer Calhoun

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Like many of the horses he trains, Bret Calhoun got away to a rocket start.

Calhoun, known mostly for his prowess with young, speedy horses, has been similarly quick at the Churchill Downs fall meet, grabbing the early lead atop the trainer standings with seven wins from his first 17 starters. In years past, Calhoun has never had enough starters to be a threat to win a Churchill training title, even with a sizable number of horses at his disposal by way of other venues.

Speaking Friday from New Orleans, where he was getting some 25 horses ready for the upcoming Fair Grounds meet, Calhoun said he was scheduled to return to Louisville this weekend, where his entries include a chestnut filly named Tapit’s World in the second of two allowances on a 10-race Sunday card.

“She was really unlucky not to win her last race at Keeneland,” said Calhoun. “She’s run well on turf and synthetic, and now we’re going to see if she likes the dirt. She sure does train well on it, so we’re eager to try. We do like this filly.”

With 30-plus horses stabled at Churchill, Calhoun said he probably won’t have enough starts by the time the meet ends Nov. 30 to ward off the likes of Mike Maker and Steve Asmussen for the training title, “but we do have quite a few to run, especially 2-year-olds and some of our horses with conditions.”

Tapit’s World, by the premier sire Tapit, is the lukewarm program favorite among a full field of 12 entered in the ninth race Sunday, a $43,000, first-level allowance at 1 1/16 miles.

The earlier allowance is carded as race 4, and it’s a $45,000, second-level turf route in which the Spendthrift Farm homebred Moonwalk is the 5-2 morning-line choice in a field of nine fillies and mares.

Moonwalk, trained by Dale Romans, is seeking her first victory since she upset the Grade 3 Jessamine on the Keeneland turf in Oct. 2012.

“She’s been close pretty much every time,” said Romans, referring to two seconds and a third from her four starts this year. “She’s had a few nice breezes since her last start [Sept. 18] and is training well into this.”

First post Sunday is 12:40 p.m. Eastern. After two dark days, the next five-day race week commences here Wednesday.