Come early, stay late for a solid Thursday card
RACE REPLAY IS NOT AVAILABLE
Don’t show up late or leave Churchill Downs early on Thursday. The 10-race card is peppered with solid, competitive races, topped by the second and ninth, a pair of optional-claiming events featuring several stakes performers.
Despite the presence of more experienced foes with deeper résumés, Sorrentina Lemon may prove the class of the ninth race, a $99,000 turf mile for fillies and mares, as she looks to remain unbeaten in three career starts. Sorrentina Lemon made her debut in January for trainer Christophe Clement, winning by 2 1/4 lengths going a mile at Tampa Bay. She was then away from the races until September, returning to win a 1 1/16-mile optional-claiming event at Belmont by a length. In both races, the runner-up emerged to win their next outing.
Sorrentina Lemon drew the inside post with Julien Leparoux in the irons for the first time.
French-bred Deviant is making her first start in the U.S. and first for trainer Graham Motion. The filly has proven class, as she was a Group 3 winner in France last year and Group 3-placed in Great Britain this year.
This field has more international flavor in Irish-born Zofelle, who is making her second start in the U.S. after winning a Keeneland allowance last month for Brendan Walsh.
High Regard was graded stakes-placed on the Churchill Downs main track last year, and more recently was third in the Dueling Grounds Oaks at Kentucky Downs. The field also includes Virginia Oaks third-place finisher Solar Kitten, stakes winner Brunette Princess, and Delta’s Kingdom, who won an allowance on the Churchill turf in September.
Line Judge, winner of the Kelly’s Landing Stakes earlier this year at Churchill Downs, tops the second race, a $102,000 optional-claiming race. He comes off a pair of third-place finishes at a similar level going this same seven-furlong distance at Churchill and Keeneland.
The field also includes Madison’s Luna, winner of the Grade 3 Hutcheson Stakes in 2018; Grade 3-placed stakes winner Whereshetoldmetogo, who finished second ahead of Line Judge last out; Grade 3-placed Eight Town; and stakes-placed Ballard High.
In other notable action on the card:
◗ Sagamore Farm has entered a strong entry of Grit and Glory and Scars are Cool in the eighth race, a $97,000 allowance route on the main track. Tyler Gaffalione is named on both for trainer Stanley Hough, so only one may start. Scars are Cool would be getting class relief after finishing 10th in the Grade 1 Travers Stakes in just his fourth start, and then sixth in the Jefferson Cup trying turf at Churchill Downs.
◗ Slam Dunk, by leading sire Into Mischief, is seeking to break through in her fourth start, as she goes in the day’s 10th race, a $95,000 maiden special weight for juvenile fillies. The $450,000 purchase was a creditable third in the Grade 1 Frizette Stakes last out.
