Da Big Hoss readies for Kentucky Turf Cup

FRANKLIN, Ky. – Da Big Hoss, an earner of nearly $1.1 million since being claimed last fall, has been training right along since winning the American St. Leger Stakes at Arlington on Aug. 13, with his latest move being a five-furlong breeze Saturday in 1:01.80 at the Trackside training center in Louisville, Ky.

Trained by Mike Maker, Da Big Hoss figures as a solid favorite in the $600,000 Kentucky Turf Cup, the richest of the four Saturday stakes here. The other races are the $400,000 More Than Ready Mile, the $350,000 Kentucky Downs Ladies Sprint, and the $150,000 One Dreamer. Entries will be drawn Wednesday.

◗ Opening day at Kentucky Downs on Saturday was memorable for jockey Robby Albarado, who swept both stakes for older horses by employing contrasting styles. Albarado came from last at the top of the stretch in winning the $348,666 Ladies Turf on Secret Someone, then led every step of the $310,000 Turf Sprint on Successful Native.

“I’ve got four kids to take care of, so yeah, I need to keep this up,” said a laughing Albarado, who through Sunday was only 75 winners shy of becoming the 33rd jockey in North America to hit the 5,000 mark.

◗ Thursday marks the return of Julien Leparoux, who is named on six mounts on the 10-race card, including one of the favorites in the Old Friends Stakes, Bigger Picture. Leparoux has been sidelined since breaking his wrist when he was unseated following an Aug. 6 race at Saratoga.

Leparoux, 33, is the regular rider of the standout turf mare Tepin, who is scheduled to make her next start Sept. 17 in the Woodbine Mile. The French native owns multiple riding titles at Keeneland and Churchill Downs but had ridden sparingly at Kentucky Downs until 2014, when he tied with Rosie Napravnik for leading rider.

◗ Say what you want about how the caliber of Chicago racing may have tailed off this summer, but the circuit was very well represented on opening day, accounting for three of the 10 winners.

Trainer Pavel Vashchenko went 2 for 2, with Producer ($17.20) in the first and Belomor ($5.40) in the fifth. Carlos Marquez Jr. rode both. Mike Stidham, second only to Larry Rivelli in the Arlington Park standings, trains Secret Someone ($15.40), who won the Ladies Turf.

◗ Kalamos, the winner of the inaugural Old Friends Stakes last year at 50-1, is back in light training at the Fort Wayne, Ind., farm of owner-trainer Edward Boerjan. Kalamos suffered a foot injury that kept him out of training in recent weeks.

Boerjan said he intends to send Kalamos, 7, to train soon in West Texas and “hopefully resume his racing career” this winter at Turfway Park.

“I’m sure he’ll end up with the other old boys at Old Friends when we’re done with him,” Boerjan said.

Boerjan bought Kalamos for a mere $3,000 at the 2014 November sale at Keeneland.

◗ The influx of big-name jockeys at Kentucky Downs continues Thursday when Kent Desormeaux and Flavien Prat make their first appearances following the conclusion of the Del Mar meet. They join the likes of Jose Lezcano from New York, Sheldon Russell from Maryland, Jose Valdivia Jr. from Chicago, and the top Kentucky-based jockeys Florent Geroux, Corey Lanerie, and the recently unretired Calvin Borel.

◗ Another message came down from heaven Sunday at Ellis Park when Blame Angel won in allowance company. Blame Angel also won on July 22, the day after the death of his 82-year-old owner-trainer, Tom McCarthy of General Quarters fame. The 4-year-old colt now races for McCarthy’s survivors.