Decent brings consistency to Thursday allowance

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Just like last Saturday, there’s racing Thursday at Churchill Downs, although this card will take place in front of about 155,000 fewer fans. The first program since Kentucky Derby Day is also the first twilight Thursday card at the 38-day spring meet, with the first of eight races set for 5 p.m. Eastern.

Unlike in most recent years, the Derby Day crowd left no carryover jackpots in any of the exotic wagers, including the Single 6, which now reverts to a 20-cent increment after having been a $2 minimum through the Derby.

The feature is the lone allowance of the evening, a $51,000 first-level race that drew nine 3-year-olds and up. It’s carded as race 7 and is scheduled for five furlongs on turf, although rain was in the forecast for the local area for both Wednesday and Thursday.

Decent, trained by Eddie Kenneally, seems to have a decided edge despite making his first start in more than five months, assuming the race stays on grass. Owned by Halcraft Stable LLC, the gelded 4-year-old son of War Front can boast 10 in-the-money finishes from 12 career starts and easily the largest bankroll ($123,500) in the lineup. He is returning off a series of sharp local works. Julien Leparoux will be aboard from post 6.

Other contenders on grass include a trio with maiden-special wins over grass: Pontifical (post 1, Corey Lanerie), Iron Mane (post 4, David Flores), and Kidnap (post 5, Declan Cannon). If by chance the race moves to dirt, then Hold Me Black (post 3, Miguel Mena) and Bootleggin (post 9, Joe Rocco Jr.) will have to be taken more seriously.

Every remaining Thursday at the spring meet, which runs through June 30, will be an eight-race twilight card, with live music and reduced prices on concessions helping to boost ontrack attendance.

UNBRIDLED SIDNEY ON TAP

The weekend feature at Churchill is the $65,000 Unbridled Sidney, a five-furlong turf race set for Saturday. The next graded stakes here are the Grade 3 Matron and Grade 3 Louisville Handicap, both to be run prior to the Preakness simulcast on May 20