Devine Charger raring to return to action in Pea Patch

Devine Charger was 31-1 when beaten just a head by the highly regarded Twilight Gleaming in the May 14 Mamzelle over the Churchill Downs turf, but her trainer, Jordan Blair, wouldn’t call it a fluke. And the only reason the stretch-running gray has gone unraced since then is because Churchill canceled turf racing before her next scheduled start.

“We were really disappointed not to get to run her back at Churchill, even in one of the allowances,” said Blair. “She seems to be much better going short on the turf than short on the dirt, so we’ve had a little bit of time since she last ran. But she’s trained very well, very forwardly, and I think she’ll have a big effort.”

That’s good to know ahead of the $60,000 Pea Patch on Saturday, the first stakes of the Ellis Park meet. Seven 3-year-old fillies are entered in the 5 1/2-furlong turf race, with Devine Charger a deserving favorite off that determined finish in the Mamzelle under the Churchill lights.

Devine Charger earned an 84 Beyer Speed Figure in the Mamzelle, highest in the Pea Patch field. Although she is still eligible for a first-level allowance, the daughter of Will Take Charge won over the Ellis turf last summer when going this same sprint distance in an August maiden race.

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The Pea Patch middles a solid nine-race card as race 5 at Ellis in western Kentucky, where three allowances (races 4, 7, 8) should help to make for a nice day of racing. First post is 12:50 p.m. Central.

Devine Charger, with Gabriel Saez riding, will break from post 3 in the second Pea Patch, a longtime Ellis moniker due to much of its spacious infield being used for agricultural purposes. Her chief opposition figures to be the Steve Asmussen-trained Speedometer (post 1, Vince Cheminaud), the only three-time winner in the field, albeit with minimal experience on the grass. Blazing Summer (post 4, Rey Gutierrez) also can contend if she runs back to a last-out turf-sprint score at Horseshoe Indianapolis, while Mamzelle also-rans Sunday Grace (post 5, Gerardo Corrales) and Trobairitz (post 7, Mitchell Murrill) also have some intrigue.

The Pea Patch purse includes $25,000 in bonuses restricted to eligible Kentucky-breds, with only the Louisiana-bred Mystique Saboteur not qualifying.

Devine Charger was ridden by Brian Hernandez Jr. in the Mamzelle, but Hernandez and his brother Colby are among a slew of Ellis regulars who will be absent Saturday when riding stakes elsewhere. Others include Rafael Bejarano, Corey Lanerie, James Graham, Joe Talamo, Jon Court, and Martin Garcia.

The Sunday card at Ellis will end the opening three-day weekend to the 2022 meet when highlighted by the open counterpart to the Pea Patch, the $60,000 Dade Turf Dash. The biggest stakes dates at the 23-day meet are Aug. 7, when four turf stakes are scheduled, and Aug. 14, a five-stakes day topped by the Groupie Doll Stakes and the Ellis Park Derby.

A 30 percent rain chance and mid-80s temperatures are in the Saturday forecast for Henderson, Ky.