Dontmesswithjoanne drops into winning spot
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – When Dontmesswithjoanne roared to an eye-popping victory in her career debut last fall over the Churchill Downs turf, trainer Brad Cox couldn’t be blamed for believing the Zayat Stables filly would become a stakes winner before too long.
Ten months and four starts later, Dontmesswithjoanne still has no black type, but Cox is hoping that’s a temporary situation with ample opportunity still ahead. In the meantime, the daughter of Pioneerof the Nile could land an overdue victory Sunday in the last of two allowances on a 10-race Churchill card.
Dontmesswithjoanne “hasn’t come along quite the way we thought she might,” Cox said. “But I do still believe she’s a stakes filly. A little more time, and let’s hope she gets there.”
Dontmesswithjoanne will be ridden by Florent Geroux when she breaks from post 3 in a full field of 12 field in the $53,000 ninth race, a first-level allowance at 1 1/16 miles on the turf. It’s the first time Dontmesswithjoanne will race against older horses, although after respectable efforts in back-to-back turf stakes for 3-year-olds, she should come a solid favorite in what amounts to a substantial drop in class.
“She’s a Louisiana-bred, so we’d like to have her ready for the restricted stakes at Fair Grounds this coming winter,” Cox said.
Among the opposition in the Sunday co-feature are La Sola Ranger, most recently a close third at this same level at Saratoga last month; Wolf Gourmet, in the money in 12 of 20 starts, all for Dale Romans; and a second Cox entry, Conquest Bad Uncle, third as the favorite for this same condition at Ellis Park in late August.
Earlier Sunday, six older sprinters will clash in the richest event of the card, a $55,000 second-level allowance with a $62,500 claiming option (race 4). Mesoma and Manhattan Mischief, the two-three finishers in a key Ellis race Aug. 18, are among the principals in a well-matched race that also drew Dark Arden and Black Bear as contenders. Three of the starters are in for the optional tag.
First post Sunday is 12:45 p.m. Eastern. Sunny skies and a high temperature of 90 are in the forecast.
After Sunday, Churchill goes dark for three days before the final four-day race stretch of this 11-day meet starts with a twilight Thursday card. Closing day is Oct. 1, with Keeneland starting its 17-day fall meet Oct. 6.