Dynamic Impact will try to shake off rust in sprint feature

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – The best horse in the Friday feature at Churchill Downs might well be Dynamic Impact. But that doesn’t mean he will win.

Making his first start since finishing seventh in the 2014 Preakness, Dynamic Impact will face seven other older horses in the seventh of nine races. As a 3-year-old last spring, the Tiznow colt won the Illinois Derby by a nose over Midnight Hawk.

“He just came out of the Preakness knocked out,” said trainer Mark Casse. “Nothing really went wrong, but we trained him for a while after that, and he wasn’t doing that great. We finally sent him home to Ocala, which is something we’ll just do.”

Dynamic Impact, with Miguel Mena to ride, will be shortening up to 6 1/2 furlongs in the $54,000, second-level race, one of three allowances on a program that starts at 12:45 p.m. Eastern. The featured race also carries a $62,500 claiming option.

“He would’ve been ready to return earlier than he has, but he got sick for about 10 days in January with a little virus or something, and obviously that set him back,” said Casse. “He’s trained well for his return, although this race is a tough one, and I do think a little more distance would suit him. I’m just hoping for a decent race. I’m not expecting him to be a superstar right away.”

Assuming Dynamic Impact isn’t primed for his best, this race could fall a number of other ways, with Roger Rocket, a sharp comeback winner for Al Stall Jr. on closing weekend of the Oaklawn Park meet, being among the logical contenders.

The other two allowances on the Friday card are $52,000, first-level races carded as the fifth and eighth.

KEY CONTENDERS

Dynamic Impact (Last 3 Beyers: 80-102-88)

◗ Clearly, the layoff and shorter distance make him a candidate to need the race, but he does have the class to overcome those disadvantages and make his presence known here.

Roger Rocket (Last 3 Beyers: 93-83-80)

◗ This Pulpit colt flashed ability early in his 3-year-old season before being laid up and transferred to Stall, who sent him out for that impressive romp in Arkansas and has sent him through three Churchill breezes in the interim.

Lent (Last 3 Beyers: 54-91-80)

◗ Like Dynamic Impact, he’s a bona-fide talent returning from a layoff and might well need more distance than what he gets here when making his first start in eight months for Ian Wilkes.

Bump Start (Last 3 Beyers: 98-88-97)

◗ Here’s yet one more horse returning from a layoff, as it’s been six months since this stakes-seasoned Pennsylvania-bred posted a third straight third-place finish when a lukewarm favorite in a non-graded sprint stakes in Maryland.