Dynamic Sky looks ready to break through in Louisville Handicap

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – It’s been a long time between drinks for Dynamic Sky, but the drought could end Saturday in the Grade 3 Louisville Handicap on the Churchill Downs turf.

A couple of useful starts since a long layoff and the likelihood of a midpack stalking trip could be enough to help Dynamic Sky land his first victory since the Grade 3 Red Smith at Aqueduct in November 2014.

“We feel like he needed his last two and should be ready for this one,” Norm Casse, son of and assistant to trainer Mark Casse, said this week from Pimlico while helping to prepare Fellowship for the Preakness Stakes.

Dynamic Sky, with Channing Hill to ride, is one of seven horses in the $100,000 Louisville Cap, a 1 1/2-mile turf fixture for older horses that is the sixth of 11 races on the Saturday card. The 6-year-old horse is the lone millionaire in the lineup, and despite a nine-race losing skein entering the Louisville, his overall record is stronger than the opposition’s.

Roman Approval, first or second in 21 of 30 career starts, is being asked to carry 117 pounds as the race’s highweight, one more than Dynamic Sky and five more than Tiz Town on the bottom end of the scale.

This is the 79th running of the Louisville, which has had a pair of three-time winners in the last 20 years: Chorwon (1997-99) and Silverfoot (2004-06). The 2015 winner was Xtra Luck, trained by Neil Howard.

First post Saturday is 12:45 p.m. Eastern, with the Louisville set for 3:16. A commemorative poster of Nyquist winning the Kentucky Derby will be given away to the first 5,000 paying customers.

The Preakness simulcast will be shown on the big board and throughout the facility following the final live race of the day, the $65,000 Opening Verse (post, 5:52), a one-mile turf race that drew a full field of older horses and might well be the best betting event of the day. Green Mask, beaten a nose April 30 in the Elusive Quality on the Belmont Park turf, is among a handful of logical favorites.

The 20-cent Single Six starts with the Louisville and ends with the Opening Verse, with three allowances (races 7, 9, and 10) also in the sequence.

KEY CONTENDERS

Dynamic Sky, by Sky Mesa

Last 3 Beyers: 93-87-97

◗ With Grade 1 horses such as Shared Belief, Big Blue Kitten, and Finnegans Wake dotting his past performances, bettors could make him their favorite to finally come through with an overdue triumph.

Roman Approval, by Roman Ruler

Last 3 Beyers: 88-95-95

◗ Remarkably consistent 5-year-old has been competitive on numerous occasions at this Grade 3 level and figures in the mix once again with Robby Albarado picking up the call.

Wireless Future, by Scat Daddy

Last 3 Beyers: 90-89-88

◗ Tom Amoss-trained colt figures as the speed of the race, meaning it’ll be up to Shaun Bridgmohan to see how far he can “walk the dog.”