East vs. West in Tuesday turf allowance

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – The biggest news out of Churchill Downs on Tuesday surely will be the draw for the 144th Kentucky Derby, but hey, for some lucky bettors taking their shots during a nine-race card, that might be just a sidebar.

The only Tuesday card of the year at Churchill kicks off Derby week in earnest, with a pair of allowances (races 7 and 8) serving as features. First post is 12:45 p.m. Eastern, with race 7 going at 3:50 and race 8 at 4:22. The last race goes at 4:55.

Either allowance could make somebody’s week, assuming they dive in with gusto and call the right numbers.

Race 7 is a $55,000 first-level turf route with an oversubscribed field of fillies and mares. It’s possible the 1 1/16-mile race could boil down to an East vs. West matchup between Church Social, trained by Shug McGaughey, and Pistol Packin Rose, trained by Doug O’Neill.

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Church Social, owned by Stuart Janney of Orb fame, has the benefit of an April 7 off-the-turf race at Keeneland under her belt and stands to get a ground-saving trip. She breaks from post 3 under Ricardo Santana Jr.

Pistol Packin Rose will be looking to rebound off a poor early-March effort on the Santa Anita turf. She breaks from post 5 under Adam Beschizza, who comes off a terrific meet at Keeneland.

In all, 14 are entered, although only as many as 10 can start.

Race 8 is a $57,000 second-level sprint that drew a field of eight older horses. There’s a real wild card in this one – Mr. Crow, a 4-year-old colt making his first start for trainer Ben Colebrook after getting huge Beyer Speed Figures last year when trained by Todd Pletcher. Four of his five races resulted in a 97 Beyer or higher, topped by an eye-popping 109 last July in his maiden victory at Saratoga.

Colebrook said Mr. Crow underwent surgery to have “a tiny flake removed” from an ankle since his most recent start more than six months ago.

“Obviously, he’s very fast,” Colebrook said. “I haven’t really got him 100 percent fit, but hopefully he’ll be good enough anyway. We’re just trying to get a run in him, so he’ll need the race. He’s got this two-other-than condition left, so we might as well try to take advantage of it. After this, maybe we’ll take a look at something like the Aristides” on June 2 at Churchill.

The top threats to Mr. Crow, who will break from post 2 under Luis Saez, could be a pair of grizzled veterans assigned outside gates, with both being entered for the optional $62,500 claiming tag that is part of the race conditions. They are Control Stake (post 7, Corey Lanerie) and Guns Loaded (post 8, Santana).

The local forecast for Tuesday calls for sensational weather, with sunny skies and a high of 81.

Many years ago, Tuesday cards were a weekly staple during Churchill meets, and the Tuesday of Derby week actually was when the Derby Trial was run on an annual basis. But that ended in the early 1980s when the Derby Trial was moved to one Saturday out, and ultimately the now-defunct Derby Trial evolved into the Pat Day Mile, now part of the Derby card.

Racing also was regularly offered here on the first Tuesday of November to coincide with government elections, but that practice also was halted more than a decade ago.