Famed, a half-sister to Essential Quality, will make debut
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LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Surely she doesn’t know it, but a filly named Famed will be carrying very high expectations Sunday when making her career debut in the eighth race at Churchill.
Famed is a 2-year-old filly by Uncle Mo out of Delightful Quality, which makes her a half-sister to her Brad Cox stablemate Essential Quality, the current leader of the 3-year-old division. Both are Godolphin homebreds.
Famed shows 13 works dating to May 21, with her latest being a five-furlong breeze in a minute flat last weekend at Churchill. She’ll be ridden by Florent Geroux when breaking from post 7 in a field of nine in the six-furlong race.
Essential Quality won at first asking on the 2020 Kentucky Derby undercard last September.
McPeek wins a pair
After an exhausting couple of weeks scouring the Keeneland September yearling sale for future prospects, trainer Ken McPeek saw the fruits of prior labors come through brilliantly under the Churchill lights Thursday evening.
McPeek won a two-turn maiden race with the 2-year-old colt Rattle N Roll, then came back an hour or so later to win the finale on the twilight card, a 6 1/2-furlong maiden race, with Bhoma, a 2-year-old filly.
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Rattle N Roll was a 2-1 favorite, even after failing to finish in his previous start at Saratoga. The son of Connect exited that Aug. 26 race with an inflamed eye, a condition that quickly cleared.
Meanwhile, one of McPeek’s more accomplished 2-year-olds, Behave Virginia, has fallen behind her intended schedule after needing time off following a victory in the Debutante on June 26 at Churchill. McPeek hopes to have her ready to race again later this fall.
Jockeys off to Oklahoma
No fewer than seven jockeys riding regularly at this meet will be absent Sunday when traveling to Oklahoma for the big Remington Park night card featuring the Oklahoma Derby.
Ricardo Santana Jr. and Jon Court, both of whom were to ride Saturday at Parx Racing, are making the trip from Philadelphia, while David Cohen, Joe Talamo, James Graham, Reylu Gutierrez, and Joe Rocco Jr. all will depart from here.
◗ The newest plaque hanging on an outer stable wall at Churchill reads this way: “Steve Asmussen . . . North American All-Time Leading Trainer . . . Churchill Downs All-Time Leading Trainer.”