A fresh Turfiste tries to regain stakes form

Jamie Theriot will be all over the map for the next month or so. Fresh from a victory Monday aboard Dublin in the Grade 1 Hopeful at Saratoga, the 30-year-old jockey has returned home to his family in Louisville, Ky., from where he will travel extensively until the Keeneland meet begins Oct. 9.

Theriot's first stop is at Turfway Park in Florence, Ky., where on Thursday night he will climb aboard Turfiste, one of the favorites in the feature race, a $31,000 allowance at six furlongs on the Polytrack. Turfiste, trained by Bob Holthus, will be seeking his first victory since he captured the Hansel Stakes on the March 21 Lane's End Stakes undercard at Turfway.

Turfiste will break from post 2 when facing five opponents in the ninth of 10 races. A 3-year-old colt by Military, Turfiste will be making his first start in two months. His form tailed off in three races after the Hansel, but his recent work slate at Churchill Downs suggests he is primed for a sharp comeback.

Theriot clearly raised his national profile this summer at Saratoga, where he worked Kentucky Derby winner Mine That Bird on several occasions and won six races, capped by his Hopeful triumph on closing day. His agent, Fred Aime, said Theriot will be riding periodically at Turfway, "mostly on weeknights," since the Louisiana-born jockey has the following weekend agenda ahead of him: Saturday to Presque Isle Downs, Sunday to Zia Park, Sept. 19 to Louisiana Downs, and Sept. 26 back to Presque Isle Downs.

"We're still going to try to be at Turfway as much as our customers need us," said Aime.

Besides Turfiste, the lineup for the Thursday feature includes Citizen (post 6), winner of the Mountain Valley Stakes at Oaklawn Park in February. Citizen, trained by Bernie Flint, is returning from an even longer layoff than Turfiste, having last raced on April 10.

The balance of the lineup is Azicharmyou, Dynamite Bob, He Ain't Right, and Bee Line's Edge.

The feature is directly preceded by a $10,000 starter-allowance route. First post is 7 p.m. Eastern.