Gam's Mission up against race flow in Mint Julep repeat try
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Defending winner Gam’s Mission looks for her third graded stakes victory on the Churchill Downs turf in Sunday’s renewal of the Grade 3, $225,000 Mint Julep Stakes for fillies and mares.
Gam’s Mission, a Lazy F Ranch homebred trained by Cherie DeVaux, has three wins from four starts overall on the Churchill turf; her only loss came when second on debut in September 2020 to Aunt Pearl, who went on to win the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf. Gam’s Mission won a local allowance and the Grade 3 Regret in 2021.
Between that race and Churchill’s spring 2022 meet, a new turf course was installed. That lawn also proved to the liking of Gam’s Mission, who won the Mint Julep to cap an abbreviated three-start campaign in which she was not worse than second.
Gam’s Mission returned from a nine-month layoff to finish sixth in the Grade 3 Hillsborough at Tampa. She was sharper for her next outing, winning an April 16 Keeneland allowance by a neck over fellow graded stakes winner Bubble Rock, who proceeded to flatter her by winning the License Fee at Belmont.
Stakes winner Sweet Dani Girl was second after setting the pace in the Grade 3 Modesty on this course in May. New Year’s Eve, winner of the Grade 2 Edgewood at Churchill in 2022, rallied for third. The shape of Sunday’s race may fit Sweet Dani Girl, as there is a lack of committed speed – a factor which could hinder Gam’s Mission, as well as New Year’s Eve.
White Frost was third in the Grade 1 Jenny Wiley at Keeneland behind In Italian and With The Moonlight. Her Beyer Speed Figure of 92 matches Sweet Dani Girl for the top last-out figure in this field.
Lady Hideaway was third behind Gam’s Mission in her Keeneland allowance. Completing the field are California Angel, seeking her first win since the Grade 2 Jessamine in 2021; synthetic Grade 3 winner Kate’s Kingdom; and last-out allowance/optional-claiming winner Henrietta Topham.
◗ Mo Strike and Damon’s Mound, both debut winners at Churchill last year before taking graded stakes at Saratoga, look to find the winner’s circle again Sunday. They are part of a solid field for the seventh race, an allowance/optional claimer for 3-year-olds with a purse of $134,000. Seven of the eight entrants are dropping directly out of stakes company.
Mo Strike won the Grade 3 Sanford at Saratoga in his second start for Brad Cox, then crossed the line fourth in the Grade 1 Hopeful. In his first start this season, he was second in the Bachelor at Oaklawn to Ryvit, who emerged to win the Grade 3 Chick Lang.
Damon’s Mound turned heads winning his debut by 12 1/2 lengths, then won the Grade 2 Saratoga Special. Stretched out to 1 1/16 miles for the Grade 3 Iroquois at Churchill, he finished sixth. The colt was 11th in the Palisades to start 2023, with trainer Michelle Lovell saying he didn’t handle an attempt on turf, then was ninth in the Grade 2 Pat Day Mile on May 6. He cuts back to 6 1/2 furlongs on Sunday.
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