Gentlemen's Bet training at Churchill toward Vosburgh

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Gentlemen’s Bet will return to New York for the Grade 1 Vosburgh as trainer Ron Moquett remains undeterred about the speedy colt’s chances of earning his way into the Breeders’ Cup Sprint.

Gentlemen’s Bet was 2-1 when finishing third of five in the Grade 1 Vanderbilt at Saratoga on Aug. 4 for just his second defeat from seven career starts. The 4-year-old Gentlemen’s Bet is back at his Churchill Downs base to train until about a week before the $400,000 Vosburgh, a six-furlong race at Belmont Park on Sept. 28.

“Obviously the Vanderbilt was a tough race,” said Moquett. “I’m not taking anything away from the winner [Justin Phillip] or anybody else, but this colt is immature and lightly raced and really had to run every step. It’s pretty hard when you’re down on the rail and have a horse like Delaunay breathing on you the whole way. I’d just like to get him to try to run a smarter race.”

The Vosburgh is a Win and You’re In race toward the Nov. 2 BC Sprint at Santa Anita.

Moquett also said he is pointing Right to Vote to the Grade 3 Ack Ack on Sept. 7, the first Saturday card at the upcoming 12-day September meet at Churchill. He added that Livi Makenzie could go in the Grade 2 Gallant Bloom on Sept. 21 at Belmont or an overnight stakes at the Churchill meet.

Ride On Curlin targets Iroquois

Ride On Curlin was scheduled to breeze this week at the Trackside training center as he continues to point for the Iroquois Stakes on Sept. 7 at Churchill.

Trainer Billy Gowan said he scratched Ride On Curlin from the Aug. 10 Prairie Meadows Juvenile Mile after the 2-year-old colt “had a little bitty shin on him.”

“We X-rayed him and he’s perfectly clean and he’s training right along again,” Gowan said. “He’s had a lot of two-mile gallops, so I know I’ve got plenty of air in him.”

Ride On Curlin, owned by Dan Dougherty, earned a 91 Beyer Speed Figure in an easy maiden win July 13 at Ellis Park and had been closely scrutinized by prospective buyers, although Gowan said there currently are no pending offers. The colt shows just one breeze in the interim.

Both the Grade 3 Iroquois and its sister race, the Grade 2 Pocahontas, have been lengthened from their traditional distances of a one-turn mile to 1 1/16 miles around two turns. Both are Win and You’re In events for the Breeders’ Cup.

Churchill goes head-to-head with Kentucky football

Churchill spokesman John Asher said the Sept. 14 card will remain an afternoon program despite conflicts with both the Louisville-at-Kentucky football game and a $1 million stakes card at Kentucky Downs.

The rivalry game is extremely popular with local sports fans. It carries a noon Eastern kickoff; the Churchill card starts at 12:45.

“We’ll have the game on the big-screen in the Plaza area and elsewhere throughout the plant,” said Asher.

Two of the four Saturday cards at the coming meet are at night, those being Sept. 7 and 28.

Five stakes will be run Sept. 14 at Kentucky Downs, led by the Grade 3, $400,000 Kentucky Turf Cup.

◗ Trainer Tom Amoss said the next start for Mylute and Delaunay could be decided this coming week. Both were disappointing in their last races, with Mylute finishing eighth in the Jim Dandy at Saratoga and Delaunay running fourth in the Vanderbilt. Both are training at Churchill.

◗ Entering Friday action at Ellis in western Kentucky, both the jockey and trainer standings were very tight. With just seven programs remaining, Roberto Morales had 20 wins, followed closely by Brian Hernandez Jr. with 19 and Corey Lanerie with 18. The trainers’ race was even tighter, as Ken McPeek led with 6 wins, followed by two trainers with 5 apiece and six more with 4.

◗ The Sunday feature at Ellis is a $33,500 second-level allowance turf route in which Drama Drama figures as the filly to beat in a field of seven. Jon Court has the mount for Vicki Oliver in the fourth of nine races. Just one stakes remains at the meet, the $50,000 Cliff Guilliams Memorial on closing day, Sept. 2.

◗ Turfway Park has announced that Larry McGlasson will be the new starter at the track when racing resumes at the northern Kentucky track Dec. 1.