Gilmore primed for upset in wide-open Pat Day Mile
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LOUISVILLE, Ky. – An outside draw, the anticipation of a lively pace, and the presence of four-time Eclipse Award-winning rider Irad Ortiz Jr. may give Gilmore a chance to upset a seemingly wide-open renewal of Saturday’s Grade 2, $500,000 Pat Day Mile at Churchill Downs.
Gilmore, trained by Brendan Walsh, is coming off a runner-up finish in the Grade 3 Bay Shore at Aqueduct. While that field was far from strong, Gilmore seemed hopelessly beaten entering the far turn as he seemed to be resentful of the kickback in his face. In upper stretch, when he got in the clear, Gilmore showed some late interest, finishing 1 1/4 lengths behind Joey Freshwater and galloping out past the field.
“He didn’t face the kickback too well early in the race, once he set down and ran, he flew home,” said Walsh, who has begun the Churchill meet with three wins from four starts. “I think he ran a sneaky-good race.”
In his last four starts, Gilmore had inside draws. Saturday, he breaks from post 11 in the 14-horse field.
“He can avoid most of the kickback and let the race unfold and work his way into it,” Walsh said.
Gilmore is owned by a group headed by SF Racing, Starlight Racing, and Madaket Stables. That same group sends out Fort Bragg, trained by Tim Yakteen. Fort Bragg is coming out of a fifth-place finish in the Grade 1 Florida Derby, where, trying to overcome his outside post 10 draw, he set very fast fractions before finishing 9 1/2 lengths behind Forte, the Kentucky Derby favorite.
Yakteen believes Fort Bragg may appreciate the one-turn mile because “he’s a little bit of a quirky horse and I think it’s all about getting into a rhythm. The farther the race is and the two-turn aspect of it doesn’t necessarily let you get into your own rhythm as easily.”
Joel Rosario rides Fort Bragg from post 7.
Yakteen also sends out the likely speed of the race in Kangaroo Court, who has won three consecutive California-bred races. He will attempt to carry that speed from 6 1/2 furlongs to a mile.
“With as well as he’s doing, it’s a great opportunity for us to see if he can get the distance,” Yakteen said. “We’ll find out on Saturday, but I’m very happy with the way he’s coming into the race. He’s a speed horse – sure you’d like to have an outside draw – but he’s wicked fast.”
John Velazquez rides.
Trainer Steve Asmussen sends out the uncoupled entry of Echo Again and Gun Pilot, both sons of Gun Runner owned by Winchell Thoroughbreds. Echo Again got run up on from behind in the Lecomte and was eased in the stretch on March 25. He came off a two-month layoff to win a first-level allowance on March 30 at Oaklawn.
“I like the mile for him,” Asmussen said.
Gun Pilot won a mile allowance at Oaklawn in February and, after a disappointing seventh in the Grade 2 Rebel, ran second to Eyeing Clover in the Hot Springs, a roughly run one-mile race for 3-year-olds on April 1 at Oaklawn.
General Jim, trained by Shug McGaughey, comes off a victory in the Grade 3 Swale on Feb. 4 at Gulfstream Park. That race came with the addition of blinkers.
Tall Boy won the UAE 2000 Guineas going a mile at Meydan before getting beat 34 lengths by Derma Satogake in the UAE Derby.
Lugan Knight, won the Jerome going a one-turn mile at Aqueduct in January, but has disappointed in his last two starts.
Curly Jack and Damon’s Mound were maiden winners at Churchill Downs at 2. Curly Jack is turning back to one-turn after failing to get on the Triple Crown trail. Damon’s Mound returns to dirt after a non-effort in the Palisades at Keeneland on turf, his 3-year-old debut.
Midnight Rising, Frosted Departure, Bourbon Bash, and Freezing Point complete the field.
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