Good Lord goes for four-peat in Don Bernhardt

Until last year, no horse had ever won a stakes race at Ellis Park three years in a row. Good Lord, the winner of the Don Bernhardt Stakes every summer since 2012 at the western Kentucky track, will try to make it four in a row Saturday in the 38th running of the 6 1/2-furlong race.

“He’s been a pretty remarkable horse,” said trainer Forrest Kaelin. “He really does love that racetrack.”

Good Lord, an 8-year-old Florida-bred gelding, is one of seven older horses in the $50,000 Don Bernhardt, which is named for the late sports editor and columnist for the Evansville Courier & Press. Miguel Mena has the mount from post 4.

Since winning the 2014 Bernhardt by a neck as an odds-on favorite, Good Lord has compiled a 1-for-10 record, with four defeats by double-digit lengths in that mix.

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“I have no idea why he lost his form like that, other than sometimes horses will just do that, and he wasn’t breaking real well from the gate,” said Kaelin, a former jockey who turned 80 in January. “He’s an old horse, and sometimes they’re like us old folks – they have the occasional off day.”

Rise Up, a multiple stakes winner, looks like the chief threat, while Repent With Me, Evan’s Calling, and Bagg O’Day figure as fringe contenders.

The Bernhardt is carded as the eighth of nine races, with first post set for 12:50 p.m. Central and the feature at 4:24. The time between races will be a bit longer than usual, owing to the wiener-dog finals being contested to the delight of many ontrack fans.

Don Bernhardt, Race 8

KEY CONTENDERS

Good Lord (Last 3 Beyers: 92-60-73)

◗ Although his form went awry over the winter, he has shown definite signs of returning to a peak: He led a good group in the Kelly’s Landing to deep stretch three weeks ago at Churchill Downs, and his lone work in the interim was a sizzling half-mile in 46 seconds.

Kaelin: “He’s starting to come back around. That last race was really sharp, and so was his work since then.”

Rise Up (Last 3 Beyers: 83-92-97)

◗ Quick 4-year-old colt comes favorably drawn in the outside post under jockey Didiel Osorio, who led the Ellis jockey standings with seven wins entering this weekend.

Trainer Tom Amoss: “We’re very pleased with our post position. There’s no secret to our strategy – we’re out to make the lead here.”

Bagg O’Day (Last 3 Beyers: 92-83-83)

◗ Steve Hobby-trained colt dusted a solid field of second-level allowance sprinters in his last start at Churchill and would be a serious player here if he can summon up a repeat effort with Joe Rocco Jr. back aboard.