Guam Typhoon well spotted for comeback

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – When one stall door closes, another one opens. Ian Wilkes said goodbye to one of his stable stars of the last couple of years, Warrior’s Reward, after the Grade 1-winning colt went off to stud at Spendthrift Farm following a fifth-place finish in the Breeders’ Cup Sprint last weekend, but Wilkes is hoping it won’t be long before another horse or two steps into his vacated role.

Capt. Candyman Can, a four-time stakes winner, is expected to return to the races early next year at Gulfstream Park after having been away since the 2009 BC Sprint, while Guam Typhoon, idle since early February, has found a nice comeback spot in the Sunday feature at Churchill Downs, a $56,000 classified allowance with a $100,000 claiming option.

Wilkes is looking for a sharp effort off the bench from Guam Typhoon, a 4-year-old colt who has never lost in four starts over the Churchill main track. The 6 1/2-furlong race will be the first for Guam Typhoon since he finished a close second to Musket Man at Tampa Bay Downs.

“I just had to give him a little time after he ran such a big race against Musket Man,” said Wilkes. “He’s just had a couple of minor issues, nothing big. Ol’ Guam, I like him.”

Guam Typhoon, a half-brother to multiple graded winners Sir Cherokee and Miss Isella, will start from post 5 when ridden by Julien Leparoux in the ninth of 10 Sunday races.

Clearly the most accomplished of his seven opponents Sunday is Kensei, winner of back-to-back Grade 2 races in New York, the Dwyer and Jim Dandy, in the summer of 2009. Like Guam Typhoon, Kensei is returning from a layoff, albeit a shorter one, having been idle since finishing seventh in the Grade 1 Met Mile some 5 1/2 months ago.

Kensei, with Robby Albarado to ride, will break from post 1.

Other notables in the lineup include Success Success, risking a three-race win streak following an 11-week layoff, and Agastache, a sharp last-out allowance winner over Polytrack at Keeneland.

Two other allowances (races 7 and 8) directly precede the feature on a Sunday program that begins at 12:40 p.m. Eastern.

After Sunday, Churchill goes dark for two days before another five-day week resumes Wednesday.