Gun Runner, Airoforce meet in Kentucky Jockey Club
RACE REPLAY IS NOT AVAILABLE
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Since the Stars of Tomorrow program was inaugurated 10 years ago at Churchill Downs, 36 Grade 1 winners and 23 millionaires have competed on those 2-year-old-only cards, according to track data. That’s fine and dandy – and truly impressive – but what horseplayers really want to know is this: Who’s next?
Not only does the Stars card Saturday at Churchill include a pair of Grade 2 stakes, the $200,000 Golden Rod and $200,000 Kentucky Jockey Club, but there also are three allowances and seven maiden special weight events that might very well showcase a young horse on his way to becoming something special.
The 1 1/16-mile Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes, arguably the highlight of the 12-race card, attracted a full gate of 14 and is rife with major potential. There’s a little something for everyone: a handful of deserving favorites, a similar number of capable upsetters, and longshots seeking greater respect.
Gun Runner, trained by Steve Asmussen, is unbeaten in two starts and will take a fair share of tote action, along with Airoforce, Mor Spirit, and Annual Report.
“He’s done all we’ve asked of him so far,” said Asmussen. “This is a big step up, but you could say the same for most of the rest. Hopefully, he’ll run the way he’s been training.”
Asmussen also has Stageplay as the favorite for the Golden Rod.
Bob Baffert, who sent Mor Spirit here from California for the KJC, was the last trainer to sweep both races, doing so with Silverbulletday (Golden Rod) and Exploit (KJC) in 1998.
The Kentucky Jockey Club offers 17 points for Kentucky Derby eligibility on a 10-4-2-1 scale to the first four finishers.
The 89th KJC will be run under the Churchill lights as the 11th of 12 races. First post is 12:40 p.m. Eastern, with the Golden Rod (race 9) set for 4:35 and the KJC for 5:35.
Saturday marks the second-to-last day of the 21-day fall meet. Sunday is closing day.
KEY CONTENDERS
Airoforce (Last 3 Beyers: 87-80-80)
◗ Gray colt comes favorably drawn in post 3 when adding blinkers and moving to dirt for the first time after three sharp efforts on grass.
Gun Runner (Last 2 Beyers: 84-72)
◗ Candy Ride colt has been highly regarded from the outset and has done absolutely nothing wrong under Ricardo Santana Jr., who rides again Saturday.
Mor Spirit (Last 2 Beyers: 92-83)
◗ A $650,000 purchase earlier this year, this son of Eskendereya has turned heads on his home circuit, earning a field-high 92 Beyer Speed Figure when dusting maidens last month in a two-turn race at Santa Anita.
Annual Report (Last 2 Beyers: 89-58)
◗ Unbeaten Godolphin colt followed a maiden romp with a last-to-first score in the six-furlong Futurity at Belmont and now must show he can be equally effective at a distance.