In his first Ellis Park stakes mount, Talamo has top contender in Mitchell Road

Even without a pandemic that has disrupted everyone’s way of life, this would have been a very different year for Joe Talamo.

In January, before the coronavirus became widespread, Talamo moved himself and his family from California, where he had been a standout jockey for more than 13 years. The Louisiana native is now making a circuit of Oaklawn Park in the winter and the rest of the year in Kentucky, where he is in the process of buying a home.

“We’re all-in,” Talamo said.

His first-ever day at Ellis Park was Thursday, opening day of the 2020 summer meet at the western Kentucky track. The 1 1/8-mile circumference of the main track reminds Talamo, 30, of his days at Hollywood Park, which closed in 2013.

“I love how big it is,” he said. “It’s got a one-mile turf course, which is always cool to ride a track like that. Horses tend to like it, too.”

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Talamo is hoping his first stakes mount at Ellis likes the turf. On Sunday, he’ll climb aboard Mitchell Road, the 9-5 morning-line favorite for the $50,000 Ellis Park Turf, a 1 1/16-mile race that goes as the eighth of nine on a card that starts at 12:50 p.m. Central.

Based at Churchill Downs with Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott and his longtime assistant Kenny McCarthy, Mitchell Road is one of 10 fillies and mares in the Ellis Turf. Now 5, Mitchell Road has been productive while competing exclusively in stakes for nearly 18 months now. She won the Grade 3 Gallorette on the 2019 Preakness undercard at Pimlico and has gone on to record one more victory and three seconds in seven starts since.

Talamo will need to conserve the speed of Mitchell Road to succeed Sunday. In her last start, the May 30 Mint Julep at Churchill, the English Channel mare set the pace before fading to seventh, beaten just two lengths by the victorious Secret Message.

Among the chief opposition is Sister Hanan, a last-out allowance winner at Churchill; Our Bay B Ruth, making her 4-year-old debut after going 4 for 5 to end 2019; and Mighty Scarlett, a good third in a Churchill allowance in her latest start.

The Ellis Turf is the lead-off event on a summer stakes schedule that peaks Aug. 9 with the running of the $200,000 Ellis Park Derby.

After Sunday, live action at Ellis goes on hiatus until July 17. Keeneland will run a five-day meet July 8-12, after which Ellis resumes with three-day weekends through Aug. 30.

Barkleys sweep opening-day exacta

Jason Barkley has won 37 races since he began his solo training career in 2017, with the latest coming on the Thursday opener at Ellis with Proudly Fought ($3.60) in the fifth race. As an added bonus, the runner-up was Rathrbluckythngood, whose trainer is Jeff Barkley, Jason’s father.

“The exacta came the right way,” wisecracked Jason.

This was the third time the Barkleys have combined for a winning exotic wager, with the previous two also having occurred at Ellis, the family’s home track. Jason was first and Jeff was second in a race on Aug. 5, 2018. Less than a month later, they combined for the early double, with Jeff winning the first race Sept. 2, 2018, and Jason winning the second.

Proudly Fought gave jockey Miguel Mena his 1,999th career win when drawing off by 4 1/2 lengths. Mena was a virtual lock to hit the 2,000-win milestone when accepting 20 mounts over the three ensuing days at Ellis.

The Thursday opener drew more than $2.2 million in mutuel handle, with all four turf races moved to the main track because of weather. Although there is no walk-up general admission, spectators are being allowed to attend, with numerous restrictions in effect because of the pandemic. Fans can request seating in advance through ellisparkracing.com.