Howard looks past Ahh Chocolate's bad day
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LOUISVILLE, Ky. – It’s often said that racing mirrors life with its maddening mix of ups and downs. Veteran trainer Neil Howard got verification of that Saturday at Churchill Downs.
Not long after being disappointed by a last-place finish from Ahh Chocolate as the odds-on favorite in the Locust Grove, Howard made two visits to the winner’s circle with Stonetacular and Society Beau, a pair of 2-year-old maiden winners.
Ahh Chocolate, like Stonetacular, is owned by Stoneway Farm. A two-time graded stakes winner this year, the 4-year-old filly evidently had a recurrence of a breathing problem when finishing far back in the Locust Grove.
“It’s something we’re addressing right now,” Howard said Monday. “Otherwise, she came back fine, so we’re kind of in limbo with her. Obviously, that wasn’t her Saturday.”
As for the subsequent victories with the 2-year-olds: “I think that everything we saw gave us some encouragement,” he said.
When racing resumes this week at Churchill, Howard will be back for Stoneway in the 5 p.m. Eastern opener with Dream Dance, the morning-line favorite in the first of three allowances on a solid Twilight Thursday program. The $47,000, second-level allowance goes at 1 1/16 miles, with Dream Dance and jockey Robby Albarado favorably drawn in post 2 in a field of seven.
Among the 12 career starts for Dream Dance, a 3-year-old filly by Afleet Alex, seven have come in stakes.
“We backed off her a little the last couple months,” Howard said. “We thought maybe she was one of those not showing quite the energy level you want during this hot-as-heck summer we’ve had. But she’s seemed to bounce back nicely, and we’ve been really pleased with her. When you get these [allowance] conditions, we thought it a good idea to take advantage of it. We do think she’s a stakes-quality filly, but with this race, we’re looking at first things first.”
It’s a pretty well-matched group in the Thursday opener, with perhaps Crown D’Oro, Rosie My Rosie, and Academic Break the main challengers.
In the later co-features:
◗ Whyruawesome, a two-time winner at the Churchill spring meet, figures to vie for favoritism with Squadron A among a field of eight in another $47,000 allowance (race 4), this one for older horses at seven furlongs.
Whyruawesome, trained by Conor Murphy, has run periodically for claiming prices, whereas Squadron A is an old class horse whose last victory came March 6, 2014.
◗ Like a Hurricane, Vertical Oak, and Golden Mischief will be among the top wagering choices in a $45,000, first-level sprint for 2-year-old fillies. Like a Hurricane set a torrid pace before fading in the Debutante Stakes on closing day of the spring meet and has trained smartly in recent weeks for Phil Bauer.