How's Al Today shows explosive turn of foot in Juvenile Mile
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How’s Al Today looked good winning his turf debut in a restricted sales race on opening day of the Kentucky Downs meeting. He looked great winning the Kentucky Downs Juvenile Mile on closing day.
Jockey Brian Hernandez Jr. worked How’s Al Today outside and into the clear with three-sixteenths of a mile remaining in the one-mile Juvenile, and How’s Al Today responded like he was shot out of a cannon. He blew past Jas, who held a clear lead, just inside the furlong grounds and went on to an eased-up 4 1/2-length victory in the $731,250 Juvenile Mile.
Jas, who pushed the tempo from the start and took the lead past the quarter pole, held second by 1 3/4 lengths over late-running Agate.
Steve Asmussen trains Jas, and Asmussen won this race in 2023 and 2024 with horses coming out of the same race that How’s Al Today won, a 6 1/2-furlong sprint for horses that passed through Keeneland’s September yearling sale. But neither of those winners, Tiztastic and Aspenite, caught the eye like How’s Al Today did.
Trained by Riley Mott for Al Gold’s Gold Square, How’s Al Today debuted June 16 at Churchill Downs and won a 5 1/2-furlong maiden dirt race, but while he finished third in his second race, the Saratoga Special, How’s Al Today lost by 13 lengths. Mott worked the horse on turf, and, yes, How’s Al Today very much looks like a turf horse.
Hernandez got into a decent midpack early position after leaving from an outside post, and seemed to be tracking Jas around the turn before being pushed back a spot and steering right. How’s Al Today took care of the rest, clocking 1:34.50 over a very firm course. The 2-1 favorite, How’s Al Today paid $17.50 for a $5 bet.
How’s Al Today is by Munnings out of Into Magic, by Into Mischief. He was pretty good on dirt, but better on turf; very good on opening day, and brilliant on closing day at Kentucky Downs.
Tawny Port wins rescheduled Gold Cup
Six days later than scheduled, Tawny Port did what he was probably going to do anyway: Win the Bowling Green Gold Cup.
Under a typically strong ride from Flavien Prat, Tawny Port made an inside run that took him to the lead in the final furlong and captured the $701,250 Bowling Green by three-quarters of a length.
Lambeth finished second, two lengths ahead of Greystone, price horses coming home behind the 3-2 favorite.
The 2 1/16-mile Bowling Green Gold Cup and four other races were moved from last Thursday to Wednesday because of a heat advisory. Trainer Miguel Clement responded by giving Tawny Port one final piece of work Sept. 2 at Saratoga before sending him on to Kentucky Downs, where Tawny Port gave Clement his third stakes win of the meet. Clement sent Caroline St. Beat to win the Nashville Derby and Bottas to land the Gun Runner.
A distant second behind German shipper Flatten the Curve in the 2025 Bowling Green, Tawny Port confirmed his status as North America’s leading turf staying horse having won the two-mile Belmont Gold Cup in June. Tawny Port got the firm, fast course that he prefers and delivered, the best horse going into the Bowling Green and the best coming out of, too. Tawny Port paid $9 to win.
Clement trains 7-year-old Tawny Port for the Peachtree Stable. A son of Pioneerof the Nile and Livi Makenzi, by Macho Uno, Tawny Port won his debut way back in December 2021 and finished seventh in the Kentucky Derby the next spring while trained by Brad Cox. Almost five years later, he’s still going strong.
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