Improved performance expected from Super Corinto

It’s hard to imagine the Ignacio Correas-trained Argentine mare Didia could have run much better Friday at Saratoga winning the Grade 1 New York Stakes. And it’s hard to imagine the Correas-trained Chilean horse Super Corinto running anywhere near as badly in the featured eighth race Wednesday at Churchill Downs than he did in his most recent start.

Six-year-old Super Corinto was a Grade 1 winner at home in Chile, and before you dismiss that accomplishment as relatively meaningless vis-à-vis American racing, note that Super Corinto defeated O’Connor by 1 1/4 lengths. O’Connor also wound up in America and late last year knocked out consecutive graded stakes wins in dirt routes. Moreover, Super Corinto in the Grade 1 win, his last start in Chile, earned a strong 115 Timeform rating.

Super Corinto turned in two solid allowance-class performances at Gulfstream Park when he began his North American campaign – solid, but hardly worthy of a trip to the Dubai World Cup. Unsurprisingly, Super Corinto was badly beaten in Dubai, and when he resurfaced to race again this spring, he’d been moved into Correas’s barn.

This comeback also began in a tough spot, the New Orleans Classic, and after staying in touch with the leaders to the far turn, Super Corinto faded to eighth, beaten more than 21 lengths. The March 23 drubbing didn’t leave the horse any worse for wear since he returned to the work tab on April 9 at Keeneland.

“Hopefully, that race at Fair Grounds was too bad to be true,” Correas said. “He should run big Wednesday the way he has been training.”

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Merely returning to the allowance-race form he displayed two winters ago in Florida would make Super Corinto competitive in this eight-runner race over 1 1/16 miles. A third-level allowance with a $100,000 claiming option, the Wednesday feature has no entrant with recent form superior to what Super Corinto can produce – or could produce.

The wild card is Salute the Stars, who hasn’t run in a dirt race since finishing seventh in the Haskell last summer and hasn’t run in any race since September. Salute the Stars won the Haskell prep at Monmouth, the Pegasus, over the well-regarded Kingsbarns, and were he to progress from that level in his 4-year-old debut, Salute the Stars can win his comeback race.

◗ Jose Ortiz, 30, won his 3,000th race Sunday at Churchill. The total includes 18 winners in Puerto Rico, where Ortiz began his career. While the round number represents a fine personal accomplishment, 190 other jockeys in the modern era have hit the milestone.

◗ The 3-year-old Twirling Candy filly Lotsandlotsofcandy was beaten 38 lengths in her debut at Keeneland, but in her second start Saturday at Churchill won a maiden sprint by seven lengths, her raw time of 1:09.02 yielding a 94 Beyer Speed Figure.

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