Indiana Downs: Lonesome Street will play catch me if you can in turf feature

Lonesome Street will try to return to his winning ways when he takes on eight others, including a three-horse entry, in the $100,000 J. Kenneth Self Shelby County Boys and Girls Club at Indiana Downs on Wednesday evening. The event is scheduled for one mile on turf.

Lonesome Street won the first start of his 2011 campaign at Fair Grounds in January in a second-level optional $40,000 claiming event going a mile on turf. After a two-month freshening, he finished third, beaten two lengths in another high-priced optional claimer at 1 1/16 miles on turf. On April 28, trainer Mike Maker ran the 4-year-old Lonesome Street at Keeneland, where he finished third again over the Polytrack. In his most recent outing June 3, Lonesome Street fished second, beaten a neck in a third-level optional $80,000 claimer at one mile on the turf at Churchill Downs. In all four races, Lonesome Street led early and he was still in front with a furlong remaining in three of the four.

“He has one way to go and that is to use his speed to go to the front at the start,” Maker said. “He also prefers a firm, tight turf course, but I am not sure Mother nature is going to help with that,” he said, referring to storms that passed through the Shelbyville, Ind., area on Monday morning.

Julien Leparoux will be reunited with Lonesome Street on Wednesday evening.

“Having Julien come up and ride him is a big plus,” Maker said. “He has ridden him before and he knows the turf course there.”

Leparoux has gone 2 for 3 with his limited mounts at Indiana Downs this season.

Yankee Injunuity comes into the race off a local turf win in allowance event June 7 going 7 1/2 furlongs. Trained by Jim McMullen, the 7-year-old Yankee Injunuity now has a first and second in two local turf outings. His stalking style should suit him well in a race with plenty of early speed.