Isidora stuck on rail for third straight time

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Eddie Kenneally swept the two allowance races on the Sunday card at Churchill Downs, and he’s coming right back to try for something similar when he sends out major contenders in two of the three allowances that dot the Wednesday card.

Kenneally will saddle Isidora in the richest race of the day, the third, a $66,060 main-track mile, before securing the tack on Flask for a $63,620 sprint that goes as the ninth of 10 races. Julien Leparoux has both calls.

Isidora, a group winner in her native Argentina, will make her third start in North America when facing five other fillies and mares in an optional $80,000 claimer with multiple allowance conditions. The 5-year-old Isidora was assigned post 1 after having drawn the rail in the two previous races, both of them creditable efforts.

“It’s pretty amazing that she got the one-hole again,” said Kenneally. “Last time at Keeneland she was kind of trapped down there a long way and still was forced to wait at a pivotal time, and then she came running pretty well when it was too late. Hopefully we’ll have a little better luck this time.”

Happy Week and Lady’s Laughter figure as the top challengers to Isidora.

Flask was an odds-on winner of a first-level allowance at Belmont Park in her last start and now turns back to six furlongs when taking the requisite raise in conditions to a second-level allowance.

“She’s a hard-knocking, versatile filly, doing very well,” said Kenneally.

Jocata and Bell’s Shoes might be the main competition for Flask.

On Sunday, Kenneally sent out Gibson Crystal to a front-running, 7-1 victory in a main-track sprint before seeing Dyani get up in the final jumps to win a turf marathon as a 5-2 second choice.

One other allowance, a first-level event scheduled for one mile on turf, goes as the eighth race Wednesday. Bushwhacked will try to make amends for a recent disappointment as an even-money favorite when making his grass debut.

The Wednesday card is expected to mark the return of jockey Garrett Gomez, who has been sidelined with a shoulder injury since he won the Nov. 6 Breeders’ Cup Classic aboard Blame.

There is a carryover of $3,436 into the $2 pick six (races 5-10), but none in the $1 super high five, which was hit Sunday for $60,761 with one perfect ticket.