Juveniles take the spotlight on Stars of Tomorrow card
RACE REPLAY IS NOT AVAILABLE
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – A full gate of 14 2-year-olds has been entered in the Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes, which once again will share the Stars of Tomorrow spotlight with its Grade 2 sister, the Golden Rod Stakes, on an outstanding Saturday program at Churchill Downs.
The twin stakes, each worth $200,000 and set for 1 1/16 miles, anchor a 12-race card restricted entirely to 2-year-olds, continuing an end-of-meet tradition dating to 2005. The Golden Rod drew nine fillies.
Airoforce, coming off three straight turf races and adding blinkers, is one of a handful of plausible favorites in the KJC, along with Gun Runner, Mor Spirit, and Annual Report.
“He’s always worked real well on the dirt, and we’ve always thought that he was one of our better 2-year-olds this year,” said Norm Casse, son of and assistant to Airoforce’s trainer, Mark Casse.
The Golden Rod figures to have Stageplay as a solid favorite, although two others should take substantial play: Carina Mia got a 97 Beyer Speed Figure in a last-out maiden win at Keeneland, and Dothraki Queen was a respectable third behind Songbird in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies.
The card also includes three allowances and seven maiden special weight events. First post is 12:40 p.m. Eastern, with the Golden Rod (race 9) at 4:35 and the KJC (race 11) at 5:35.
The 21-day fall meet closes Sunday, with action on this circuit moving to Turfway Park in northern Kentucky for four months of winter racing.
◗ If attendance seems a little light here Saturday, there’s a plausible reason: Many sports fans will be otherwise occupied with the Louisville-at-Kentucky rivalry football game, which kicks off at noon Eastern in Lexington.