Kalamos overdue for his fourth victory

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Juddmonte Farms and trainer Bill Mott teamed for a goose egg with their 11 starters at Keeneland last month, a man-bites-dog piece of news because of all the fabulous success to which both are accustomed. Among their high-class runners who were defeated as favorites were Emollient, Romantica, Filimbi, and Riposte.

Kalamos was yet another Juddmonte-Mott starter to frustrate Keeneland bettors, losing as a 6-5 choice in an April 16 turf allowance. But the 5-year-old Kalamos shouldn’t be denied a winner’s-circle trip much longer, said Mott assistant Kenny McCarthy, and the drought could see an overdue end as early as Friday evening.

Kalamos, with Miguel Mena to ride from post 4, is one of the top contenders in Friday’s $56,000 feature at Churchill Downs. A son of Empire Maker, Kalamos won 3 of his first 7 starts but has come up short in his last three.

“He hit up against some heavy-heads in his two starts at Gulfstream this winter,” said McCarthy, referring to back-to-back allowances at the south Florida track. “Then he ran into another good one over at Keeneland” when second, beaten a half-length by His Race to Win. “Honestly, we’d really like to win a race with him.”

It will be nearing nightfall when McCarthy has Kalamos led over from the Mott barn for the last of 10 races, a third-level optional $80,000 claiming race on turf. First post is 2:45 p.m. Eastern, with the nightcap set for 7:24.

The 1 1/16-mile feature will be limited to nine starters, assuming the race stays on grass; there are three main-track-only designees also on the program.

King David (post 2, Robby Albarado), a Grade 1 winner in 2012, is the lukewarm morning-line favorite at 7-2 for the feature, while Kalamos and Grand Arch (post 7, Joe Rocco Jr.) are co-second choices at 4-1. To further illustrate how well matched the race appears to shape up, two others, Marine Patrol (post 8, Shaun Bridgmohan) and Villandry (post 9, Julien Leparoux) are pegged as co-fourth choices at 9-2.

Two other allowances, both for older fillies and mares, are carded for Friday: Vuitton, the winner of the Open Mind Stakes here in September, is the 2-1 favorite over four others in the third race, a $58,000 race at seven furlongs, and Marathon Lady is a 2-1 choice over six opponents in the ninth, a $52,000, first-level race at 1 1/16 miles.

Churchill will host twilight cards every Friday through June 13, with the final two Fridays of the meet (June 20 and 27) being Downs After Dark cards.