Kentucky Downs: Coalport gives Ramseys third stakes win on card in Franklin-Simpson Mile

FRANKLIN, Ky. – Four weeks after Coalport defeated Trend by a head in an allowance race on the Arlington Million undercard, barely anything had changed when the two met again Saturday in the $123,917 Franklin-Simpson Mile at Kentucky Downs.

This time, the result was Coalport by a mere nose, with Trend another neck ahead of Utley in a thrilling three-horse finish. Coalport returned $6 as favorite in a field of eight when giving Ken and Sarah Ramsey their third stakes win on the Kentucky Downs card.

“Sometimes you lose those close ones,” said Jeff Ramsey, the couple’s son. “It feels good when you win one of them.”

Coalport, with Channing Hill aboard, raced in mid-pack before rallying into contention in the long stretch run. He finished in 1:35.86 over a firm course. Wayne Catalano trains the 4-year-old homebred, an Illinois-bred by Kitten’s Joy.

The Franklin-Simpson was one of four $150,000 stakes on the new Kentucky Downs Million Day, which was later capped by a fifth stakes, the $400,000 Kentucky Turf Cup.

* Longhunter ($7.80) gave the Ramseys their second of three stakes win of the card when getting a great trip under Alan Garcia to win the $137,050 Kentucky Downs Turf Dash by a half-length over Xbalanque. Ancil was third in a field of 10 older horses.

Longhunter was forwardly placed from the start of the six-furlong race before surging to the lead for his fourth win in five starts since being claimed by the Ramseys for $16,000 at Keeneland in April.

Garcia said Longhunter broke well to get position, and “the last part of the race when I asked him, he took off.”

Longhunter, a 5-year-old British-bred trained by Mike Maker, finished in 1:10.28.

Besides the Franklin-Simpson and Turf Dash, the Ramseys also won the Kentucky Downs Juvenile Fillies with another favorite, Lien On Kitten, also trained by Catalano and ridden by Hill.