King's preview: Spot plays toward end of card
Bird Maker returns in race seven
The runner-up in last fall’s Grade 2 Golden Rod Stakes at Churchill Downs, Bird Maker, returns to Churchill for the first time since that race when she starts in Sunday’s seventh race, a first-level allowance for 3-year-old fillies at six furlongs.
Although beaten 10 lengths or more in each of her three starts this year at 3, much of that was due to the company she has faced. The winners of those three races were such top fillies as Dame Dorothy, In Tune, and My Miss Sophia.
Now, Bird Maker returns to a Churchill main track where she also won her first race in a maiden contest early in last year’s fall meet.
The distance of the seventh race might be a little short for her – she’s been raced between seven furlongs and 1 1/8 miles over her last five races – but against her four seemingly outclassed foes, it is doubtful the cutback to six furlongs will prove too much of an obstacle.
Napravnik’s mounts not as strong Sunday
After winning five races Saturday, Rosie Napravnik doesn’t have quite the quality and quantity of mounts Sunday to come close to repeating that feat. She rides four: the third on 3-1 shot Helooksthepart, the seventh on 4-1 Awesome Houdini, the eighth on 5-1 Delightful Empire, and the ninth on 4-1 Princess Mariah. Not one is favored.
Spot plays
Race 8
SENIOR PROM (#4, 9-5) doesn’t offer much by way of price, but multi-race exotic players should strongly consider this one as a single. She finished a clear-cut second over this track at this distance of 1 1/16 miles last out, earning easily the top last-race Beyer Speed Figure in the field, a 79.
Race 9
ROCKTIQUE (#8, 7-2) performed well in her first start in the U.S., finishing second at Keeneland in an allowance that seemed stronger than this one. His trainer, Conor Murphy, has done well with developing overseas imports over the past two years.
Early Scratches and equipment note
Race 2
#1 Stormbee; #3 Saturdaynitespecial
Race 6
# 4 Shadow Rock
Race 7
Blinkers: #5 Bird Maker wore them in her last start and will do so again today.
Race 9
Sweet On You