Large fields expected for four turf stakes

Easily the best day of racing so far at the Ellis Park summer meet will take place Sunday, when four $100,000 turf races – all with big fields expected – are held as previews for rich stakes next month at Kentucky Downs.

Entries for the Sunday previews were to be drawn Thursday at the western Kentucky track. All four races are completely funded from the $2.9 million granted earlier this year to the Ellis purse account by Kentucky Downs, and $25,000 from each purse is restricted to horses registered with the Kentucky Thoroughbred Development Fund.

Here’s an early look:

◗ Preview Turf Cup: Rated R Superstar, winner of the Ben Ali in April, will switch to turf in a 1 1/4-mile race for which 32 horses were nominated.

◗ Preview Tourist Mile: Mr. Misunderstood, winner of the Grade 2 Wise Dan in June, is the big name in a race also expected to get Parlor and Flatlined from a nominations list of 40.

◗ Preview Ladies Turf: Lovely Bernadette, a multiple graded stakes winner, likely will be favored in this one-mile race over Bonnie Arch and Sailor’s Valentine.

◗ Preview Turf Sprint: Will Call, a graded stakes winner for the Klein family, returned early this week from Saratoga and will be rematched with Angaston in this 5 1/2-furlong race.

The previews serve as stepping-stones to Kentucky Downs stakes that will be run Sept. 1 and Sept. 8.