Limousine Liberal returns in Aristides

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Limousine Liberal will be trying to rebound off a sixth-place finish on Kentucky Derby Day when he returns Saturday in the Grade 3, $100,000 Aristides at Churchill.

Trained by Ben Colebrook for K.K. Ball, Limousine Liberal led for a half-mile and faded to be beaten four lengths by winner Catalina Red as the 9-2 fourth choice in the Grade 2 Churchill Downs on May 7. He was coming off a 4 1/2-length victory in an allowance at Keeneland on April 9.

“The trip didn’t quite work out for us the way we’d hoped, and he also might’ve bounced a little off that huge comeback race he had here,” said Colebrook, based at Keeneland in Lexington, Ky. “He can go seven furlongs, but he can’t go seven furlongs [after a half-mile] in 44 and change.”

Limousine Liberal is among a core of favorites in the six-furlong Aristides, along with Union Jackson, Barbados, and the 2015 winner, Alsvid.

Limousine Liberal, a 4-year-old gelding by Successful Appeal, finished second to Runhappy last summer at Saratoga in the Grade 1 King’s Bishop. After running second in the Gallant Bob at Parx and 11th in the Breeders’ Cup Sprint, he was given the winter off. He returned with a track-record triumph in the allowance at Keeneland, finishing 6 1/2 furlongs in 1:15.05 and earning a 100 Beyer Speed Figure.

“Obviously, we’re contemplating taking him back to Saratoga this summer because of how well he ran there last year, but we’re going to take it one race at a time,” Colebrook said. “This will be a tough race Saturday.”

The 28th Aristides is the weekend highlight at Churchill. The $67,000 Mighty Beau for turf sprinters also is part of an 11-race Saturday card.

◗ Effective with the Thursday card and through the second half of this 38-day spring meet, overnight purses have been increased by an average of 4 percent. The hike is attributable to record all-sources wagering during Kentucky Derby week.

The blended increase amounts to about $1,500 per race and affects all categories except the nine six-figure stakes that remain. Total non-stakes purses for the meet will total about $13 million, up from the $12.4 million originally projected.