Lynch's patience lands Mae Town a comfy comeback spot
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Trainer Brian Lynch said connections scratched Mae Town from the Unbridled Sidney Stakes on May 1 at Churchill Downs because the race looked too tough. Now, Mae Town looks tough in the featured eighth race Wednesday at Churchill.
Mae Town, who hasn’t started since last summer at Ellis Park, drew the outside post, a favorable spot, and faces no more than eight foes in a 5 1/2-furlong turf sprint with multiple high-end allowance conditions, a $175,000 claiming option, and a stakes-class $141,000 purse.
The race, accordingly, drew a stakes-level field, though not as salty as the Unbridled Sidney.
“Thought it probably just ended up too tough a race off the bench,” Lynch said of the decision to scratch Mae Town.
For whatever reason, Mae Town didn’t post an official workout between April 24 and May 17, though she now has added two more drills to a work pattern that began way back on Feb. 8 in Florida. The 4-year-old filly should be plenty ready for her first race since July 5, when she rallied furiously through the final furlong to win the age- and sex-restricted Pea Patch Stakes at Ellis Park.
“She’s come back really nicely, did nothing wrong last year, and the form around her was really good,” Lynch said.
A powerful late kick propelled Mae Town to her Pea Patch win, but the filly showed positional speed winning two turf sprints, a maiden and a first-level allowance, over the Churchill course. Jockey Florent Geroux should have options Wednesday.
“Ride her from the break, if she breaks running, fine, if she’s happy to settle, just leave her be,” Lynch said. “She showed she’s a bit tactical.”
Sunna will prove the filly to catch if she breaks like she did in The Very One on May 15 at Laurel Park. Making her stakes debut while running her grass record to 3 for 3, Sunna came flying out of the gate and had a couple lengths on seven rivals just a few jumps into the contest. After setting the pace, she displayed a nice burst at the furlong grounds to win comfortably over the useful filly Saturday Flirt.
Luis Saez rode Sunna in Maryland, but Joel Rosario takes the mount Wednesday with Saez landing on 9-5 morning-line favorite Lovely Emma, whom he has never ridden. Jose Ortiz, who’s at Saratoga, last out piloted Lovely Emma to her third straight win, a high-end Keeneland turf sprint allowance in which Ortiz engineered a great trip.
◗ Lynch said that Betty’s Pearl, smart winner (with a career-best 90 Beyer) of the fourth race on Saturday, a first-level allowance for 3-year-old fillies over a one-turn mile, could return to route racing in the $200,000 Indiana Oaks on July 11. The 4-year-old filly Shred the Gnar, last-out winner of the Grade 1 La Troienne, has posted two recent workouts and remains on target for the $500,000 Fleur de Lis on June 27 at Churchill.
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