Madison's Luna will try turf

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – The sky was the limit after Madison’s Luna followed an impressive career debut in February at Tampa Bay Downs with a five-length romp in the Grade 3 Hutcheson at Gulfstream Park six weeks later.

Alas, the gray Tapit colt was a far-back 10th in both subsequent starts, the Pat Day Mile and Woody Stephens.

“I was as surprised and disappointed as anybody,” said Phil Bauer, who trains Madison’s Luna for Rigney Racing.

Bauer will take a shot at something different when Madison’s Luna runs Sunday at Churchill Downs in the $62,000 feature, a second-level allowance for 3-year-olds going a mile on turf. A field of seven is entered in the fifth of 10 races.

First post Sunday is 12:45 p.m. Eastern, with the Single 6 spanning races 5-10.

Big meet for Kenneally

Ever so steadily, Eddie Kenneally has racked up some nice numbers here this spring. Into Friday, Kenneally had won with 16 of his 38 starters at the meet, giving him the highest win rate (42 percent) among trainers with eight or more starts.

“They’re running good, so I’m not complaining,” Kenneally said. “A lot of things fell into place this meet, and we’re just trying to keep it going. There’ll be another meet right ahead, so you’ve got to be ready to do it all over again.”

Kenneally said he will send a 12-horse string to Saratoga early next month while keeping the bulk of his stable at Churchill to compete at Ellis Park or other regional tracks.

Geroux among the Spa-bound

Florent Geroux, whose $12.9 million in 2018 mount earnings continue to lead all North American jockeys, will be among the Churchill regulars who will ride daily at the Saratoga meet that starts July 20, along with Julien Leparoux and Ricardo Santana Jr.

Channing Hill will begin riding at Arlington Park, primarily for his father-in-law, Wayne Catalano, after the Churchill meet ends. Otherwise, most everyone else in the Churchill colony will be active at the 31-day Ellis Park meet that starts Sunday, July 1.

◗ Corey Lanerie took off his mounts Thursday and Friday and was uncertain when he would be able to return to action after his wife, Shantel, was hospitalized Thursday with a medical emergency.