Mandaloun headed to Monmouth for the Pegasus
LOUISVILLE, KY. – Belmont Stakes winner Essential Quality was scheduled to return early Tuesday to the Brad Cox barn at Churchill, just as Mandaloun was preparing to leave for the East Coast.
Mandaloun, the Juddmonte Farms homebred who as the Kentucky Derby runner-up stands to be declared the official winner if Medina Spirit is disqualified for a medication positive, was scheduled to be vanned Wednesday to Monmouth Park in New Jersey, where he’ll run Sunday in the Pegasus Stakes.
Cox and Juddmonte also are expected to have stakes action Saturday night at Churchill with Juliet Foxtrot, who figures as a solid favorite in the Grade 3, $150,000 Mint Julep, the highlight of an 11-race card that starts at 6 p.m. Eastern.
Totally Boss comes up empty
The Mighty Beau was a bust for Totally Boss, who trailed from start to finish in a field of seven when finishing 9 1/2 lengths behind Just Might when making his first start in nearly nine months. Trainer Rusty Arnold said Monday that Totally Boss, an earner of more than $700,000, “is fine” and will be pointed to the Aug. 7 Kentucky Downs Preview Turf Sprint at Ellis Park.
“That was a head-scratcher,” said Arnold.
Meanwhile, Arnold said Illiogami, a winner of her last two starts, is headed to the Grade 2 Mother Goose on June 26 at Belmont Park. The gray Tapit filly had her third breeze since a Kentucky Oaks Day allowance win when going five furlongs in 1:00.80 Saturday at Keeneland.
◗ Ruler of the Nile ran his record to 6 for 8 over the Churchill main track when holding off Big Beautiful Wall to win the fifth race Sunday by a head. The 6-year-old Pioneerof the Nile gelding was claimed out of the race for $32,000 by owner-trainer Oscar Barrera III, who is based in New York. Overall, Ruler of the Nile is 11 for 30 with earnings of $303,407.