Mariah's Princess sparkles in return
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Mariah’s Princess earned an 83 Beyer Speed Figure for an eye-catching victory Thursday at Churchill in her return from an eight-month layoff. Ridden by Martin Garcia, the 3-year-old Ghostzapper filly won a first-level allowance sprint by 6 1/4 lengths, going seven furlongs in 1:22.46.
“She showed a lot of ability at 2 and came off the layoff much more mature physically,” said Phil Bauer, who trains Mariah’s Princess for Richard and Tammy Rigney. “It’ll be pretty exciting to see how she develops and where she can take us. I’m sure there’ll be plenty of options for her, whether it’s before the meet ends here or a little later at Fair Grounds or Oaklawn Park.”
◗ Midnight Bourbon and Maxfield both have been on a regular breeze schedule at Churchill ahead of the Grade 1 Clark on Nov. 26. Both were withheld from the Breeders’ Cup Classic to run instead in the 1 1/8-mile Clark.
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Midnight Bourbon had his latest work Monday before trainer Steve Asmussen left for California, going five furlongs in 1:00.60, while Maxfield, trained by Brendan Walsh, breezed Thursday, getting a half-mile in 49.40 seconds.
◗ Asmussen snapped a rare 50-race winless streak on the Kentucky circuit when Leddy ($8.40) won the fourth race Thursday. Asmussen went winless with his last 40 starters at the Keeneland fall meet after Arm Candy won Oct. 13, then also with his first 10 starters at Churchill prior to Leddy romping by 7 1/4 lengths.
During the same time frame, Asmussen won a combined 13 races at Belmont Park, Remington Park, Indiana Grand, and Delta Downs.
◗ Kukulkan, the Mexican-bred star who won 17 of 27 starts, including the Mexican Triple Crown in 2018, died from complications of laminitis in late October in Mexico, according to Fausto Gutierrez, who had trained the horse through his 5-year-old season of 2020.
Kukulkan ran 10 times in the U.S. for Gutierrez. He won three of those – two runnings of the Clasico del Caribe at Gulfstream Park and a Churchill allowance in May 2019 – before eventually returning to Mexico to a different trainer for a four-race campaign at 6 prior to his death.