Matured River Boyne faces solid field in American Turf

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – The last time Jeff Mullins was at Churchill Downs to saddle a horse on Kentucky Derby Day, well . . . he didn’t do anything of the sort.

Mullins trained I Want Revenge, the morning-line favorite in the 2009 Kentucky Derby. An injury diagnosed on a rainy Derby morning led to the colt being scratched, much to the bitter disappointment of all involved.

“We’re just about over it now,” Mullins said this week with a laugh.

Mullins is back at Churchill with another standout 3-year-old, albeit one of the turf variety. River Boyne, who has turned heads with his four races in Southern California, could be the horse to beat Saturday when ridden by Flavien Prat in a terrific 27th running of the Grade 2, $300,000 American Turf on the 2018 Derby undercard. The Irish-bred colt quickly went through a couple of preliminary conditions before winning the March 17 Pasadena in his last start.

River Boyne “has really matured since I got him last fall,” Mullins said. “He’s put on a bunch of weight and gotten really strong. After Flavien rode him the first time, even though he got beat, [Flavien] said: ‘This is a serious horse.’ The colt really hasn’t done anything wrong since then, and we’re looking for another big race from him Saturday.”

Sixteen are entered in the 1 1/16-mile American Turf, with only as many as 14 allowed to start. Rushing Fall, the unbeaten filly trained by Chad Brown, is in the main body of the race but appears likely to scratch in favor of the Edgewood versus fillies the previous day. Brown said he entered the American Turf as a precaution in case of nasty weather here Friday.

Another top contender is Untamed Domain, runner-up last fall at Del Mar behind Mendelssohn in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf. Trained by Graham Motion for West Point Thoroughbreds, Untamed Domain was given one shot on the Kentucky Derby trail this winter, but his sixth-place finish in the Tampa Bay Derby was sufficiently discouraging to convince his connections to return the son of 2011 Derby winner Animal Kingdom to the turf.

Other viable American Turf considerations include Speed Franco, who emerged as one of the top 3-year-old turf horses in Florida this winter with a series of heady efforts; Threeandfourpence, an Aidan O’Brien trainee getting first-time Lasix; Maraud, a sharp two-back winner of the Palm Beach Stakes at Gulfstream Park for Todd Pletcher; and Captivating Moon and Admiralty Pier, the respective 2-3 finishers behind the Brown-trained Analyze It in the Transylvania at Keeneland.

The American Turf was first run in 1992, when Mike Smith rode the winner, Senor Tomas, for trainer Pete Vestal. It goes as the ninth of 14 Saturday races when leading off a pick four (races 9-12) that ends with the Derby. Post time is set for 3:37 p.m. Eastern.