McPeek back for Turf Cup Day with likely favorite War Dancer

Running a horse in the biggest race of the Kentucky Downs meet never fails to remind Ken McPeek of what occurred in the 2003 running, when one of his horses, Art Variety, was disqualified from first to third.

“Still one of the worst calls I’ve ever seen in racing,” said McPeek, a trainer since 1985.

A lot of water has passed under the proverbial bridge since then, and McPeek, thankfully, is long over it. Although extremely busy at the Keeneland September yearling sale this week, he is hoping to make the drive to Kentucky Downs on Saturday to saddle War Dancer as the likely favorite in the 23rd running of the $600,000 Kentucky Turf Cup.

Grade 2 winner War Dancer is one of 11 horses set to go 1 1/2 miles over the undulating Kentucky Downs oval in the Grade 3 Turf Cup, one of four straight stakes on a terrific 10-race program with purses of almost $1.7 million (including Kentucky Thoroughbred Development Fund bonuses).

“I think he’s a really special horse,” said McPeek. “Except for when I tried him on the dirt, he’s never run a bad race. Every time you take him over there, he gives you what he’s got.”

Most recently fourth in the Grade 1 Sword Dancer at Saratoga, War Dancer will have Alan Garcia aboard when breaking from post 3. His chief threats include East Coast shippers Holiday Star and Tricky Hat, along with Suntracer, Saffron Hall, and O’Prado Ole.

The Turf Cup is the ninth race on a Saturday card that starts at 1:35 p.m. Central. The other stakes, all with $200,000 purses, are the More Than Ready Mile (race 7), the Kentucky Downs Ladies Sprint (race 8), and the Kentucky Downs Ladies Turf (race 10).

The Saturday feature at Churchill Downs is the $100,000 Open Mind Stakes for filly and mare sprinters.

◗ Speedy Smithwick will run a horse in Kentucky for the first time in almost two years when sending out Kids Tuition as one of the favorites in the second race Saturday at Kentucky Downs. Smithwick is back training in his native Maryland after years on this circuit.