Molly Morgan points to Gardenia Stakes
RACE REPLAY IS NOT AVAILABLE.jpg)
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Dale Romans said he is considering a run in the upcoming Gardenia Stakes for Molly Morgan, who has returned to the trainer’s main base at Churchill Downs after finishing fifth in the Grade 1 Delaware Handicap.
“I imagine it’d be a pretty good spot for her, but I’m going to wait a little longer to decide whether that’s what we want to do,” said Romans.
Molly Morgan was a two-back winner of the Grade 2 Fleur de Lis at Churchill, where last weekend she had her first breeze since the July 12 Del Cap.
Nominations were released Wednesday for the Grade 3, $100,000 Gardenia, the annual showcase event at Ellis Park in western Kentucky. The list does not include On Fire Baby, the multiple Grade 1 winner who breezed last weekend for the second time since finishing a disappointing fifth June 14 in the Fleur de Lis.
“We’re going to skip this one,” said trainer Gary “Red Dog” Hartlage.
Instead, Hartlage said On Fire Baby will point to the Locust Grove Handicap on opening weekend of the September meet at Churchill.
“If all goes well, we’d like to run her back in the Spinster,” he said. The Spinster Stakes is run Oct. 5 at Keeneland.
The one-mile Gardenia is set for Aug. 9, and entries will be taken the preceding Wednesday. Among the other notable nominees is Judy the Beauty, although trainer Wesley Ward said he intends to run her in the Grade 1 Ballerina Stakes at Saratoga.
** Apprentice Juan Saez continues to turn heads at Ellis, where the 17-year-old Panamanian has surged to a comfortable lead atop the jockeys’ standings. Saez, the younger brother of prominent New York jockey Luis Saez, rode eight more winners last weekend, giving him 24 wins at a meet that ends Sept. 1. Miguel Mena is next with 14.
** R.A. “Cowboy” Jones has a mount Saturday at Ellis as he continues his attempt to become the first jockey known to win races in seven decades. Jones, 71, is named on Goldenholden in the first race Saturday. Jones, who rode his first winner in 1959, has not won a race since 2004.