Nikki's Sandcastle faces Silver Max in Firecracker
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LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Nikki’s Sandcastle will be among the horses trying to ruin the return of Silver Max when the Grade 2, $200,000 Firecracker Stakes is run Saturday on the Churchill Downs turf.
Silver Max, perhaps best known for defeating Wise Dan last fall in the Shadwell Mile at Keeneland, will be making his first start in nearly eight months in the Firecracker, for which entries were drawn Wednesday.
“This is probably the best time to try Silver Max after he’s been off this long,” said Dave Kassen, the trainer of Nikki’s Sandcastle. “Our horse is in really good form right now.”
Nikki’s Sandcastle, with Leandro Goncalves to ride, will start from post 4 in the one-mile race. The 7-year-old gelding has won five stakes in a 40-race career and comes off a victory May 24 in the Grade 3 Hanshin Cup over Polytrack at Arlington Park.
Silver Max (post 5, Robby Albarado), an earner of almost $1.8 million from 23 starts, has had four recorded works over the Churchill turf in preparation for this. He is the only horse in the last two years to beat Wise Dan.
From the hedge, this is the Firecracker field: Guys Reward, Free World, Valentino Beauty, Nikki’s Sandcastle, Silver Max, Villandry, Joha, and Regally Ready.
DRF FORMULATOR FACT: No. 8 Regally Ready. Trainer Steve Asmussen is 3 for 9 with a whopping $10.42 ROI in turf graded stakes with horses making their third start off a layoff over the past five years. Click for more details. – Matt Bernier
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The Firecracker shares the Saturday spotlight with the Grade 3, $100,000 Bashford Manor Stakes, the first stakes for 2-year-old colts and geldings this year in Kentucky, as well as the $65,000 Kelly’s Landing Stakes for older sprinters.
The six-furlong Bashford Manor drew a field of six, headed by Maryland shipper Governmentshutdown, the winner of the Rollicking Stakes on Preakness weekend at Pimlico.
Sunday is closing day at the 38-day spring meet.
Promising juvenile
Trainer Jinks Fires said he has been fielding inquiries on behalf of owner A.J. Foyt Jr. in regard to a 2-year-old colt named Highway to Fame, a 2 1/2-length winner of a maiden race in his career debut here last Thursday.
“Sure, they’re calling, like they always do whenever a 2-year-old looks good like he did,” said Fires. “Haven’t really gotten anything solid yet, though.”
Highway to Fame was dismissed at 37-1 when earning a 57 Beyer Speed Figure. The bay Monarchos colt was bought for just $22,000 as a yearling last September by Foyt, the famed racecar driver best known for his four victories in the Indianapolis 500.
◗ Churchill is very well represented by a number of stakes shippers for the biggest weekend of the year at Prairie Meadows in Iowa. Tom Amoss is among the trainers sending horses north, with Quiet Success in the Iowa Distaff and Delaunay in the Iowa Sprint Handicap on Friday, followed by Ria Antonia in the Iowa Oaks on Saturday.
Ria Antonia will be making her first start since a last-place finish in the May 17 Preakness.