No clear favorite in Father's Day allowance
RACE REPLAY IS NOT AVAILABLE
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Finding a suitable Father’s Day gift usually is fairly difficult but not any more so than picking a winner in the Sunday feature at Churchill Downs.
A $54,000 second-level allowance that anchors a nine-race Sunday card drew a full field and lacks a clear-cut favorite, meaning dad might have to mull his wagering choices even longer than usual.
Sky Treasure, drawn on the rail with a couple of recent bullet workouts for trainer Mark Casse, looks as good as any in the eighth race, which is scheduled for 1 1/8 miles on turf. The Sky Mesa filly has had just one start since last summer when finishing a creditable fourth despite a sluggish start in a similar one-mile turf race during Kentucky Derby week.
“I thought she ran real well her first start back,” Casse said Friday from Ocala, Fla. “She’s a nice filly, although we do have a little concern about the longer distance. She’s trained well and has been ready to go since getting that first one behind her. This is the first suitable spot that’s really come around for us.”
Sky Treasure, owned by John Oxley, won two of her first three starts and never has turned in a poor effort in six overall starts. Stewart Elliott has a return call.
An oversubscribed field of fillies and mares is entered, with as many as 12 eligible to run. She’s Got Swag is the lone also-eligible and only will start if the race is taken off the turf and moved to the main track.
One other major horse to consider is Topic, the 3-1 morning-line favorite drawn alongside Sky Treasure in post 2. The 4-year-old filly races in the name of Racing Hall of Fame trainer Neil Drysdale and has trained here since late April while a stablehand has looked after her.
Fringe contenders include Seanchai, Zadina, North by Northlite, White Rose, and Allegheny Angel.
First post is 12:45 p.m. Eastern, with the feature set for 4:18.
The only other allowance (race 6) on the card is scheduled for about an hour earlier. It’s a $52,000 first-level turf mile in which Flashy Gal figures as a solid favorite for trainer Wayne Catalano and jockey Julien Leparoux.
Father’s Day at Churchill perennially is popular with local race-goers as most of the dining areas are far busier than a typical Sunday.
After Sunday, Churchill goes dark for the usual three days before another four-day week resumes Thursday. The next two Fridays, June 20 and 27, will be Downs After Dark programs.