Not even a rain-off can stop Governor Sam in William Walker

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Neither of the two horses who beat him in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint, nor any of those just behind him, will keep Governor Sam from winning his 3-year-old debut Wednesday at Churchill Downs in the $300,000 William Walker Stakes.

Governor Sam drew the outside post in the 11-horse Walker, a 5 1/2-furlong turf dash for 3-year-olds. The 10 entered against him all are Americans, a far cry from the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint, where Governor Sam was one of just four North American-based horses facing seven Europeans and one Japan-based starter. Governor Sam entered on a four-race winning streak and turned in his best performance of 2024, crossing over from post 10 to clear the other speed, fending off a couple pace rivals, and opening a clear midstretch lead before two horses from Ireland, Magnum Force and Arizona Blaze, tagged him.

Governor Sam will leave running from his wide draw, and while there’s speed to his inside, Governor Sam does not need the lead provided he can race in the clear. A more pressing question: Was Governor Sam mainly a precocious horse, or can he continue improving?

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“You know how that goes,” trainer George Weaver said. “Two-year-olds are like high school, 3-year-olds are like college. Each step you got to improve. From what I’ve seen, I don’t think he’ll have any trouble with the transition.”

The weather forecast here has changed for the better – less rain and less chance of rain – but it’s possible that the Walker – especially with important grass races coming Friday and Saturday – could be rained onto dirt. Governor Sam, by Improbable, has never raced on dirt but has trained well enough on it that Weaver said he’d let the horse run after a rain-off.

Perfect Force, cross-entered in Saturday’s Pat Day Mile, appears to have been entered with connections hoping for dirt, a Churchill racing official confirmed. Normandy Coast’s five races have come on dirt, and on April 5 he won the off-turf Palisades at Keeneland. Trainer Eddie Kenneally at press time hadn’t responded to a query regarding Normandy Coast’s status.

Trainer Rodolphe Brisset scratched Warheart from the Palisades and will scratch again Wednesday if there’s a surface switch. On turf, Brisset – who bred and sold this horse – likes Warheart’s chances of running back to a sharp six-furlong grass win Nov. 1 at Aqueduct. He also says to draw a line through a flop Jan. 4 at Turfway Park.

“He hated the surface,” Brisset said. “He’s pretty quick out there. He has enough speed he should be stalking.”

Big Vince and Makeit to Cheyenne will try to run with Governor Sam on the lead. Out On Bail’s connections will hope they do, a fast pace setting up the kind of late run Out On Bail used to come within a neck of Governor Sam in the Indian Summer last October at Keeneland.

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