Pair of Ward trainees favored in 2-year-old races
Kentucky Downs’s undulating turf course often is compared to those in Europe, so it is apropos that trainer Wesley Ward – he of Royal Ascot and other European racing fame – also happens to win races often at Kentucky Downs.
Ward has the morning-line favorites for the two juvenile stakes races Saturday at Kentucky Downs: Luck of the Kitten in the $200,000 Kentucky Downs Juvenile and To Be Determined in the $200,000 Kentucky Downs Fillies.
Luck of the Kitten, a homebred colt by Kitten’s Joy owned by Ken and Sarah Ramsey, has a second- and first-place finish in two starts. The runner-up finish came July 19 at Saratoga and the win Aug. 16 at Arlington on the Arlington Million undercard.
DRF FORMULATOR FACT: No. 2 Luck of the Kitten. Trainer Wesley Ward is 2 for 24 with a $0.27 ROI over the past five years with 2-year-olds on turf following a maiden victory. Click for more details. – Mike Hogan
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“He’s a little different than most of the Kitten’s Joys,” Ward said. “He fires out there with some speed.”
That speed is favorable in light of a cutback in distance from a mile to seven furlongs.
Rafael Hernandez, a newcomer to the Kentucky circuit after dominating at Fairmount Park in recent years, rides Luck of the Kitten, as well as To Be Determined.
Key contenders
Luck of the Kitten (Last 2 Beyers: 70-60)
* Ward has won with 33 percent of his starters at Kentucky Downs over the last five years, with 61 percent hitting the board, per DRF’s Formulator. His ROI: $2.06
Reality (Last 2 Beyers: 67-68)
* He is a son of Super Saver, the leading first-crop and 2-year-old sire in North America.
* Ran competitively in defeat in two starts in New York on turf, finishing second at Belmont and fourth at Saratoga.
Czar (Last Beyer: 62)
* Rallied to be third in his only start after a poor break at Ellis Park and figures to improve.
Juvenile Fillies (race 7)
The Kentucky Downs Juvenile Fillies drew a more accomplished turf group.
To Be Determined just missed when second at Saratoga last out after running ninth in the Group 2 Norfolk at Ascot and third against males in a fast dirt maiden race in May at Churchill. Late Spring, Dark Rain, Emmajestic, and Simply Confection come off victories on grass.
Key contenders
To Be Determined (Last 2 Beyers: 74-52)
* Her last-race Beyer is the highest speed figure in the race.
* Ward expects her to like the laid-back atmosphere of Kentucky Downs after she got rattled in the paddock Aug. 10 at Saratoga, where she flipped over.
Late Spring (Last Beyer: 69)
* Rallied to win her debut by 5 1/4 lengths going 5 1/2 furlongs at Ellis Park.
* Covered the final sixteenth of her maiden victory in 6.01 seconds, suggesting she ought to appreciate the seven-furlong distance of the Kentucky Downs Fillies.
So Cal (Last Beyer: 72)
* Won her only start at Saratoga this summer while racing on dirt and came back to work on turf there in late August for trainer Steve Asmussen.
DRF FORMULATOR FACT: No. 8 Croninthebarbarian. Trainer Garry Simms is 4 for 11 with a $5.41 ROI over the past five years with 2-year-olds following a maiden victory. Click for more details. – Mike Hogan