Pocahontas next up for Serengeti Empress

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – As the Ellis Park meet winds down, Kentucky horsemen are marking their condition books for upcoming meets at Kentucky Downs and Churchill Downs.

Starting Friday, six programs (and no stakes) remain through closing day, Sept. 3, at the 30-day Ellis meet in western Kentucky. Nominations for the first round of stakes on opening day (Sept. 1) of the Kentucky Downs meet closed Wednesday, while trainers such as Tom Amoss already are eyeing the opening weekend of the 11-day September meet at Churchill Downs, where Serengeti Empress will make her next start following a sensational 13 1/2-length triumph Sunday in the Ellis Debutante.

“She’s an exciting filly,” Amoss said.

Serengeti Empress earned an 84 Beyer Speed Figure in the seven-furlong Debutante, her third career start, and will race next in the Sept. 15 Pocahontas at Churchill. The Grade 2 Pocahontas for 2-year-old fillies and Grade 3 Iroquois for 2-year-olds both are 1 1/16-mile races offering Win and You’re In berths toward the Breeders’ Cup, as well as the first eligibility points toward the 2019 Kentucky Oaks and Derby, respectively.

Serengeti Empress, by the young sire Alternation, was coming off a fourth-place finish in the opening-day Schuylverville at Saratoga. Amoss raved about the filly’s upside afterward to Ellis publicity.

“Super intelligent,” Amoss said. “Went through all of her drills without blinking an eye. I mean, every time we challenged her she was up to it.”

Meanwhile, Tobacco Road, winner of the Ellis Juvenile on Sunday, is following in the footsteps taken two years ago by Lookin At Lee – almost eerily so. Trained by Steve Asmussen for the L and N Racing of Lee Levinson, Tobacco Road and Lookin At Lee both were fifth in June debuts at Churchill; won their second start in July at Ellis; then won the seven-furlong Ellis Juvenile by three-quarters of a length.

Lookin At Lee, now 4, eventually finished second to Always Dreaming in the 2017 Kentucky Derby. His fourth start resulted in a runner-up finish in the Iroquois, and that’s the race Asmussen and Levinson are targeting for Tobacco Road, who earned a 63 Beyer in winning the Juvenile over his Asmussen stablemate Whiskey Echo.

“The comparisons continue,” Levinson said. “The best part was how he finished, because he was pulling away at the end. Boy, can you imagine at a distance?”

Both Sunday stakes winners were ridden by Corey Lanerie, who is seeking a third straight Ellis riding title. Lanerie enters Friday action with a 24-22 lead over Shaun Bridgmohan, despite having missed the first six cards in the aftermath of the June 22 death of his wife, Shantel.

“When I came back here, I didn’t know how well I would do after Shantel’s passing, just if people would give me back my mounts right away,” Lanerie said. “It’s been a blessing. I took off where I left, kind of kept on winning. My business didn’t seem to linger at all. Once I saw I had a little chance, I kind of made it a goal to try to do it and be leading rider for Shantel.”

Two allowances are the highlights of both the Friday and Saturday cards at Ellis, where daily first post is 12:50 p.m. Central. Sept. 1 will be dark to accommodate the Kentucky Downs opener.