Point to the Wild looks to continue ascent in Unbridled Sidney Stakes

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Point to the Wild can further validate her rags-to-riches story when going postward as one of the top contenders in the Saturday feature at Churchill Downs, the $65,000 Unbridled Sidney Stakes at five furlongs on turf.

Brad Cox claimed Point to the Wild for a mere $10,000 last fall, and all the mare has done since then is win 3 of 5 starts while making a rapid ascent up the class ladder.

“She’s really stepped up to the plate,” said Cox, who trains 5-year-old Point to the Wild for a Hopkinsville, Ky., partnership known as JJK Thoroughbreds. “She’s doing really well. It looks like it might rain Friday and soften the turf course a little bit, which I think would be good for us.”

Point to the Wild, with Brian Hernandez Jr. riding from post 3, is one of eight fillies and mares in the Unbridled Sidney, the ninth of 10 Saturday races. Point to the Wild most recently finished a solid fourth in a contentious April 19 renewal of the Giant’s Causeway Stakes on the Keeneland turf.

Several others figure to vie for favoritism with Point to the Wild in what shapes up as a well-matched feature. They include To My Valentine (post 5, Leandro Goncalves), who contested a swift pace before fading in the Giant’s Causeway, and Sweet Cassiopeia (post 7, Joe Rocco Jr.), who held the lead past the eighth pole in the Giant’s Causeway before finishing third.

The balance of the field includes Saturday Nthe Park, Queen Negwer, Costly, Marcasite, and Dixie Jackpot. Of those, Queen Negwer might rate the best upset chance if she can revert to her effort here last May, when she rallied from far back to win a first-level allowance with style.

The Unbridled Sidney is named for the Ronny Werner-trained filly who set a then-course record of 55.54 seconds for five furlongs in 2005. The record (55.45) is now held by Silver Timber (2010).

The $65,000 purse actually includes $12,300 restricted to horses eligible for the Kentucky Thoroughbred Development Fund. All but To My Valentine and Marcasite are Kentucky-breds.

First post is 12:45 p.m. Eastern, with the feature set for 4:49 p.m. Eleven races were in the condition book for Saturday, but with races being difficult to fill since this 38-day meet began April 26, the racing office settled on just 10.

◗ The next graded stakes here is the Grade 3 Louisville Handicap on May 24, marking a three-week span following the Kentucky Derby. The obvious highlight May 17 will be the simulcast of the Preakness.

◗ A limited number of tickets are still available in the Trophy Room, Stakes Room, and Jockey Club Suites for the Mother’s Day brunch here Sunday. The day is always popular with local families.