Rivelli armed with top turf sprinters
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One Timer posted the highest turf-sprint Beyer Speed Figure so far this year, 104, winning the Kentucky Downs Turf Sprint Preview Sstakes on Sunday at Ellis Park. But as fast as One Timer ran, it’s not even certain he’s the top one-turn turf horse in trainer Larry Rivelli’s stable. Nobals certainly has accomplished more this year, winning the Grade 2 Turf Sprint at Churchill in May with a 102 Beyer, and he was a good second Saturday at Saratoga finishing second in the Troy Stakes.
“I had to split them up and I feel like I chose the right races,” Rivelli said.
Rivelli has been choosing a lot of good spots. Starting with Two Phil’s, since retired, winning the Jeff Ruby Steaks on March 25, Rivelli has gone a remarkable 17-10-3-2 in stakes races.
Nobals made the lead in the Troy and was near the rail on a soft grass course favoring outside paths before getting run down late by Cogburn while earning a 98 Beyer. One Timer, like Nobals, has plenty of speed, but it’s rateable speed, and he captured his race Sunday from just off the pace. E. T. Baird was aboard both horses.
“They’re both going to the Breeders’ Cup if they can,” Rivelli said Monday.
First, One Timer is going to Kentucky Downs for the $1 million Turf Sprint on Sept. 9. Rivelli has every reason to believe One Timer can hold his current form there, since One Timer turned in his top performance of 2022 capturing the Franklin-Simpson Stakes over the quirky Kentucky Downs course.
Rivelli said he’d find “an easier path” for Nobals, who could run once before the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint in November or train up to the race.
One Timer will face, among others, the horse that beat Nobals in the Troy, Cogburn, who also is bound for the Kentucky Downs Turf Sprint. Cogburn was switched from dirt to turf earlier this year and now is 3 for 3 on grass.
“He had run twice on the turf previously and looked very impressive, but obviously it wasn’t against the quality of field that was assembled [Saturday],” trainer Steve Asmussen said.
Me and Mr. C, Cellist to Turf Cup
Me and Mr. C and Cellist, respectively first and second while separated by a neck Sunday in the Kentucky Downs Turf Cup Preview Stakes, both are headed to the $1.7 million Kentucky Downs Turf Cup on Sept. 9.
Me and Mr. C won his third straight stakes and first race beyond 1 1/8 miles in the 1 1/4-mile Turf Cup preview. The Turf Cup itself is run over 1 1/2 miles and as a Florida-bred, Me and Mr. C won’t be eligible for the share of the purse restricted to Kentucky-breds. His trainer, Mike Maker, already has Therapist and Red Knight aimed at a race he’s won five times, and might have even more horses for the race.
“Hopefully more than that, but three today,” Maker said Monday.
Cellist ran well in defeat, contesting the pace and holding firm before the winner nipped him in the final strides. Cellist, who has run well before at Kentucky Downs, was making his first start since December. Cellist, trainer Rusty Arnold said, had been ready to run for about six weeks, but one intended race at Churchill Downs was canceled and a race in which Cellist had been entered was rained off turf.
New Year’s Eve, Bay Storm Kentucky Downs-bound
New Year’s Eve and Bay Storm, winners of Kentucky Downs preview stakes this past weekend at Ellis, are bound for $1 million sex-restricted races on Sept. 9 at Kentucky Downs.
Five-year-old Bay Storm equaled her career-best 95 Beyer winning the Mint Ladies Sprint Preview Stakes by a neck under a fine ride from Florent Geroux. Jonathan Thomas, who trains the Kantharos mare for Bridlewood Farm, said Monday that the mare likely would race in the Mint Ladies Sprint.
“It looks like she bounced out of it the right way,” Thomas said.
New Year’s Eve, a 4-year-old trained by Brendan Walsh, might have run the best race of her 11-start career capturing the Ellis prep for the $1 million Ladies Turf over one mile at Kentucky Downs. With ample pace in front of her, New Year’s Eve finished strongly from the back of an 11-horse field to get up by a neck.
“We’ll probably go to that race with her,” said Walsh. “She’s been doing really good. It set up perfect for her the other day; a strong pace is what she needs.”
--additional reporting by Nicole Russo
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