Road Show likes trip and strip
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - In Friday's featured 10th race at Churchill Downs - a $58,000 second-level allowance - gets back to his strength: running a one-turn mile over the Churchill strip.
Last November he produced the best performance of his six-race career under similar conditions - winning an allowance by 1 1/4 lengths. He ran quickly, too, racing a mile in 1:35.98, a performance that earned him a 94 Beyer Speed Figure.
On Friday he faces better company in second-level allowance runners, but he already has shown he can be competitive with such foes. Returning from a six-month layoff at Churchill Downs June 1, he finished third in a six-furlong race, losing by a length to Hallowed Flag. He regressed to an 85 Beyer in that race, which came at a distance less than his best.
With an abundance of speed in the field, he should get a favorable stalking trip under jockey Rafael Bejarano. Paul McGee trains Road Show for Jay Em Ess Stable.
share the top last-race Beyer in the field, an 89. Chief Export earned that number wiring first-level allowance runners May 24 at 1 1/8 miles, and Shadowland earned his 89 in a hard-fought win in $30,000 nonwinners-of-three company.
Both horses face better opposition Friday. Chief Export is stepping up a level in allowance company and faces much more pace pressure with the cutback in distance to a one-turn mile, and Shadowland is coming off a race in which he was all out to win for a tag.
Shadowland does have back class. As a 3-year-old in 2004 he was second to Fire Slam in the Grade 3 Lecomte at Fair Grounds. That race gave his connections Kentucky Derby aspirations, but he fell off the Derby trail after a pair of seventh-place finishes in the Louisiana and Arkansas derbies.
Corey Lanerie, up for Shadowland's recent win, has a return mount.
Prayer Service, Mark of Success, Rungius, and Scion complete the seven-horse field.
Bandstand looks best
Bandstand looms the likely favorite in the ninth race, the only other allowance on the 11-race card Friday at Churchill Downs.
Coming off a close fourth-place finish in a tougher first-level allowance at a mile, she should move forward against a softer group going six furlongs. Her principal adversary appears to be Arradoul, who won a maiden race at Churchill Downs May 21 after running second in her debut.