Royal Daaher, American Mandate in belated rematch

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – It’s been nine months since Royal Daaher and American Mandate nearly dead-heated at Oaklawn Park. The two 4-year-old colts will be rematched Friday in the lone allowance on a nine-race Churchill card, with contrasting stories about what they’ve been doing in the meantime.

Royal Daaher has gone unraced since nosing out American Mandate for second in a Feb. 22 allowance at Oaklawn. The Florida-bred colt has maintained a steady breeze pattern in Chicago in recent weeks for trainer Jimmy DiVito and will need to be sharp to prevail when he faces six others in the eighth race, a five-furlong dash with a maximum purse of $87,000.

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Meanwhile, American Mandate has tasted defeat seven more times trying to get through his first allowance condition, extending his career mark to an eye-catching 19-1-8-5. Churchill bettors will have to decide if the colt’s narrow defeat last month in a similar allowance at Keeneland is proof that he’s ready to snap a 14-race losing skein.

First post Friday is 1 p.m. Eastern. Sunshine and a high of 64 are in the local forecast.

Turf racing at Churchill has been suspended at least until the final week of the fall meet (Nov. 25-29) because of poor course conditions.