Royal Majesty fit for crown in turf feature
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The highest-class race Sunday at Ellis Park diverges from the card’s most interesting race.
Featured race 6, a second-level turf allowance open to $62,500 claimers and carded for 1 1/4 miles on grass, drew a paceless, inscrutable field of just six older horses.
The program’s other allowance, a first-level dirt sprint for older horses, race 8, drew a dozen entrants and has more meat on the bone.
Figuring out how the pace unfolds in race 6 looks about as challenging as figuring out who’s going to win. The two highest TimeformUS early pace numbers belong to Overstatement, with an 84, and Demolition Duke at 72. Both numbers suggest horses without much pace – and that’s spot on. Overstatement has started 26 times and never held a first-call lead. Demolition Duke has run 22 times and never led, and at the peak of his powers, he operated as a one-run closing turf sprinter.
Demolition Duke, who finished fourth, and Royal Majesty, fifth just behind him, exit the last Ellis race at this level, a July 4 contest over 1 1/8 miles. Royal Majesty had a considerably more challenging trip than Demolition Duke and should better appreciate Sunday’s added ground, but he’s a paltry 3-1 on the morning line, and after capturing two of his first four starts, Royal Majesty has not won in 26 months. He has a knack for running races that suggest an imminent breakthrough – and then not breaking through.
And yet, somewhere, sometime, there is a race for every horse, and this could be Royal Majesty’s big day. The morning line lists Andthewinneris as an even-money favorite, but the 6-year-old has gone 5-0-1-0 since returning in February from a 16-month layoff. Argentine import Winston appears to be a dirt horse, while Lincoln Highway brings very dull form.
Race 8 includes Embry Show, trained by Bob Baffert, a cool 16-7-4-0 racing regularly at Ellis for the first time since 2002. Embry Show exits a narrow maiden win, but if he is willing to eat a lot of dirt breaking from post 2 in a big field, he can pull a favorable trip stalking what ought to be a strong pace.
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