Sarah Harper, Lovemesomeme look to bounce back

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Ron Moquett is not only a trainer, but a big racing fan, too. His plans this weekend revolved around watching every minute he could of the Breeders’ Cup from Keeneland, even if he had nothing running in any of the 14 championship races.

“After we run one on the Friday undercard and the horse is cooled out, we’re zipping right home to turn on the TV,” said Moquett, who two years ago at Keeneland won the BC Sprint with Whitmore. “We’ll be there on the couch all day Saturday, too. I take a whole lot of interest in the game from a fan’s perspective.”

Moquett also is the trainer and a big fan of a 4-year-old filly named Sarah Harper, a major contender Sunday in the feature race at Churchill Downs, where horseplayers can nurse their Breeders’ Cup hangover with nine races of live action. Sarah Harper and one of her opponents, Lovemesomeme, both began their respective careers like gangbusters, only to incur subsequent disappointment as they climbed the class ladder.

Lovemesomeme, with Brian Hernandez Jr. riding, and Sarah Harper, Luis Saez up, will start alongside each other in posts 4 and 5, respectively, as the likely favorites in a field of seven fillies and mares in race 8, a $141,000, third-level allowance going seven furlongs.

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Sarah Harper, by Vancouver, won three of her first five starts before being finishing unplaced in back-to-back stakes gapped by a seven-month layoff forced by a foot issue, Moquett said.

“We’ve had a hard time finding the right kind of spot for her since we brought her back from that,” he said. “She was a good third for this same condition last out, and I think she’s back doing really well. Hopefully, this is where she gets back to winning.”

Lovemesomeme looks very similar on paper, having begun with three wins from four starts, only to lose her last three, too. Her four-way partnership led by the Rocket Ship Racing of Brook Smith long have held out high hopes for a 4-year-old Paynter filly trained by Tommy Drury.

Among the rest, the Minnesota-bred Charlie’s Penny (post 2, Tyler Gaffalione) should take her share of action when shipping down from Chicago for Chris Block off an easy September win over statebreds at Canterbury Park.

First post Sunday is 1 p.m. Eastern, with a second allowance (race 7) for fillies and mares directly preceding the feature. It’s a $127,000, first-level race going 6 1/2 furlongs, with Portilla and Send for Me the program favorites in a field of eight.

After Sunday, Churchill goes dark for two days before the first of three straight five-day race weeks begins Wednesday with a nine-race card. The 19-day meet runs through Nov. 27.

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