Sharp making Breeders' Cup plans

Louisiana Downs stakes winner Majestic Gale is one good month away from getting a shot at the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf.

The winner of the Happy Ticket on Sept. 10 on the Super Derby card at Louisiana Downs, she is now being pointed for the Grade 3, $150,000 Jessamine on Oct. 12 at Keeneland, according to trainer Joe Sharp.

“She’s doing great,” Sharp said. “She’s here in Kentucky. We’re looking at the Jessamine and then, hopefully, if everything stays well, the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf.”

The $1 million BC Juvenile Fillies Turf is Nov. 4 at Santa Anita. It will be run at a mile on the grass, the same distance over which Majestic Gale won the Happy Ticket. She rallied from next to last to win by 4 1/2 lengths, and her time of 1:36.58 was quicker than the 1:37.39 that the corresponding stakes for males, the Sunday Silence, went in two races later.

“We were really impressed,” said Sharp, who trains Majestic Gale for Allan Peterson. “There wasn’t much pace. She sat off of it and was able to mow them down pretty handily.”

The start came one race after Majestic Gale won a maiden special weight at a mile on turf in her grass debut Aug. 19 at Ellis Park. Sharp said she is improving. Majestic Gale is a daughter of Majestic Warrior.

“Physically, mentally, we’re excited where she’s at,” said Sharp.

Sharp has another Louisiana Downs stakes starter on deck for a Breeders’ Cup prep race at Keeneland. He said Hembree, who was second in the Sunday Silence, is being pointed for the Grade 3, $250,000 Bourbon on Oct. 9.

“Hembree won first time out at Saratoga, came back, and was second with a really unlucky trip at Louisiana Downs,” Sharp said. “We’re hoping he can make it to the Breeders’ Cup as well. We’re pretty excited about him. We think he’s moving forward.”

The $1 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf will be run Nov. 4 at Santa Anita.

Hembree is a son of Proud Citizen who races for Ken and Sarah Ramsey. Over the weekend, the couple and Sharp sent out Kitten’s Cat to run third in the Pilgrim Stakes at Belmont Park.

The Sharp-trained Cool Arrow, who won the $75,000 Kip Deville on Sept. 25 at Remington Park, is a candidate for the new $300,000 Spendthrift Stallion Stakes on Oct. 30 at Churchill Downs.

Cool Arrow, who is by the Spendthrift Farm stallion Into Mischief, won his second straight race in the Kip Deville. He covered six furlongs in 1:10.60 and earned a career-high Beyer Speed Figure of 73.

“He’s come out of the race great,” Sharp said. “We’ve got him back here in Kentucky.”

Cool Arrow races for Brad Grady.

Sharp, 31, said he will keep a winter division of horses in New York for the first time this season, with those runners to be based at Belmont Park. He said his barn has picked up quite a few New York-breds. Sharp also will have winter divisions at Gulfstream Park and Fair Grounds.