Siem Riep, A Little Bit Me pull upsets in turf stakes
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LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Racing fans got a head start on their Kentucky Derby weekend by turning out at Churchill Downs for an 11-race “Thurby” card anchored by a pair of ungraded turf stakes, the Opening Verse and Unbridled Sidney.
Here are brief recaps of those Thursday co-features, both won by longshots over a course rated firm:
$116,300 Opening Verse
Siem Riep, the longest shot in a field of 10 older horses, led all the way under James Graham when giving a welcome dose of solace to trainer Ben Colebrook, who announced Thursday that his longtime stable star, Limousine Liberal, had been retired because of a sesamoid injury sustained the previous morning in a routine gallop at Keeneland.
Owned by Marc Detampel, Siem Riep returned $72 after prevailing by 1 1/2 lengths over Hembree and finishing the one-mile distance in 1:35.07. The 5-year-old gelded son of Tapit now has six wins and four seconds from 20 career starts, with this being his richest score.
Hembree closed with an outside rush to get second in a very tight three-way photo that found Ballagh Rocks third and First Premio fourth.
“It was an emotional win after a whirlwind 24 hours,” said Colebrook. “It’s exciting that this horse finally broke through for a stakes win – he’s been knocking on the door all last year. He beat some quality horses this afternoon. They let him run on the lead this afternoon and he proved to be dangerous.”
Limousine Liberal, an earner of more than $1.8 million, had been entered to run Saturday in the Grade 1 Churchill Downs, a race he won the last two years. His injury will not require surgery.
$125,000 Unbridled Sidney
A Little Bit Me ($50) rebounded off a subpar effort in the recent Giant’s Causeway to nail favored Morticia in the final jumps of this 5 1/2-furlong race for fillies and mares. Excessivespending was third, another 1 1/2 lengths back, while Surrender Now faded to fourth in the field of nine.
“I thought she was going to be a little too late,” said John Velazquez, the Hall of Fame jockey who was aboard for owner Christopher Johnson and California-based trainer Richard Baltas. “She did it, though.”
A Little Bit Me, a 5-year-old gray mare by The Factor, finished in 1:04.57 for her fifth win from 25 career starts. She had finished 10th and last following a poor start in the Giant’s Causeway at Keeneland.
