Sky Terrace looks to have edge in turf bow

Sky Terrace, winner of the Derby Trial at Churchill Downs this spring, is the likely favorite in Saturday's $60,000 Regaey Island Stakes at Ellis Park. The Regaey Island is for 3-year-olds at 1 1/16 miles on turf.

The Regaey Island, which replaces the Kentucky Colonel on the Ellis stakes calendar, honors a former Ellis Park president, Lester Yeager.

Regaey is Yeager spelled backward.

In addition to his win in the Derby Trial, which makes him the only graded stakes winner in the field, Sky Terrace also captured an allowance prep for the Northern Dancer Stakes at Churchill, before placing third in that stakes in his most recent start.

Though Sky Terrace has a class advantage over his seven opponents, he has yet to run on turf. Sky Terrace's Derby Trial win did come over a wet main track, which can be an indicator of turf ability.

Jockey Lonnie Meche takes over on Sky Terrace for Craig Perret, who had ridden the colt in all nine of hisprevious starts.

The main challenge is likely to come from Missme, who is coming off a narrow win in the Prairie Mile Stakes at Prairie Meadows. Before his trip to Iowa, Missme earned a neck win in his grass debut against allowance foes at Churchill.

Other contenders include Entitlement and M B Sea. Entitlement won twice on the turf in a 12-day span during the Churchill meet, and may give Sky Terrace pressure early. M B Sea, who has won two straight after losing his first nine starts, was a fast-closing third in his only previous start on the turf at Gulfstream.