Somelikeithotbrown gets another shot at Pixelate in Mint Million

The redrawn version of the Mint Million is a lot like the original, with a notable exception: Somelikeithotbrown, given the extra week that has passed since the Grade 3 race was postponed, joins the field and throws in a new wrinkle.

Pixelate, the 2021 winner of the Mint Million, is back among a lineup of 10 older horses, most of whom were scheduled to clash last Saturday in this $1 million race at turf-only Kentucky Downs before a major rainstorm hit. Additions since the race was reset are Somelikeithotbrown and Field Pass, both of them joining their Mike Maker stablemate Atone – although Field Pass is likely to be scratched to run instead Saturday in the BWI Turf Cup at Pimlico.

Somelikeithotbrown will run back on just two weeks’ rest, having won the off-the-turf West Point in his latest start Aug. 26 at Saratoga. A New York-bred with more than $1.3 million in earnings, the 6-year-old horse was second in this race last year when part of a fast pace that benefited Pixelate’s late-running style.

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Trainer Mike Stidham said the pace should be fast enough on Saturday to give Pixelate a fair chance to repeat.

“It looks like there’s a decent amount of speed in there this year, too,” Stidham said. “I’m not saying they’ll go 44 and change like they did last year, but it doesn’t matter all that much. He’s the type of horse that if they’re going too fast, he’ll sit a little farther back, but if they’re slowing it down, he’ll be closer up. It’ll all depend on how the race sets up.”

Stidham said Pixelate stands to benefit “in a big way” from his effort in the Prince George’s County on July 16 at Laurel Park, where he was a fast-closing third in his first race in nearly seven months. Florent Geroux will be aboard Pixelate leaving from post 2 in the one-mile Mint Million.

Another top challenger to Pixelate is Atone (post 7, Tyler Gaffalione), like Pixelate a steady 5-year-old. Although winless since last November, Atone has been competitive in his six starts since then, all while keeping high-class company.

“We’d like to add a couple lengths here and there to his PPs,” said Maker, who trains Atone for Jordan Wycoff. “He’s been a really consistent horse for us. He should be one to reckon with.”

Gray’s Fable (post 6, Mickaelle Michel) rebounded from a couple of subpar efforts in winning the Evan Williams on Aug. 7 on the Ellis Park turf in his last start. The come-from-behind score under a heady Michel ride was in stark contrast to his front-running win in the Opening Verse during Kentucky Derby week at Churchill Downs.

Gray’s Fable covered the mile of the Evan Williams in 1:34.93.

“It was nice to see him come from out of it the other day, to run such a quick time and finish so strong,” said his trainer, Brian Lynch.

Another possibility in the Mint Million is Mr Dumas (post 1, Reylu Gutierrez), another hard-trying veteran who has finished third or better in 18 of 24 starts. The 6-year-old horse is trained by John Ortiz, still basking in his first training title, earned at the recently ended Ellis meet.

The Mint Million is the fifth of 12 races and the first of five $1 million races on the card.