Sonneman tops feature; turf racing returns
RACE REPLAY IS NOT AVAILABLE
LOUSVILLE, Ky. – The only allowance race Wednesday at Churchill Downs serves as the nominal feature of a nine-race card that starts at the usual 1 p.m. Eastern.
Sonneman, a two-back runner-up in the Pat Day Mile on the Sept. 5 Kentucky Derby undercard, is the 7-5 morning-line favorite among a field of seven 3-year-olds in the eighth race, an $89,000, second-level allowance at 1 1/16 miles. Mo Mosa and What a Country figure as his top threats.
Three races are scheduled for the turf (races 3, 6, 9) after all but one turf race were transferred to the main track last week because of a soggy course. Drier conditions were expected to prevail all week in Louisville.
Churchill will run three days this week, going dark Friday and Saturday in deference to the Breeders’ Cup prior to live action resuming Sunday.
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◗ Through the first six cards at the 24-day Churchill fall meet, there are logjams atop the trainer and jockey standings.
Steve Asmussen and Ken McPeek lead all trainers with four wins, with six more trainers having won three races each.
Ricardo Santana Jr. leads all jockeys with seven wins, with five riders tied for second with six wins.
◗ Violent City earned an 82 Beyer Speed Figure when returning from an eight-month layoff to win a first-level allowance Sunday at Churchill. Now a two-time winner from three career starts, the 3-year-old son of Violence snapped a prolonged slump for trainer Ian Wilkes, who had gone winless with his 70 previous starters on the Kentucky circuit.
◗ First-place finishers were disqualified for interference in each of the last two races Sunday by the Churchill stewards. Singita Dreams, ridden by Gabriel Saez, was taken down following the ninth race after spooking near the quarter pole, giving the victory to Cash Out. Some 30 minutes later, Monte Ne and Corey Lanerie were disqualified for subtly drifting out with Smart Call latched onto his hind quarter, giving the latter the win.
◗ A couple of veteran trainers with large Churchill strings are nearing significant milestones. Mark Casse began the week with 2,994 career wins, while Bernie Flint is two wins away from becoming just the sixth trainer to win 500 races at Churchill.