Sweet Acclaim looks good if feature stays on grass

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Even after heavy rain Tuesday night, the Churchill Downs main track was relatively dry when training opened before dawn Wednesday. The saturation of the turf course, however, is another matter, and with more rain in the forecast as the week unfolded, it remained to be seen whether weather would force the three turf races scheduled for Friday to be transferred to the main track.

The nominal Friday feature, a second-level optional $62,500 claimer for fillies and mares, is part of that trio, and it’s a solid race if it holds together. Sweet Acclaim, an impressive winner off a lengthy layoff on the March 26 Louisiana Derby undercard, will be favored if the one-mile race stays on grass.

Carded as the fourth of nine races, the $54,000 feature will kick off the Single 6, a 20-cent wager that has been “seeded” for this particular card with $343,154, or half of the pick six carryover from Kentucky Derby Day. The other half was part of a mandatory-payout Single 6 to be held here Thursday. From Friday until the end of the spring meet July 2, a solo perfect ticket will be required to sweep the jackpot.

The other turf races on a Friday program that starts at 12:45 p.m. Eastern are carded as the seventh and ninth, meaning they, too, are part of the Single 6.

Race 4

KEY CONTENDERS

Sweet Acclaim, by Acclamation

Last 3 Beyers: 82-79-82

◗ Irish-bred import didn’t win but did fare respectably when racing five times as a 3-year-old for Chad Brown, all in stakes, before going on an 18-month-plus hiatus that ended with her winning by 4 1/2 lengths at Fair Grounds for her new trainer, Brad Cox.

“I like this mare a lot,” said Cox, who assumed her training last summer. “We took our time with her, and she rewarded us with that big effort in New Orleans.”

Lemon Song, by Lemon Drop Kid

Last 3 Beyers: 83-77-75

◗ Claimed five times from her last six starts – including two brief tours of duty with Cox – this 6-year-old mare now makes her second straight start for Kentucky newcomer Keith Bourgeois when favorably drawn on the hedge.

Molly’s Honour, by Etesaal

Last 3 Beyers: 79-76-80

◗ Consistent Texas-bred outran her odds in her Oaklawn Park farewell when second to the ill-fated Back in Dixie and most likely would be the horse to beat if Churchill officials are compelled to move this race to the main track.