Tamit could go favored in allowance feature

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – The lone allowance on a nine-race Friday card that starts at 12:45 p.m. Eastern could have Tamit as a lukewarm favorite in an oversubscribed lineup of fillies and mares going a mile on turf.

Trained by Norm Casse, who registered his first two career victories earlier at the meet, Tamit will be making her first start in six months following a lengthy series of workouts in Florida and Kentucky. Owned by Robert Masterson of Tepin fame, Tamit will break from post 3 and will be ridden by Gabriel Saez in the $55,000 first-level race.

The first listed also-eligible in the feature is Bella Belle, who, curiously enough, would start alongside Bella Bella if she happens to draw in.

The feature goes as race 8 and is included in the Single 6 sequence, which spans races 4-9. The rollover jackpot into Thursday stood at $460,789.

◗ Ricardo Santana Jr. is serving a seven-day suspension this week stemming from a Lone Star Park riding infraction, but can ride in designated stakes until the suspension ends after Saturday action, according to the Lone Star ruling. That means Santana can ride the two stakes here Saturday, the Winning Colors and Keertana Stakes.

Santana enjoyed a fabulous Preakness weekend at Pimlico, riding five winners, all in stakes. He can resume riding full time Sunday.

◗ Trainer Rusty Arnold has confirmed the June 23 Ohio Derby as the next start for Funny Duck, a 39-1 winner of the May 5 Pat Day Mile. Arnold also had been considering the Grade 3 Matt Winn on the June 16 Stephen Foster undercard at Churchill.

Meanwhile, trainer Phil Bauer said he intends to run Madison’s Luna in the Grade 2 Woody Stephens on the June 9 Belmont Stakes undercard. Madison’s Luna, a five-length winner of the Grade 3 Hutcheson at Gulfstream in just his second start, was a distant 10th in the Pat Day Mile.

◗ Trainer Eddie Kenneally said he is unsure of the next start for Girls Know Best, winner of the off-turf The Very One on Saturday at Pimlico, but added the Grade 2 Wise Dan on June 16 is likely next for Parlor, a sharp allowance winner on the Churchill turf on May 13.

◗ Mom’s On Strike, who has emerged as one of the top long-distance filly-mare turf runners in the Midwest with three stakes victories this year, will make her next start in the Grade 2 New York on June 8 at Belmont Park, said trainer Joe Sharp.

◗ Jockey Brian Hernandez Jr. continues to have an outstanding spring meet and led the standings by a 22-16 count when the five-day week began here Thursday evening. A tight race has developed among the leading trainers, with Steve Asmussen, Kenny McPeek, and Ian Wilkes deadlocked with eight wins apiece when the week began.

◗ The lone Monday card of the year at Churchill be held on Memorial Day, with first post set for 12:45 p.m.