Trio of allowance races top Friday card

Three allowances and three maiden specials are among the offerings Friday at Ellis in western Kentucky, where another three-day weekend begins with a solid nine-race card.

A $45,000 second-level allowance (race 4) that drew seven fillies and mares going a mile on the main track is the nominal feature. The other allowances go as races 2 and 8, while the straight maiden races will run consecutively as races 5 through 7.

Saturday will bring more of the same, with three allowances and two maiden specials anchoring a 10-race card. First post daily is 12:50 p.m. Central. There are no more stakes remaining at the Runhappy Ellis meet, which runs through Aug. 30.

:: Click to learn about our DRF's Free Past Performance program.

◗ Ellis has increased its base purses by 20 percent, effective with the Friday card. The purse hike comes shortly after bonus payouts from the Kentucky Thoroughbred Development Fund were increased by $6,000 per race and is mostly attributable to an upsurge in wagering handle. A 10-race card highlighted by the Runhappy Ellis Park Derby last Sunday drew a track-record handle of more than $5.2 million.

◗ Training activity toward the Sept. 5 Kentucky Derby continues to pick up at Churchill as several Derby contenders were on the local work tab last weekend.

Enforceable, trained by Mark Casse, went five furlongs Saturday in 1:01; King Guillermo, in his first local breeze since arriving from Florida for trainer Juan Carlos Avila, breezed a half-mile Saturday in 48.20 seconds; and Major Fed, trained by Greg Foley, went a quick half-mile Sunday in a bullet 46.80 seconds.

◗ Justin Wojczynski recorded his first victory as a trainer Sunday at Ellis when Long Monday, his eighth career starter, captured the third race at a $28.80 mutuel. Wojczynski, 37, is a Michigan native who worked several years ago for Rusty Arnold and had been working on a South Carolina farm before opening a public stable early this year.

:: To stay up to date, follow us on: Facebook | Instagram | Twitter

◗ Lady Kate, a 4 3/4-length winner of the Groupie Doll on Sunday at Ellis, could make her next start in the Sept. 5 Derby City Distaff at Churchill, trainer Eddie Kenneally said. The Grade 1 race at seven furlongs formerly was known as the Humana Distaff.

◗ With nine of 25 summer programs at Ellis still to go, Rafael Bejarano leads all jockeys with 18 wins, while Brad Cox leads all trainers with eight wins.