Trip Notes for September 12, 2020: Kentucky Turf Cup, Turf Sprint, and more

Sept. 12

Kentucky Downs

Ladies Turf (race 7)

COMMENT: Turf course listed as “yielding” as showers continued. Not only did Regal Glory chase multiple Grade 1-winning stablemate Newspaperofrecord in her last two at Belmont in June (and that gal would have been an overwhelming favorite in here) those were her first two starts of this year. She faced no such competition and took advantage, posting the smart win. The 4-year-old daughter of Animal Kingdom, the 7-5 favorite, broke well, got a dream trip stalking pacesetter Mitchell Road through solid splits outside that rival, crept closer going to the far turn, engaged ‘Road into the lane, took a narrow lead by midstretch and gamely outfought that rival to the line for the narrow win. She’s a cut below the best, but this shows she can do damage in the right spot. Despite the turf condition the race was quite fast (1:34.34). Mitchell Road, second in this last year, found the same slot again here as this daughter of English Channel, coming off a poor 11th in a stakes at Ellis Park on Aug. 2 when obviously hating soft going, ran big in defeat as she went right to the lead, set a solid pace with the eventual winner sitting on her hip applying pressure to her outside, battled back when challenged by that foe to her outside into the lane and fought on gamely to the wire to lose a close one (neck). Tapit Today, like the winner trained by Chad Brown and coming off a solid fourth in the longer Grade 3 Matchmaker at Monmouth on July 18, appeared to appreciate the distance cutback as she lagged back from the start while saving ground, got shuffled back to last on the far turn, pitched wide into the lane and finished with good energy, though she was never really a threat to the top two. Lady Apple, a classy daughter of two-time Horse of the Year Curlin trying grass for the first time, handled the footing decently as she stalked from the start, was still within striking distance turning for home, but was basically one-paced to the wire and unable to threaten. Perfect Message, sixth in the Grade 1 Jenny Wiley at Keeneland on July 11, then a rallying third in a stakes at Saratoga on Aug. 14, was last from the start, made a threatening move outside on the far turn and into the lane but flattened out.

Kentucky Downs

Ladies Sprint (race 8)

COMMENT: Rain continues, turf course now rated as “soft.” Kimari, who would have been one of the two favorites, scratched to go elsewhere. Though she’s well known for not enjoying non-firm turf, Got Stormy just had too big a class edge as the 5-year-old mare shortened to a sprint for the first time in a long time and proved best. Looking back on track after a game second in the Grade 1 Fourstardave vs. males at Saratoga on Aug. 22, the daughter of Get Stormy sat between horses a few lengths off a solid pace set by Surrender Now, remained there to the turn for home, started to advance into the lane, surged into contention, quickly opened up and had little trouble remaining clear to the line while under a hand ride. As with the Ladies Turf, the final time here was pretty sharp considering the course condition (1:15.41). Trainer Mark Casse said after the Fourstardave she might be best at this shorter trip. She showed here she handles it well so they could stay at this type of distance in the foreseeable future. Winning Envelope, a rallying second in a turf stakes at a mile at Canterbury Downs on July 15, was away slowly to be at the back of the pack from the start, remained there while a few lanes off the rail, pitched wider on the turn for home to start a run, came with a smart rally into the lane while widest of all and finished well, though she wasn’t able to really threaten the winner. Into Mystic, a big winner of the prep for this race here Aug. 2, ran well again as she raced with Got Stormy just outside that rival, moved earlier than ‘Stormy to challenge for the lead into the lane, challenged for the lead only to immediately be confronted by Got Stormy on her outside, was no match for that gal but kept on well for third. Lady Lawyer, stepping up off a game turf sprint optional-claiming win at Saratoga on July 17, was under a hold early to be positioned toward the back while a few lanes off the rail, continued there with Winning Envelope just in behind and to her outside, advanced between horses into the lane, kept on with good energy to pass a number of rivals but was never really a threat to the winner.

Kentucky Downs

Kentucky Turf Cup (race 10)

COMMENT: Rain continues, turf course still listed as “soft.” Apparently you can teach an old horse a new trick as trainer Brad Cox applied blinkers to Arklow, who apparently was helped by them and the footing as the 6-year-old bounced back to form after a couple disappointing outings. Coming off a modest fourth in the Grade 1 United Nations at Monmouth on July 18 and winless in his first four starts of this year, the son of Arch, second in this last year to Zulu Alpha, won this for the second time, turning the tables on Zulu Alpha as he ran midpack a few lanes off the rail as Changi set a modest pace, remained a few lengths off the lead as Changi continued to lead under pressure from Eons, crept closer outside as Eons took the lead with Postulation challenging, remained there with Red Knight poised to strike to his inside, came abreast of Eons on the rail and Postulation between horses into the lane, took command, rebuffed a challenge from Red Knight, edging clear late for the win. This likely leads to another crack at the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Turf at Keeneland on Nov. 7. He finished fourth and eighth in the last two runnings of the Breeders’ Cup Turf. Red Knight, well backed despite this being his first start in more than seven months, stalked while racing inside Arklow and just behind the pacesetters, remained there to the top of the lane, came off the inside for room in the stretch, loomed a big threat in midstretch racing outside of Arklow, but couldn’t sustain his run enough to challenge that rival late while fending off Zulu Alpha to his outside for second. Off this he wouldn’t be out of place in the Breeders’ Cup Turf. Zulu Alpha, the heavy favorite off three big wins in four starts this year, lagged back while between horses, steadily advanced to the top of the lane to be just behind and outside Arklow and Red Knight, rallied widest of the three but couldn’t get to them while finishing far clear of the rest. He didn’t run badly and, as with the winner, this sets him up for another crack at the Breeders’ Cup Turf (fourth in it last year). Eons, trying this longer game for the first time after a so-so fourth in a stakes at Monmouth on Aug. 9, handled the new trip decently as he pressed outside pacesetter Changi through a modest pace, took over from that rival on the far turn, was immediately challenged by Postulation to his outside, rebuffed that rival into the lane, was no match for the top three but kept to his task to grab fourth.

Kentucky Downs

Turf Sprint (race 11)

COMMENT: Rain continues, turf course still listed as “soft.” Imprimis looked super winning the Grade 3 Troy at Saratoga on Aug. 8, his first start in nine months (though he got disqualified and placed third for lugging in during the stretch run). He made no such miscues here and punched his ticket to the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint at Keeneland on Nov. 7, a race in which he was sixth last year. The son of Broken Vow handled the footing to prevail in a brutally tough race as he stalked between horses while Bombard set a solid pace, swung wide into the lane, was widest of five fighting for the lead into the final furlong and kept on gamely to narrowly prevail. Again, another solid time despite the course condition (1:09.93). Smart as this effort was you get the feeling that if you ran this race five times you might get five different winners. Front Run the Fed showed a ton of promise last year, but was then gone after seven months. After a modest return (fourth) at Churchill on May 21, he was a smart winner going 7 furlongs on Belmont turf July 5 and showed he’s not out of his element in this deeper water with a fine effort here to dead-heat second. He sat just behind and inside Imprimis from the start, advanced between horses turning for home, surged into contention into the lane, challenged Bombard to his inside, looked as though he might get the win only to have Imprimis edge past late to his outside and Bombard fight on to get the dead heat. Bombard found a mile too much to handle, at least in Grade 2 waters, in the Grade 2 Del Mar Mile on Aug. 23 (just his second start after a year on the bench) but ran big here with the distance cutback as the 7-year-old gelded son of War Front went right to the lead, set a solid pace under pressure from Richiesinthehouse, dispatched with that rival turning for home, had a clear lead into the lane while staying on the fence, was challenged by Front Run the Fed to his outside into the final furlong and fought on gamely inside that rival, finishing on even terms with Front Run the Fed to his outside for second. Stubbins, a decent fourth in the aforementioned Jaipur, lagged back from the start while saving ground, appeared to take an awkward step on the turn but got back into stride, made a bit into the lane to be just behind the leaders but couldn’t quite keep pace in the final half-furlong. Kanthaka, freshened since a sharp second in the Grade 1 Jaipur on Belmont turf June 20, didn’t appear to relish the footing as he broke slowly to be well back early, advanced while wide turning for home and continued to make some headway while wide in the lane, though he was never a factor. Totally Boss, the defending champ and who came into this off a strong rallying second in the Grade 2 Shakertown at Keeneland on July 11, lagged back early, remained well back to the turn while wide and could make only some headway in the lane as he didn’t appear to handle the footing. A number of these figure to try the winner again in the Breeders’ Cup.