Usha takes Open Mind Stakes; Built wins Louisville Thoroughbred Society
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Favorites Built and Usha came through in a pair of sprint stakes on Saturday at Churchill Downs.
Built ($3.32) won the $300,000 Louisville Thoroughbred Society by 1 1/2 lengths one race after Usha ($5.08) captured the $268,500 Open Mind Stakes by three-quarters of a length.
Flavien Prat, who made hay Saturday at Churchill, rode both winners.
Usha had to work harder to win but had, relatively speaking, a more formidable challenger. Prat broke Usha from the rail and kept her there throughout the six-furlong contest, pushing inside pacesetting Modo at the furlong grounds, then bracing against a serious run from Look Forward, a Grade 2 winner making her first start in more than 13 months. Look Forward briefly had momentum, but the finish line found Usha going away, clocking 1:10.55 over a fast track. Cash Call checked in a soundly defeated third.
Bob Baffert trains Usha for Michael Pegram, Karl Watson, and Paul Weitman. Usha, a Grade 1 winner in December, got back on form after two sub-standard races, winning for the fifth time in 13 starts. Bred in New York by Esler and Raine, Usha is a 4-year-old by Tiz the Law out of Animal Appeal, by Leroidesanimeaux.
Built, who captured the Grade 2 Vanderbilt at Saratoga in his most recent start, looked like he’d sail to an easy win in the listed Louisville Thoroughbred Society after Prat gave him a perfect trip sitting third behind dueling leaders. Built cruised to the lead at the quarter pole but could put no distance from the stretch call to the finish on stubborn 48-1 shot Echo Again, who made the odds-on favorite work a little.
Echo Again finished two lengths ahead of third-place Dreaminblue. Harrodsburg, a wet track specialist, beat Built over a sloppy surface in June, but gave way Saturday after setting the pace and was eased. Jockey Tyler Gaffalione pulled up Cat On Time early in the race, and the horse was taken off the track in an equine ambulance.
Wayne Catalano trains Built for Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners, and 4-year-old Built, by Hard Spun out of Sea Garden, by Curlin, has emerged as a high-level sprinter this year after campaigning as a route horse during the first half of his sophomore season. Robert and Lawana Low bred Built, who got his 6 1/2 furlongs Saturday in 1:16.28.
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