Voodoo Storm eyes meaningful win in Guilliams Memorial
Closing day tends to bring a mix of emotions, regardless of the racetrack. The end of the 29-day summer meet at Ellis Park on Monday might serve to underscore that range of sentiments.
The feature is the $50,000 Cliff Guilliams Memorial, named for the locally prominent chart-caller and racing writer who died suddenly in April 2008 at age 52. One of the nine older horses in the 1 1/16-mile turf race is Voodoo Storm, whose managing partner in the Hoosier Daddys Stable, Del Cato, was a close friend of Guilliams’s.
“Del and a lot of the partners are from around here and had ties with Cliff,” said Tim Glyshaw, the trainer of the 6-year-old Voodoo Storm, an earner of $337,790. “They would absolutely love to win this race.”
There is no clear-cut favorite in the Guilliams. Red Strike has been pegged as a lukewarm 7-2 choice on the morning line, with Voodoo Storm one of the fringe players at 8-1.
First post Monday is 12:50 p.m. Central. The Guilliams, the eighth of nine races, is set for 4:10. One would-be race on the closing-day card, the 2 1/4-mile Twice Around, failed to fill.
With the close of Ellis, live action on the Kentucky circuit resumes with the start of a 12-day meet at Churchill Downs on Friday night and a five-day meet at Kentucky Downs on Saturday.
Key contenders
Red Strike (Last 3 Beyers: 92-92-85)
* This 7-year-old gelding has won three of five starts since Tom Amoss claimed him for $40,000 for the powerhouse stable of Maggi Moss and figures as a major pace player in a race lacking a ton of early speed.
Looking Cool (Last 3 Beyers: 99-75-82)
* His last-out Beyer (on dirt, by the way) and the presence of Hall of Fame jockey Calvin Borel might depress his odds, but there’s little question he matches up class-wise and otherwise with the rest of this field.
Gentleman’s Kitten (Last 3 Beyers: 72-75-81)
* One of two starters in here (with Derby Kitten) for owners Ken and Sarah Ramsey and trainer Mike Maker, this one is probably the better half of an uncoupled entry, although he will need to rebound off back-to-back seventh-place finishes this summer.
Key to Power (Last 3 Beyers: 81-91-N/A)
* This late runner has leveled off with a couple of decent efforts after failing to finish in a March race at Gulfstream, as trainer Mike Tomlinson has done a commendable job of regrouping him at his Churchill Downs base.
Voodoo Storm (Last 3 Beyers: 88-81-66)
* His dam, Voodoo Dancer, was a turf sensation in the early 2000s, and Glyshaw said that although Voodoo Storm “might be a little better on the dirt, he’s still capable of winning at this level with the right kind of trip. We’re hopeful coming into this.”