Walkathon edges Dana's Beauty, earns berth in Ladies Turf

Walkathon and Dana's Beauty came in to the $250,000 Kentucky Downs Preview Ladies Turf Mile having each won two stakes this year. On Sunday at Ellis Park, it was Walkathon who prevailed, scoring a head victory over Dana's Beauty to keep her solid summer rolling along.

With Sunday's win, Walkathon earned an automatic berth into the Grade 3, $1.5 million Ladies Turf on Aug. 31 at Kentucky Downs. The Preview Ladies Turf Mile was one of four stakes on Sunday's card at Ellis that offered the winners automatic berths into seven-figure stakes at the Kentucky Downs meet.

Walkathon ($5.74), a 5-year-old homebred for Whitham Thoroughbreds trained by Ian Wilkes, won the Grade 3 Regret in 2022 at Churchill Downs. This year, she has wins in the Grade 3 Endeavour at Tampa and, following three tough beats against stiff competition, a win in the Anchorage on June 30 at Churchill. In the latter, as in many of her strong efforts, Walkathon showed the way. But while she got away with an uncontested, easy pace in the 1 1/8-mile Anchorage - coasting the half in 49.54 seconds en route to the win - Sunday's field seemed to have more pace competition lined up. Wilkes wasn't concerned.

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"I was very confident with her today by the way she was training going into the race," Wilkes told track publicity. "I think the mile distance is the ideal distance for her. If they go quick, she can sit off the pace. If they go slow, she’s able to go to the lead. She’s a wonderful mare."

Indeed, Walkathon and regular rider Brian Hernandez Jr. were fifth after the opening half-mile, but only about a length and a half back. She's Lookin Lucky, who broke through the gate pre-race and was re-loaded after an exam, was pressed by Dana's Beauty through the half in 48.55 seconds on the turf rated firm. Dana's Beauty, also a confirmed front-runner, has been in career form this year, developing from a claiming runner into the winner of the Latonia at Turfway and the Ouija Board Distaff in Texas.

She's Lookin Lucky held a dogged head lead over Dana's Beauty, who was making her bid in earnest entering the stretch, but Walkathon was beginning to inch up in the clear on the outside. In a long drive for all three, Dana's Beauty forged her way to a narrow lead, but Walkathon was up in the final jumps to nail her by a head. She's Lookin Lucky did not give way until the final stages, finishing a length back in third.

The time for the mile was 1:34.68.

In another battle to the wire, Highway Robber ($10.36) turned back favored Siege of Boston in the stretch to win the $300,000 Kentucky Downs Preview Turf Cup, which corresponds with the Grade 2, $2 million Kentucky Downs Turf Cup on Sept. 7.

Highway Robber, with Jareth Loveberry in the irons for trainer Brian Lynch, made a sweeping four-wide move from sixth to first coming to the quarter pole of the turf route for older horses. Siege of Boston made a rail bid and nearly came to even terms with the leader in midstretch. But Highway Robber turned the favorite back, forging clear again to a length victory.

He finished the 1 1/4 miles in 1:59.73.

Siege of Boston was second by two lengths over Anglophile, also trained by Lynch.

Highway Robber was second in the Kentucky Downs Preview Dueling Grounds Derby on this weekend last year at Ellis before finishing fifth in the Gun Runner Stakes at Kentucky Downs. He did not begin his 2024 campaign until May at Churchill Downs, winning an allowance-optional claiming race and then third at that level, setting him up for his return to stakes company.

"This was a good race to get a little more ground for what it’ll be at Kentucky Downs," Lynch said. "It’ll be a really good race down there and this race today will really get him ready. Anglophile, who ran third, had a tough trip and ran well as well. I think they’ll both be ready to go down there."

Earlier on the card, Charcoal ($55.88) sprang a head upset in a blanket finish in the $250,000 Kentucky Downs Preview Turf Sprint, with the top four across the line separated by just more than half a length.

Charcoal, with Axel Concepcion in the irons, was always in the clear after breaking from the outside post of eight starters, but was herded even wider into the stretch as many mounted their bids. Favored Coppola, always traveling well, had a length lead, but Charcoal began bearing down on him on his flank with Mo Stash rallying widest of all. Meanwhile, Arrest Me Red was adroitly closing, diving to the inside for clear sailing.

At the wire, Charcoal was up by a head, with Arrest Me Red finishing second-best by a half-length. Coppola and Mo Stash could not be separated in a dead heat for third.

The time for the 5 1/2 furlongs was 1:01.34.

This was the first stakes victory since the 2021 William Garrett at Indiana for 8-year-old Charcoal, trained by Tracey Wisner. Since then, he has placed in five stakes, but had not hit the board in three starts in 2024, resulting in his longshot status.

With the win, Charcoal has earned an automatic berth into the Grade 2, $2 million Turf Sprint on Sept. 7 at Kentucky Downs. That event is a Win and You’re In automatic qualifier to the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint.

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