Ward and Maker go toe-to-toe again in juvenile turf allowance
RACE REPLAY IS NOT AVAILABLE
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Wesley Ward and Mike Maker had the respective 1-2 finishers when the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint was run three weekends ago at Santa Anita. Churchill Downs fans might well see something similar when they partake in a rare stakes-free Saturday.
Combined, Ward and Maker account for more than half the field in a classified allowance that serves as the highlight of a card that starts at 1 p.m. Eastern. It’s a $105,000 turf sprint for 2-year-olds, with Ward seeming to have the edge with Karak, the only filly in the field, who faces six colts and geldings. Ward also will saddle Joker on Jack, while Maker counters with Axiomo and Toma Todo.
The featured third of 11 Saturday races is a reminder of the Breeders’ Cup lead-off race in which Four Wheel Drive, trained by Ward, was chased on the lead from gate to wire by Chimney Rock, trained by Maker. Karak was actually entered in the Nov. 1 race but failed to make it off the also-eligibles list.
Karak is owned by Mike Hall and Sam Ross in the Breeze Easy LLC partnership, which also owns Four Wheel Drive. The Karakontie filly became a stakes winner in August when she easily defeated males in the Tyro at Monmouth Park, and following decent efforts in New York in two more turf-sprint stakes, she will be wheeling back on less than two weeks’ rest. She breaks from post 2 under Tyler Gaffalione.
“She came out of the race good and this looked like the right kind of spot for her,” said Ward.
Joker On Jack (post 5, Martin Garcia) has been working steadily at Keeneland since being laid up and gelded following his most recent start in early July. The Ward homebred will be racing without blinkers for the first time.
Both of the Maker runners step forth with ability and apparent upside. Axiomo (post 4, Florent Geroux), a longshot third in the Indian Summer last month at Keeneland, makes his first start since being privately purchased and turned over to Maker, while Toma Todo (post 7, Julien Leparoux) makes his first start since a winning May debut over the local turf.
Rounding out the lineup are Johnny Unleashed, Chipofftheoldblock, and Alec and Arthur.
One other allowance (race 10) – a $97,000 first-level mile for 3-year-olds and upward – is on a card that includes three maiden-specials (races 7, 9, 11) to foreshadow a Stars of Tomorrow all-2-year-old program being run here a week from Saturday (Nov. 30). The maiden races are all part of the 20-cent Single 6 (races 6-11), which had a $158,405 carryover jackpot into Thursday action.
Weather will determine whether the allowances remain on turf, since possible showers were in the local forecast for Friday and Saturday. Whereas the earlier 2-year-old race has a short field, the 10th race overflows with 18 entries, including an AE list of eight.
Ontrack fans are reminded that local traffic could be affected by the Syracuse-Louisville college football game that kicks off at 4 at nearby Cardinal Stadium.
A six-pack of graded stakes is on tap for the final stretch of the fall meet next week, highlighted by the Grade 1 Clark on Friday. The meet runs through Dec. 1.
