Ward duo looms large in Kentucky Juvenile
RACE REPLAY IS NOT AVAILABLE
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Last month’s Keeneland spring meet showcased a number of impressive performances by 2-year-olds. On Thursday at Churchill Downs, bettors will get to decide which ones they liked best when the $100,000 Kentucky Juvenile matches five of those Keeneland winners amid a field of 10.
The Kentucky Juvenile, the 10th of 11 races, highlights a terrific “Thurby” card that begins at 12:45 p.m. Eastern and includes the $65,000 Opening Verse (race 9).
The Wesley Ward stable coupling of McErin and Happy Like a Fool is the 2-1 morning-line favorite in the five-furlong Kentucky Juvenile, which was revived by Churchill racing officials last year after a six-year hiatus.
“Both horses showed what they can do over at Keeneland,” said Ward. “Derby week is always great, so getting to run these babies in front of a big crowd should be exciting.”
Like the Ward duo, Buy Sell Hold was an easy winner at Keeneland, romping by 4 1/2 lengths on April 20 for owners Kirk and Judy Robison and trainer Steve Asmussen.
“She came out of it kicking her tail,” said Asmussen. “We originally planned to wait to run her back [June 8] in the Astoria at Belmont, but I said to Mr. Robison, ‘I’d like to run a fast horse,’ and he said, ‘OK, let’s do it.’ ”
The other two Keeneland winners in the Kentucky Juvenile field are the uncoupled John Hancock pair of Amberspatriot and Waki Patriot. They were part of a career-best Keeneland meet for the Ellis Park-based Hancock, who sent out a total of five winners.
Some 30 minutes before the Kentucky Juvenile, an outstanding field of older turf horses will clash in the Opening Verse, a one-mile race that honors the 1991 Breeders’ Cup Mile winner at Churchill.
Take the Stand, a Grade 2 winner for trainer Bill Mott, is a lukewarm program favorite in a rugged lineup that includes six other graded-stakes winners, not to mention a dangerous-looking Chad Brown newcomer, Black Sea.
Two allowances (races 6 and 8) also are on tap for Thurby, which has become extremely popular with fans looking to get a head start on the huge Derby weekend. Attendance last year on a chilly afternoon was 39,213.
KEY CONTENDERS
McErin, by Trappe Shot
◗ The word was definitely out on a colt who jogged home a 7 1/2-length winner at a $2.60 mutuel on April 12.
Happy Like a Fool, by Distorted Humor
◗ This Ward homebred prevailed by four lengths amid a full field of 12 on the opening Sunday of the Keeneland meet.
Buy Sell Hold, by Violence
◗ Her debut couldn’t have been much more professional, as she glided clear under Florent Geroux, who retains the mount.
Waki Patriot, by Awesome Patriot
◗ Filly who dead-heated for second behind another Ward runner (Fairyland) came right back for a winning jaunt April 20.
