Werner hopes history can repeat itself

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - It has been nearly five years since Ronny Werner watched with everyone else in amazement as Unbridled Sidney took only 55.54 seconds to win a five-furlong overnight stakes on the Churchill Downs turf course.

"She was a fast one," recalled Werner.

The subject will become quite relevant when Churchill presents a $62,000 overnight stakes named in honor of Unbridled Sidney as its Saturday feature. Werner will send out a filly named Trusty Temper in the five-furlong turf race.

"I don't remember ever running a horse in a race named for another horse I trained," said Werner, who has trained Thoroughbreds for 25 years. "It's pretty neat. It'd really be neat if we could win it."

Trusty Temper, with Corey Nakatani riding from post 6, figures as one of the middling choices in a field of eight fillies and mares in the Unbridled Sidney, the ninth of 11 races. Werner said "you can throw out" the last race for Trusty Temper, a January turf sprint at Fair Grounds, where the filly broke flat-footed, then exited the race with an entrapped epiglottis that since has been corrected through minor surgery.

"We've given her a lot of works, and she's really been training well," said Werner.

Favoritism in the Unbridled Sidney appears up for grabs, with many of the contenders having registered their best Beyer Speed Figures in or around the mid-80s range. Ivory Empress, with Julien Leparoux riding from post 1, is a logical player after clearing her second allowance condition on the Keeneland turf in her last start, but several others also look capable, including Knockout Bertie, Selva, Valentine Fever, and Candy Cane.

Candy Cane was claimed for $50,000 from her last start and steps up for the high-profile team of jockey Garrett Gomez and trainer Rick Dutrow. Her narrow defeat at 42-1 in an allowance here last fall may portend something good Saturday.

Tirbracken Lily and Pina Colada round out the lineup.

Unbridled Sidney, a winner of eight races and $680,380 for owner Doug Devenport, had her Churchill record broken on the April 30 Kentucky Oaks undercard when Silver Timber went in 55.45 seconds.

First post Saturday is 12:45 p.m. Eastern. The next stakes here is the $100,000 Matt Winn on May 15.