Westshore switches surfaces at Churchill
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - The first career victory for Westshore came on grass at Gulfstream Park, so trainer Jimmy Baker kept running the colt in grass races. But after two so-so efforts over the Churchill Downs turf, it's back to the dirt for Westshore.
"He just kept kind of bobbling over it here," said Baker. "So I thought maybe we'd try something a little different with him."
Westshore, bred and owned by the Courtlandt Farms of Donald Adam, will have Calvin Borel aboard when breaking from the outside post in a field of six 3-year-olds in the fourth of nine Thursday races at Churchill. The $53,600, first-level allowance goes at 1 1/8 miles. It's a well-matched group, and Baker is only hoping his colt will revert to one of his better career efforts.
"He was second going a mile on the dirt here last fall to the horse that barely got beat in the Florida Derby," Pleasant Prince, noted Baker. "So he's shown a little something on it. Hopefully he's ready for a big one and we'll get the jelly."
Bold Victory, trained by D. Wayne Lukas, looks like one of the top challengers. The Vindication colt, a $550,000 yearling purchase who won a two-turn maiden race last out in his fourth start, will leave from post 1 with Miguel Mena aboard.
"He's shown he could have a bright future," said Lukas. "We've got quite a bit of hope for him."
Storm Falcon, Mine Train, Broken Tango, and Thomas J fill out a race in which no runner is higher than 6-1 on the morning line.
* One other allowance (race 8) is carded for Thursday. It also sports a first-level condition and a $53,600 purse, albeit for fillies and mares going five furlongs on the turf. One of the contenders in a field of 10 is Broken Dreams, one of three mounts on the card for Greta Kuntzweiler, who is returning to competition for the first time in more than 4 1/2 years.
First post is 12:45 p.m. Eastern. There is a carryover of $50,084 into the $2 pick six (races 4-9), but none in the $1 super high five (race 9).
The Thursday program leads off the second-to-last four-day stretch of the 42-day Churchill spring meet. Closing day is July 4.