Eight graded stakes champions set for battle in Churchill Downs race this weekend.
Live horse racing continues in Kentucky this week with the resumption of Churchill Downs’ Spring Meet.
Races will be held at the Louisville track Thursday through Sunday, with a pair of graded stakes contests on Saturday highlighting the weekend action. Because of the coronavirus pandemic no spectators will be allowed at the track, but online wagering is available. Churchill Downs officials are working on plans to allow fans to return to the track sometime before the meet ends on June 27.
The ladies will take center stage on Saturday, with eight graded stakes winners facing off in the 44th running of the Grade III, $100,000 Old Forester Mint Julep for fillies and mares.
A total of 14 horses will compete in the Mint Julep, which will be the last of 11 races. Among the favorites figures to be multiple graded stakes winner Beau Recall, who will race for the first time in 2020 after a standout 2019 campaign during which she won the Grade II, $400,000 Churchill Downs Distaff Mile and the Grade II, $200,000 Yellow Ribbon.
Beau Recall will be ridden by Shaun Bridgmohan. Among her main competition will be stablemate and fellow Brad Cox-trained mare Juliet Foxtrot, who last year won the Grade III, $150,000 Modesty before finishing her 2019 season with runner-up finishes in a pair of stakes contests.
Race No. 7 on Saturday also features multiple graded stakes champions. Mia Mischief and Spiced Perfection headline the field for the 17th running of the Grade III, $100,000 Winning Colors for fillies and mares.
Trained by Steve Asmussen, Mia Mischief won last year’s Grade I, $500,000 Distaff at Churchill. The 5-year-old mare is coming off a 2 1/4-length victory in her 2020 debut, the Carousel Stakes at Oaklawn Park. She’ll be ridden by Ricardo Santana Jr. from post No. 8.
Spiced Perfection, who’s earned more than $1.2 million in her career, will break from post No. 7 in her first start under trainer Mark Casse. The Winning Colors field also includes multiple stakes winner Break Even (post 2), Raven Run winner Bell’s the One (post 4) and Evening Jewel winner Sneaking Out (post 1).
The Hog
Friday’s card at Churchill will be highlighted by what should be a highly competitive allowance contest. Grade I champion Hog Creek Hustle will lead a field of 12 in race No. 7.
Installed as the morning-line favorite at 4-1, the 4-year old son of Overanalyze, known around the stables as “The Hog,” came from behind to win last year’s Grade I, $400,000 Woody Stephens to give trainer Vickie Foley her first Grade I victory.
Among four contenders on the also-eligible list for Friday’s allowance is potential future star and Wes Hawley-trainee Volatile, who’s coming off a 7 1/2-length allowance win at Oaklawn.
“It’s one of the toughest allowance races I’ve ever seen,” Hawley said of Friday’s race. “I knew it could probably draw a tough field but this is incredibly strong.”
Another upset on the way?
Last weekend’s action at Churchill saw a major upset as 73-1 shot Lessons From Avery came from behind to win Sunday’s feature race by less than a length.
Ridden by Rafael Bejarano and trained by Charlie LoPresti, Lessons From Avery paid $149.20 to win. The daughter of Lookin at Lucky was last in a field of 12 fillies and mares after a half-mile before turning on the jets down the stretch to win for the third time in her 16-race career.
Though no fans were in attendance, betting on last weekend’s races at Churchill was robust. A total of $19,281,988 was wagered on Saturday’s races while $11,508,323 was spent on Sunday’s card.
Churchill Downs Spring Meet
When: Through June 27
Race days: Thursday through Sunday
First post: 1 p.m.
TV: FS1 or FS2
