Month: May 2023

D. J. Stable, Medallion Racing, Barry Fowler, and Parkland Thoroughbreds' classy 3-year-old turf specialist Papilio tops a wide-open field of six fillies entered in Saturday's $225,000 Regret Stakes (G3) at Churchill Downs.

Run at 1 1/16 miles on the Matt Winn Turf Course for 3-year-old fillies, the Regret is slated as Race 5 with a post time of 2:45 p.m. The first of 11 races on the Saturday program will get underway at 12:45 p.m. Dubbed as “Stephen Foster Preview Day”, the stakes-riddled card will also include the $225,000 Arlington (G3), $225,000 Blame (G3, $225,000 Shawnee (G3), $225,000 Aristides (Listed) and $225,000 Audubon.

Trained by Mark Casse, Irish-bred Papilio finished fourth, beaten one length in the Edgewood (G2) on Kentucky Oaks Day May 5. Previously, the daughter of Starspangledbanner was victorious in the Appalachian (G2) at Keeneland. The 2023 Kentucky Derby (G1)-winning rider Javier Castellano will have the call from post No. 5.

RyZan Sun Racing and Madaket Stables' Mission of Joy is set to return in the Regret for trainer Graham Motion. Mission of Joy finished a troubled third in the Edgewood under jockey Joel Rosario when she had to alter course in the late stages of the 1 1/16-mile contest. Prior to competing in the Edgewood, Mission of Joy won the Florida Oaks (G3) at Tampa Bay Downs. Jockey Tyler Gaffalione will have the mount for the first time from post 3.

Here is the field for the Regret from the rail out (with jockey and trainer): Miss Riddler (Luis Saez, Eddie Kenneally); Girl Named Charlie (Edgar Morales, Tom Amoss); Mission of Joy (Gaffalione, Motion); Mrs. Astor (John Velazquez, Jonathan Thomas); Papilio (Castellano, Casse); and Sabalenka (Ricardo Santana Jr., Whit Beckman).

The Regret will be run four weeks in advance of the $225,000 Tepin Stakes at Churchill Downs.

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Stonestreet Stables' Grade 1 winner Pauline's Pearl heads a field of eight fillies and mares entered for Saturday's fourth running of the $225,000 Shawnee Stakes (G3) at Churchill Downs.

The Shawnee was carded as Race 8 on the 11-race program. First post is 12:45 p.m. and the Shawnee field will break at approximately 4:22 p.m. The Shawnee is one of six stakes contests on the “Stephen Foster Preview Day” program. The other five stakes on the card are the $225,000 Arlington Stakes (G3, $225,000 Blame Stakes (G3), $225,000 Regret (G3), $225,000 Aristides (Listed) and $225,000 Audubon (Listed).

Trained by Hall of Famer Steve Asmussen, Pauline's Pearl faded to sixth in this year's La Troienne (G1) on Kentucky Oaks Day but, in the 2022 edition, the daughter of Tapit finished a half-length better than 2020 Longines Kentucky Oaks (G1) heroine Shedaresthedevil. Pauline's Pearl, who was fourth in last year's edition of the Shawnee prior to her La Troienne victory, will be ridden on Saturday by Tyler Gaffalione from post No. 3.

Chief among Pauline's Pearl competition is Godolphin's Doubledogdare Stakes (G3) winner Frost Point. Trained by Bill Mott, Frost Point finished three-quarters of a length better than fellow Shawnee competitor Hidden Connection in the Doubledogdare at Keeneland. Previously, the 5-year-old daughter of Frosted scored a convincing 6¼-length win in the Heavenly Prize Invitational at Aqueduct. Junior Alvarado will have the mount from post 6.

Here is the Shawnee field from the rail out (with jockey and trainer): Soul of an Angel (Adam Beschizza, Gerald James); Travel Column (Cristian Torres, Paulo Lobo); Pauline's Pearl (Gaffalione, Asmussen); Idiomatic (Florent Geroux, Brad Cox); Sixtythreecaliber (Edgar Morales, Tom Amoss); Frost Point (Alvarado, Mott); Hidden Connection (Rey Gutierrez, Bret Calhoun); and Moon Swag (Luis Saez, Brendan Walsh).

Many horses who entered the Shawnee could use the race as a prep for the July 1, $400,000 Fleur de Lis (G2).

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Trainer Eric Kruljac reported The Chosen Vron was “in great shape” Monday morning one day after earning his seventh consecutive victory in the Thor's Echo Stakes for California-bred or -sired runners.

“All is good. He's a special horse,” Kruljac said when reached by phone.

In the six-furlong Thor's Echo, The Chosen Vron sat comfortably behind a contested pace under Hector Berrios before rolling to a dominant 5½-length win. He paid $3.40 as the popular 3-5 favorite in a four-horse field.

Left in The Chosen Vron's wake Sunday were runner-up Tigre De Slugo and Brickyard Ride, who himself has been a win-machine for trainer Craig Lewis and owner-breeder Alfred A. Pais.

Brickyard Ride, the 4-5 second choice in the Thor's Echo, dueled on the lead with longshot Sunrise Journey through fractions of :21.82 and :44.41 seconds before fading in the stretch. Lewis reported Brickyard Ride also appeared no worse for wear Monday morning.

“He's alright. It just wasn't his day. What can you do? That's horse racing,” Lewis said. “Things just didn't go his way and Eric's horse is really good. A great horse.”

The Chosen Vron's winning time was 1:09.58, which earned a 98 Beyer Speed Figure, Daily Racing Form reported.

A 5-year-old gelding by Vronsky, The Chosen Vron improved to 12-1-2 in 16 starts and $792,678 in earnings. He is campaigned by the partnership of Kruljac, Sondereker Racing, Robert S. Fetkin and Richard Thomburgh.

Of The Chosen Vron's 12 wins, 11 have come against stakes company. His resume includes a pair of graded stakes wins. In 2021 as a 3-year-old, he won the Lazaro Barrera (G3) and Affirmed Stakes (G3).

Kruljac called the Thor's Echo “one of The Chosen Vron's better performances.” He noted the gelding was given extra time off following his win in the March 19 Sensational Star at Santa Anita and the move paid dividends on Sunday.

“I think the fact we spaced his races really helped. His energy level was off the charts,” Kruljac added.

The Chosen Vron will next head down to Del Mar for its summer meet. Kruljac indicated all options are on the table for his next start.

“If he continues to thrive, we'd certainly entertain running him against open company,” he said. “The Bing Crosby wBing Could be an option.”

The Bing Crosby (G1) at Del Mar will be run July 29 at six furlongs.

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Juddmonte's 7-year-old gelding Set Piece, a multiple graded stakes winner across North America, tops a field of seven turf specialists that entered Saturday's 87th running of the $225,000 Arlington Stakes (G3) at Churchill Downs.

The Arlington is one of six stakes events on the “Stephen Foster Preview Day” card. Run at 1 1/8 miles on the Matt Winn Turf Course, the Arlington was carded as Race 9 of 11 with a post time of 4:55 p.m. (ET) First post is 12:45 p.m. The stakes-laden program at Churchill Downs also will feature the $225,000 Blame Stakes (G3, $225,000 Regret Stakes (G3), $225,000 Shawnee (G3), $225,000 Aristides (Listed) and $225,000 Audubon Stakes (Listed).

Trained by Brad Cox, the 11-time winner Set Piece made his return to the races May 4 at Churchill Downs when he finished a fast-closing third in the Opening Verse Stakes under jockey Florent Geroux. The British-bred Dansili dark bay is a four-time winner beneath the Twin Spires, most notably in last year's $400,000 Wise Dan Stakes (G2), which will be run one month from the Arlington at Churchill Downs. Set Piece drew post No. 7 in the Arlington and will once again be ridden by Geroux.

Others entered in the Arlington include Kentucky West Racing and Clarke Cooper's Belmont Derby (G1) hero Classic Causeway and Ironhorse Racing Stable, BlackRidge Stables, T-N-T Equine Holdings and Saratoga Seven Racing Partners' multiple graded stakes winner Get Smokin.

Here's the complete field for the Arlington from the inside out (with jockey and trainer): Get Smokin (Ricardo Santana Jr., Mark Casse); Kentucky Ghost (Rafael Bejarano, Vicki Oliver); Classic Causeway (Brian Hernandez Jr., Kenny McPeek); Tiberius Mercurius (Luis Saez, Mike Maker); Harlan Estate (Declan Cannon, Whit Beckman); Royal Patronag (John Velazquez, Graham Motion); and Set Piece (Geroux, Cox).

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