OXO Equine's three-time winner Transect headlines a field of 3-year-olds seeking stakes glory in Sunday's $250,000 Ellis Park Derby.
The one-mile Ellis Park Derby was carded as Race 8 with a post time of 3:22 p.m. (all times Central).
The Ellis Park Derby is one of six stakes contests Sunday at Ellis Park. The program also features the $150,000 Groupie Doll Stakes (Listed), the $150,000 Ellis Park Juvenile, the $150,000 Ellis Park Debutante, the $150,000 Audubon Oaks and the $100,000 R.A. “Cowboy” Jones Memorial.
Transect finished a close fourth last time out in the Indiana Derby (G3), beaten only 3 ¾ lengths by Verifying. The chestnut son of Gun Runner broke his maiden at first asking this winter at Turfway Park. Following an easy one-length victory against first-level allowance competition at Turfway, the Paulo Lobo-trained Transect attempted to jump on the Road to the Kentucky Derby in the Gotham Stakes (G3) but finished a disappointing 10th. Jockey Cristian Torres will have the mount on Transect from post No. 7.
The Ellis Park Derby field also features Kirk and Judy Robison's Iowa Derby winner How Did He Do That. Trained by Hall of Famer Steve Asmussen, How Did He Do That pulled off a 48-1 upset in last month's Iowa Derby when he dead heated with One in Vermillion. The son of Good Magic will be ridden by Brian Hernandez Jr. from post 8.
Here's the complete field for the Ellis Park Derby from the rail out (with jockey and trainer):
1. Tumbarumba (Rafael Bejarano, Brian Lynch)
2. Olazabal (Walter Rodriguez, Eric Foster)
3. Denington (Corey Lanerie, Kenny McPeek)
4. Loyal Company (Declan Cannon, Brendan Walsh)
5. Blue Light (Florent Geroux, Asmussen)
6. Release McCracken (Francisco Arrieta, Bret Calhoun)
7. Transect (Torres, Lobo)
8. How Did He Do That (Hernandez, Asmussen)
Later on the card, Flurry Racing Stable's ultra-consistent Interstatedaydream will attempt another stakes score against 10 filly and mare rivals that entered Sunday's 42nd running of the $150,000 Groupie Doll Stakes (Listed) at Ellis Park Racing & Gaming.
The Groupie Doll Stakes, run at one-mile on the main track, will go as the finale on the 10-race card with a post time of 4:25 p.m. (all times Central).
In the Groupie Doll Stakes, Interstatedaydream will attempt to notch her sixth-career victory. Trained by Brad Cox, Interstatedaydream has only one off-the-board performance from 11 starts. Her resume includes victories in the 2022 Black Eyed Susan (G2) and Indiana Oaks (G3) along with a stakes victory this season in the Allaire DuPont. Cox is no stranger to winning the Groupie Doll, the top conditioner previously won the race with Matera (2021), Tiger Moth (2017) and Call Pat (2015).
Interstatedaydream will once again have the riding services of Florent Geroux and break from post No. 5.
Chief among Interstatedaydream's competitors in the Groupie Doll includes CHC Inc and WinStar Farm's multiple stakes winner Falconet; HWL Partnership's Iowa Distaff winner Coastal Charm and Gerald James and Hall Performance's recent Mari Hullman George Memorial winner Soul of an Angel.
Here is the complete field for the Groupie Doll Stakes in order of post positions (with jockey and trainer):
1. Nonviolence (Rey Gutierrez, Bret Calhoun)
2. Coastal Charm (Martin Garcia, Steve Hobby)
3. Falconet (Gerardo Corrales, Todd Pletcher)
4. Napa Candy (Rafael Bejarano, Vicki Oliver)
5. Interstatedaydream (Geroux, Cox)
6. She Can't Sing (Brian Hernandez Jr., Chris Block)
7. Hidden Connection (Cristian Torres, Bret Calhoun)
8. Soul of an Angel (Ajhari Williams, Gerald James)
9. Ice Orchid (Francisco Arrieta, John Ortiz)
10. Malloy (Mickaelle Michel, Wayne Catalano)
11. Be Like Water (Declan Cannon, Vicki Oliver)
The Groupie Doll stakes was first run in 1982 at Ellis Park when the event was known as the Stroh's Handicap. At the time, the Stroh's Handicap was the richest race at Ellis Park that ran for a $50,000-added purse.
The race eventually changed its name in 1987 to the Gardenia Stakes and, in 2015, was re-named the Groupie Doll Stakes in honor of the great mare who won this race in 2011 under jockey Greta Kuntzweiler for co-owner, trainer and breeder William “Buff” Bradley and his late father Fred Bradley.
The post How Did He Do That Among 3-Year-Olds In Ellis Park Derby; Interstatedaydream Headlines Groupie Doll appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.
