Gold Square's multiple stakes placed 3-year-old Slip Mahoney will try to win his first stakes contest in Saturday's third running of the $300,000 Bourbon Trail at Churchill Downs.
The 1 1/16-mile Bourbon Trail was carded as Race 7 at 9:05 p.m. The 11-race “Downs After Dark” program will start at 6 p.m. and feature the $300,000 Dogwood Stakes (G3) along with the $300,000 Harrods Creek and $175,000 Seneca Overnight Stakes.
In the Bourbon Trail, Slip Mahoney began his season on the Road to the Kentucky Derby when he was the runner-up finisher to Raise Cain in the Gotham (G3) at Aqueduct. Slip Mahoney has been primarily based with trainer Brad Cox's New York string where he defeated five rivals, including Harrods Creek Stakes competitor Mount Up, in a July 23 allowance contest at Saratoga. One month ago, Slip Mahoney finished a head behind his stablemate Tabeguache in the St. Louis Derby. Slip Mahoney will be ridden by Gerardo Corrales from post No. 2.
Another intriguing entrant in the Bourbon Trail is Petal Power Racing Stable's Super Derby winner Big Data. Trained by Michael Lerman, Big Data rallied from just off the pace in Louisiana Downs' Super Derby to defeat six rivals by three-quarters of a length. The son of Cloud Computing has only finished off the board once through eight starts. Jockey Emisael Jaramillo will have the call from post 7.
Here is the complete field for the Bourbon Trail from the rail out (with jockey and trainer):
- Manaciata d'Oro (Manny Esquivel, Brad Cox);
- Slip Mahoney (Corrales, Cox);
- Denington (Corey Lanerie, Kenny McPeek);
- Shirl's Bee (Leparoux, Stewart);
- Oscar Eclipse (Cristian Torres, Brian Lynch);
- Lincoln Highway (Rafael Bejarano, Vicki Oliver); and
- Big Data (Jaramillo, Lerman).
The Bourbon Trail ® honors the profound history and proud tradition of “America's Official Native Spirit” when the Kentucky Distillers' Association (KDA) established the Kentucky Bourbon Trail® in 1999, a road trip-style experience for bourbon lovers to visit the Bluegrass State's signature distilleries.
The Kentucky Bourbon Trail ® and Bourbon Trail ® are trademarks/service marks of the Kentucky Distillers' Association used by Churchill Downs Inc. pursuant to license. The Kentucky Distillers' Association and its member distilleries ask that you please enjoy Kentucky Bourbon responsibly.
St. Elias Stable, West Point Thoroughbreds and Robert Masiello's ultra-consistent Mount Up, a recent allowance winner at Saratoga, headlines a field of seven 3-year-olds entered in Saturday's third running of the $300,000 Harrods Creek Stakes.
The seven-furlong Harrods Creek will go as Race 8 at 9:39 p.m.
Mount Up, trained by Hall of Famer Todd Pletcher, has never finished worse than second in four-career starts. The son of Army Mule broke his maiden by a scant nose in late June at Belmont Park. One month later, Mount Up was second best in a first-level allowance event at Saratoga behind Slip Mahoney, a multiple stakes-placed Brad Cox trainee. Mount Up returned to the same allowance condition Aug. 20 and defeated nine rivals by a half-length. Mount Up will be ridden by Emisael Jaramillo from post No. 5.
Another Saratoga allowance winner that entered the Harrods Creek is Qatar Racing's Everso Mischievous. Like Mount Up, Everso Mischievous has yet to finish worse than second in four starts. Trained by Brad Cox, Everso Mischievous broke his maiden on Kentucky Derby Day by 2 ¼ lengths. Following that race, the son of Into Mischief battled Heartbreaker in a first-level allowance contest at Ellis Park but finished second by a head at odds of 2-5. Everso Mischievous shipped north to Cox's Saratoga string where he narrowly defeated Cape Trafalgar and eight other rivals by a neck. Jockey Cristian Torres has the mount from post 6.
Here is the complete field for the Harrods Creek from the rail out (with jockey and trainer):
- Bourbon Bash (Jaime Torres, Wayne Lukas);
- Determinedly (Francisco Arrieta, Mark Casse);
- Loyal Company (Declan Cannon, Brendan Walsh);
- Bouncer (Ricardo Santana Jr., Mark Casse);
- Mount Up (Emisael Jaramillo, Todd Pletcher);
- Everso Mischievous (Torres, Cox); and
- Praetorian Guard (James Graham, Lou Linder).
Richard Bahde's former $50,000 claimer turned Grade II winner Taxed leads a field of seven 3-year-old fillies entered in Saturday's third running of the $175,000 Seneca Overnight Stakes at Churchill Downs.
Taxed and her six rivals will go to post at 10:11 p.m. in Race 9.
Trained by veteran Randy Morse, Taxed has greatly rewarded her connections since being claimed on Nov. 20, 2022. On Preakness Day eve, Taxed powered past Hoosier Philly to win the Black Eyed Susan (G2) by 3 ¾ lengths. The daughter of Collected also sports runner-up efforts in the Fantasy (G3), Indiana Oaks (G3) and Martha Washington. Jockey Cristian Torres will have the call for the first time on Taxed in the Seneca from the rail.
Another stakes winner that entered the Seneca is Rigney Racing's Tepin winner Xigera. Trained by Phil Bauer, Xigera will make only her second start on dirt. Her only start on the main track came as a 2-year-old in the Alcibiades (G1) at Keeneland when she had a troubled trip to finish third. Xigera began her 3-year-old season in early June at Churchill Downs with an impressive 3 ½-length victory at one mile on turf. She followed that up with a gritty half-length score in the Tepin at Ellis Park. Xigera enters the Seneca following a disappointing sixth-place finish in the Saratoga Oaks Invitational (G3). The daughter of Kentucky Derby winner Nyquist will be ridden by Julien Leparoux out of post No. 7.
Here is the complete Seneca field from the rail out (with jockey and trainer):
- Taxed (Torres, Morse);
- Sabra Tuff (Rey Gutierrez, Dallas Stewart);
- She's Lookin Lucky (Ricardo Santana Jr., Matt Shirer);
- Poblano (Francisco Arrieta, Brendan Walsh);
- Champagne Calling (Declan Cannon, Ian Wilkes);
- Fun and Feisty (Corey Lanerie, Kenny McPeek);
- Xigera (Julien Leparoux, Phil Bauer); and
- Nomadic Pride (Edgar Morales, Tom Amoss).
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