Calumet Farm's impressive 5 ¼-length allowance winner Running Bee leads a field of 11 3-year-olds that were entered in Sunday's 17th running of the $300,000 Commonwealth Turf (G3) on closing day at Churchill Downs.
The Commonwealth Turf, run at 1 1/16 miles on grass, will go as Race 11 of 12 with a post time of 5:56 p.m. (ET). Sunday's Fall Meet final program will get underway at 1 p.m. and feature mandatory payouts in all wagers including the 20-cent Derby City 6 Jackpot.
Trained by Chad Brown, the improving Running Bee cruised to a maiden-breaking score Aug. 10 at Saratoga when he circled past eight rivals to win by 3 ¾ lengths under jockey Manny Franco. Following an unsuccessful try at Kentucky Downs in the Dueling Grounds Derby (G3), the son of Calumet's late multiple leading turf sire English Channel returned to allowance company Oct. 26 at Keeneland where he easily defeated nine rivals in a front-running score under jockey Tyler Gaffalione and earned a professional 91 Brisnet Speed Rating. Gaffalione will once again have the call from post No. 3.
Running Bee was one of two horses supplemented for $3,000 each by Brown in the Commonwealth Turf. His stablemate, Klaravich Stable's Portfolio Company, was the runner-up finisher in last year's With Anticipation (G3) and $200,000 Pilgrim (G2). The son of Kitten's Joy will be ridden by Florent Geroux from post 9.
Three Diamonds Farm and Deuce Greathouse's American Turf (G2) winner Stolen Base will make his return to Churchill Downs in the Commonwealth Turf. Trained by Mike Maker, Stolen Base has not found the winner's circle since his triumph on Kentucky Derby Day in the American Turf. That day, the 3-year-old son of Bodemeister rallied from just off the pace to defeat nine rivals in the 1 1/16-mile event. Following his breakthrough victory, Stolen Base was well beaten in the Belmont Derby (G1), Hall of Fame (G2) and Bryan Station (G3). As a 2-year-old, Stolen Base's résumé includes runner-up efforts in the Bourbon (G2) and John Battaglia Memorial. Jockey Luis Saez will have the call from the rail.
Another graded stakes winner that entered the Commonwealth Turf is Donegal Racing's Hall of Fame winner Ready to Purrform. Campaigned by Brad Cox, Ready to Purrform scored a wire-to-wire win in the Aug. 5 Hall of Fame at Saratoga. The son of Kitten's Joy is 3-for-8 lifetime with one second and one third-place effort with purse earnings of $274,350. Ready to Purrform was well backed at odds of 9-2 in the Bryan Station but finished 10th, beaten 4 ¼ lengths. Jockey Ricardo Santana Jr. has the call from post 6.
The full field from the rail out (with jockey, trainer): Stolen Base (Saez, Maker); Trademark (Rafael Bejarano, Vicki Oliver); Running Bee (Gaffalione, Brown); Play Action Pass (Edgar Morales, Robert Medina); Mount Rundle (Joe Talamo, Michelle Nihei); Ready to Purrform (Santana, Cox); Acutator (Martin Garcia, Michael McCarthy); Fighter in the Win (Gerardo Corrales, Maker); Portfolio Company (Geroux, Brown); Red Danger (Julien Leparoux, Brian Lynch); and Barberini (Vince Cheminaud, Arnaud Delacour).
The Commonwealth Turf is scheduled to be contested in Lane 1 of the turf course.
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