Jon Lapczenski and JIL Stable's multiple Grade 3 winner Mr. Wireless will headline Saturday's inaugural running of the $200,000 Fort Larned Stakes at Churchill Downs.
The Fort Larned, run at 1 3/16 miles, was carded as Race 10 of 11 with a post time of 5:51 p.m. (all times Eastern). Saturday's special Arlington Million Day card will have a first post of 12:45 p.m. The program features the $1 million Arlington Million (G1) and the $500,000 Beverly D. (G1). The card will also include the first running of the $200,000 Lady Tak Stakes for female sprinters.
Trained by Bret Calhoun, Mr. Wireless gamely won the $100,000 Michael G. Schaefer Memorial Stakes at Horseshoe Indiana in his last start. The 4-year-old son of Dialed In most notably won last year's $300,000 Indiana Derby (G3) and the $500,000 West Virginia Derby (G3). The Fort Larned will be Mr. Wireless' third start of his 2022 campaign and will be ridden by Deshawn Parker from post No. 3
Chief among the rivals to Mr. Wireless is Fern Circle Stables and Three Chimneys Farm's King Fury. The well-bred 4-year-old colt by Curlin won last year's $200,000 Lexington Stakes (3) and the $275,000 Bourbon Trail. Trained by Kenny McPeek, King Fury was scratched from last week's $135,000 Alydar at Saratoga in favor of this race. He'll be ridden by Julien Leparoux from post 2.
Here is the complete field for the Fort Larned Stakes from the rail out (with jockey and trainer):
- Artemus Eagle (Erica Herrforth, Waylon Cundiff)
- King Fury (Leparoux, McPeek)
- Mr. Wireless (Parker, Calhoun)
- Treasure Trove (Rafael Bejarano, Lynn Cash)
- Twilight Blue (Brian Hernandez Jr., Joe Sharp)
- Intrepid Heart (Tyler Gaffalione, Joe Sharp)
- Keystone Field (Manny Franco, Mike Maker)
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