arklow | Horse Racing Free Tips

Michael Hui's six-time graded stakes winner Zulu Alpha will shoot for his third victory of 2020 when he headlines a field of 13 grass marathoners Sunday in the 35th running of the $175,000 TVG Elkhorn (G2) at Keeneland.

The TVG Elkhorn will be contested over 1½ miles over the Keeneland turf course and be run as the final race of the five-day Summer Meet. First post time Sunday is 1:05 p.m. with the TVG Elkhorn going as the ninth race with a 5:30 post time.

NBCSN will provide live coverage of the TVG Elkhorn from 5-7 p.m.

Winner of the 2018 Sycamore (G3) and third as the favorite in the 2019 Dixiana Elkhorn, Zulu Alpha started his 2020 campaign with a victory in the Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational Presented by Runhappy (G1) and followed that with a triumph in the Mac Diarmida (G2). In his most recent start, Zulu Alpha was second in the Kitten's Joy Pan American (G2) going 1½ miles.

Mike Maker trains Zulu Alpha, who will break from post position five under Tyler Gaffalione in the TVG Elkhorn.

Figuring to be the major rival to Zulu Alpha is $1.8 million earner Arklow.

Owned by Donegal Racing, Joseph Bulger and Peter Coneway, Arklow won the Joe Hirsch Turf Classic (G1) last fall at Belmont Park. Trained by Brad Cox, Arklow finished second in the Louisville (G3) in his most recent start that came off a 4½-month layoff. Arklow will exit post 10 under Florent Geroux.

The field for the TVG Elkhorn, with riders and weights from the rail, is: Apreciado (Gerardo Corrales, 118 pounds), Nakamura (John Velazquez, 118), Ramsey Solution (Julio Garcia, 118), Postulation (Julien Leparoux, 118), Zulu Alpha (Gaffalione, 120), Jais's Solitude (Corey Lanerie, 118), He's No Lemon (Rafael Bejarano, 118), Hellorhighwater (James Graham, 118), Oscar Dominguez (IRE) (Joel Rosario, 118), Arklow (Geroux, 123), Ry's the Guy (Chris Landeros, 118), Hierarchy (Brian Hernandez Jr., 118), Henley's Joy (Ricardo Santana Jr., 118).

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Amerman Racing Stables' homebred Admission Office overcame the outside post, rallied wide in the stretch and narrowly edged 6-5 favorite Arklow by a head to win Saturday's 83^rd running of the $100,000, Grade 3 Louisville Stakes presented by Longines at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Ky., in thrilling fashion.

Admission Office covered 1 1/2 miles over firm turf in 2:27.25 – the second-fastest in the stakes' history only behind Simmard's 2:27.16 in 2012 – under jockey Julien Leparoux. Brian Lynch trains the winner for Mr. and Mrs. John Amerman.

No favorites won in the Single 6 Jackpot or Late Pick 5 sequences Saturday, which triggered massive carryovers for Sunday. The 50-cent Late Pick 5 carryover is $163,012 for Races 6-10, and the 20-cent Single 6 Jackpot carryover is $87,414 for Races 5-10. If Arklow would have won, Saturday's Late Pick 5 and Single 6 Jackpot would have paid $434,700 and $87,414, respectively.

Lombo dictated the pace from the outset and led the field of 12 older horses through splits of :24.51, :49.59, 1:14.03 and 1:39.21 with Arklow galloping about five lengths behind in sixth along the inside and Admission Office to his outside in seventh. Last year's Louisville winner Tiz a Slam took over around the final turn with Arklow set to pounce just behind along the inside hedge and Admission Office looming with a wide rally. Admission Office poked his head in front at the top of the stretch while Arklow briefly waited for room along the inside as Tiz a Slam faded. Arklow, after briefly brushing with Tiz a Slam, hit his best stride with a furlong to run but it was the unhindered Admission Office who prevailed in a tight photo.

“We settled into a really nice spot early and he really liked the extra distance today,” Leparoux said. “He kept fighting the entire stretch.”

Florent Geroux, Arklow's jockey, said, “He got in a good spot early and we got a little tight late on the hedge. He was responding the whole time and ran a big race.”

The victory was worth $57,660 and improved Admission Office's career earnings to $432,957 with a record of 4-5-2 in 14 starts. It was the first career stakes win for Admission Office, who was a bridesmaid in four previous stakes, including a trio of Grade II events.

“He's been crying out for some more ground and a lot of his previous races he just seemed to be in the wrong spot at the wrong time,” Lynch said. “He's run some big races to get beat just a head and a neck. Arklow is an outstanding horse and it was a great battle today. Thankfully we had our head down at the right time on the wire. He's a well-accomplished horse and this will open the door up to more turf marathon races in the future.”

Admission Office returned $9.20, $4 and $2.80 as the 7-2 second betting choice. Arklow paid $3.40 and $2.80. He's No Lemon, ridden by Rafael Bejarano, was another 1 ¼ lengths back in third and paid $4.40 to show.

Ry's the Guy, Jais's Solitude, Tiz a Slam, Apreciado, Perfect Tapatino (FR), Sky Promise, Golden Dragon, Fearsome (GB) and Lombo completed the order of finish.

Admission Office, a 5-year-old son of Point of Entry out the Royal Academy mare Miss Chapin, was bred in Kentucky by his owners.

Betting on Churchill Downs' 11-race card on Saturday totaled $9,009,318.

Racing will continue Sunday beneath the Twin Spires with a 10-race card that begins at 1 p.m. (all times Eastern). The program will feature a trio of allowance races, including a first-level sprint for 3-year-olds at 6 ½ furlongs headlined by the Chad Brown-trained Toledo.

Racing from Churchill Downs on Sunday will air on FS2 from 2-2:30 p.m. and FS1 from 2:30-6:30 p.m. as part of FOX Sports' “America's Day at the Races” coverage. It also will be broadcast on MSG+ from 1-6:30 p.m.

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