Churchill Downs | Horse Racing Free Tips

June 27 Insights

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PAIR OF WELL-BRED DEBUTANTES IN CHURCHILL OPENER

1st-CD, $79K, Msw, 3yo/up, f/m, 6f, 1:00p.m.

The appropriately named LUCKY FIND (Uncle Mo), a $50,000 KEESEP buy from a deep Helen Groves family, makes her career bow in this spot for Glen Hill Farm and Tom Proctor. Out of MSW Tea Time (Pulpit), the bay hails from the family of dual champion Covfefe (Into Mischief) and Grade I winners Arch (Kris S.) and Acoma (Empire Maker). Robert and Lawana Low homebred Sea Garden (Curlin) also debuts in this test. She is a half-sister to GSW Glenville Gardens (Street Cry {Ire}). Their dam is a daughter of GISW Marley Vale (Forty Niner), who also produced MGSW & MGISP Indian Vale (A.P. Indy). TJCIS PPs

ASMUSSEN UNVEILS PRICEY INTO MISCHIEF COLTS

4th-CD, $79K, Msw, 2yo, 6f, 2:38p.m.

Pheonix Thoroughbred III and Winchell Thoroughbreds teamed up to acquire WHISKEY DOUBLE (Into Mischief) for $875,000 at Keeneland September and he makes his first trip to the post here for Steve Asmussen. The bay’s dam is MSW Lake Sebago (Munnings) and hails from the family of Canadian champion Hollinger (Black Minnaloushe). Asmussen also unveils another son of Into Mischief in WinStar and China Horse Club’s Holland. The $400,000 FTSAUG purchase is out of a half-sister to Argentinian champion Forty Greeta (Arg) (Roar) and GSW Honorable Dillon (Tapit). TJCIS PPs

MILLION-DOLLAR QUALITY ROAD DEBUTS AT BELMONT

6th-BEL, $64K, Msw, 3yo/up, 7fT, 3:59p.m.

Peter Brant and Three Chimneys Farm’s JOHNNYPUMP (Quality Road) makes his career bow in this test for trainer Chad Brown. His dam is a half to Grade I winner Spring Quality (Quality Road) and GSW Holiday Star (Harlan’s Holiday). This is also the family of MGSW & MG1SP Alice Springs (Val de l’Orne {Fr}). Also making his first trip to the post here is Patriot Game (Honor Code), who carries the same silks and hails from the same barn as his half-brother to GI Kentucky Derby and GI Florida Derby hero Orb (Malibu Moon). Their second dam is MGSW Mesabi Maiden (Cox’s Ridge). Trainer Shug McGaughey saddles another well-bred firster here in North Carolina (Speightstown). The Joe Allen homebred is out of SW Baroness Richter (Ire) (Montjeu {Ire}), who is also the dam of GSW Dream While (War Front) and SW Dear Lavinia (Grand Slam). TJCIS PPs

SEVEN-FIGURE INTO MISCHIEF MAKES CAREER BOW AT LOS AL

3rd-LRC, $40K, Msw, 3yo/up, 6f, 4:58p.m.

Doug O’Neill unveils NOTRE DAME (Into Mischief), who summoned $1-million at FTFMAR after breezing in :10 flat. He is out of MSW & GSP Cor Cor (Smoke Glacken) and hails from the family of GSW Fancy Dress Party (Munnings). Neil Drysdale saddles a well-related firster in Thor-Bred Stable homebred Adare (Medaglia d’Oro). He is a half-brother to GSW Ocean Knight (Curlin) and MGSP Nero (Pioneerof the Nile). Bob Baffert also sends out two noteworthy first timers in Happy Hepo (American Pharoah) and Holden the Lute (Midnight Lute). Picked up for $300,000 at OBS March last year after working in :10 flat, Happy Hepo displays the upbeat worktab typical of aBaffert trainee, most recently breezing a best-of-20 five panels in :59 1/5 here June 19. His dam is GSP Heart of Paradise (More Than Ready). His stablemate, Pegram, Watson and Weitman homebred Holden the Lute, is a full-brother to MGSW Gimme Da Lute. TJCIS PPs

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Midnight Bisou Leading Charge Of The Asmussen Brigade On Churchill’s Closing Weekend

Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen is poised to close the 2020 Churchill Downs Spring Meet on a charge with 15 horses entered in the final three days of racing including 2019 Champion Older Dirt Female Midnight Bisou (3-5 on the morning line) in the $200,000 Fleur de Lis (GII) and promising juvenile Cazadero (8-5) in the $100,000 Bashford Manor (GIII).

“We're very grateful to be able to run horses of this quality during this 'new normal,'” Asmussen said. “Even though the schedule of racing has been altered, we remain grateful to have horses like (Midnight Bisou) to be able to run in stakes races such as the Fleur de Lis.”

Saturday's 11-race program is highlighted by the $500,000 Stephen Foster (GII) but many racing fans will be focused on the Fleur de Lis with a star-studded matchup between Midnight Bisou and last year's Longines Kentucky Oaks (GI) winner Serengeti Empress.

“This has been an unprecedented year in more ways than one,” Asmussen said. “The (national) stakes schedule has not been as traditional as it used to be. We gave (Midnight Bisou) ample time to get over the trip and effort she put in at the world's richest horse race (the $20 million Saudi Cup) in February. She was quarantined in Chicago and eventually moved to Keeneland thereafter. Her time off lasted longer than expected, which wasn't ideal at the time but is now.”

Midnight Bisou (20-12-5-3—$7,250,000) has been nothing short of spectacular throughout her 20-race career. The now 5-year-old mare began her career on the 2018 Road to the Kentucky Oaks with victories in the $200,000 Santa Ynez (GII), $100,000 Santa Ysabel (GIII) and $400,000 Santa Anita Oaks (GI) with previous trainer Bill Spawr. Midnight Bisou finished third behind Monomoy Girl in the 2018 Kentucky Oaks (GI).

“She's always been a beautifully kind filly to train,” Asmussen said. “She's become more confident in her training over the last two years.”

Saturday's Fleur de Lis is a Breeders' Cup “Win and You're In Distaff Division” series race. The winner will get an automatic berth to the season-ending championship race on Nov. 7 at Keeneland.

“Her next two races will likely determine which (Breeders' Cup) race we could point toward,” Asmussen said. “We have constantly discussed where we are at with her training and progression but we know how well she performed against some of the world's best racehorses in Saudi.”

The Fleur de Lis field from the rail out (with jockey, trainer and morning line odds): Go Google Yourself (Brian Hernandez Jr., Paul McGee, 8-1); Another Broad (John Velazquez, Todd Pletcher, 12-1); Chocolate Kisses (Declan Carroll, Mark Casse, 12-1); Serengeti Empress (Joe Talamo, Tom Amoss, 2-1); Midnight Bisou (Mike Smith, Asmussen, 3-5); Red Dane (Corey Lanerie, Charlie LoPresti, 50-1); and Motion Emotion (Julien Leparoux, Richard Baltas, 15-1).

Another top contender for the Asmussen barn entered Saturday is Stonestreet Stables' debut winner Cazadero in the Bashford Manor. The precocious 2-year-old son of Street Sense won his debut by 8 ¾ lengths at odds of 5-1. Asmussen's go-to rider Ricardo Santana Jr. will be in the irons for the six-furlong Bashford Manor, which will go as Race 8 on Saturday.

The Bashford Manor field, which features all first-out maiden winners, from the rail out (with jockey, trainer and morning line odds): Crown and Coke (Miguel Mena, James Lawrence II, 30-1); Hulen (Corey Lanerie, Steve Asmussen, 5-1); Gatsby(Tyler Gaffalione, Juan Alvarado, 4-1); Hyperfocus (John Velazquez, Todd Pletcher, 4-1); Herd Immunity (Brian Hernandez Jr., Peter Miller, 9-2); Cazadero (Ricardo Santana Jr., Asmussen, 8-5); and County Final (James Graham, John Ennis, 6-1).

Entering the final three days of the meet, Asmussen remained one win behind Dale Romans, 742-to-741, for the all-time leading trainer mark at Churchill Downs. Asmussen surpassed Romans' mark earlier in the meet but, in turn, Romans won five races in less than two weeks to retake his spot on top.

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Competitive Field Set for Regret

A full and competitive field of 13 sophomore fillies are set to line up at Churchill Downs Saturday for the GIII Regret S. Earning her diploma by eight lengths at second asking in France in December, Crystal Cliffs (Fr) (Canford Cliffs {Ire}) was privately purchased and transferred to U.S.-based conditioner Graham Motion. She captured her first race in these shores in a nine-panel Churchill allowance May 31.

Dominga (Ghostzapper) looks to return to winning ways in this test after finishing sixth last time in the one-mile Tepin S. here. Prior to that, she captured the LaCombe Memorial S. at Fair Grounds Mar. 7.

Harvey’s Lil Goil (American Pharoah) gets back on turf here for the first time since rallying from last to fourth in her Aqueduct unveiling Nov. 9. The Harvey Clarke homebred graduated by six lengths next out when switched to the main track at the Big A Dec. 12 and romped by 7 1/2 lengths in the Busanda S. at Ozone Park Feb. 2. She was last seen finishing 11th in the GIII Fantasy S. at Oaklawn May 1.

Undefeated Hendy Woods (Uncle Mo) takes a step up to stakes company here. A debut winner on the grass at Fair Grounds Jan. 18, the Stonestreet homebred won an optional claimer there Mar. 15.

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Tom Rides Hot Streak Into Foster

Tom’s d’Etat (Smart Strike) has been on a streak over the last few months and is heavily favored on the morning-line to secure his fourth straight victory in Saturday’s GII Stephen Foster S. at Churchill Downs, which grants the winner a spot in the starting gate for the GI Breeders’ Cup Classic. Capturing a sloppy renewal of the GII Fayette S. at Keeneland in October, the bay followed suit with a decisive score in the track-and-trip GI Clark S. Nov. 29. He kicked off 2020 with a 3/4-length score in the Oaklawn Mile Apr. 11 on a wet track.

“I’m not worried about he’s going to show up in the Foster; he runs very well fresh,” trainer Al Stall Jr. told the Churchill notes team. “This race will feed us into the rest of the year, which looks like it’s setting up well with the schedules in New York and elsewhere. This is his home track and has a visual of it in front of his stall, sort of like Blame did.”

By My Standards (Goldencents) also rides a hot streak into this race and will give his elder some competition. Kicking off 2020 with a six-length romp in a Fair Grounds optional claimer Feb. 9, the 4-year-old scored a decisive victory in the GII New Orleans Classic S. Mar. 21 and captured the GII Oaklawn H. last time May 2, earning a 102 Beyer Speed Figure.

“[By My Standards] has shown every positive development from his 3-year-old season to this year,” trainer Bret Calhoun said. “He’s a very talented racehorse and we saw that with his strong campaign last year. He’s just bigger and stronger this year.”

Three-time Grade III winner Owendale (Into Mischief) takes another shot at Tom’s d’Etat here after finishing second to that rival in the Clark. The bay rallied from well back to captured the one-mile Blame S. at this oval last time May 2.

Another runner of interest at more of a price is the Todd Pletcher-trained Fearless (Ghostzapper). Opening his account with a pair of good-looking scores at Gulfstream this winter, the $725,000 KEESEP buy was off the board in the New Orleans Classic and closed strongly for second next out in an Oaklawn optional claimer May 2. The bay returned to winning ways last time in an optional claimer at this venue May 30.

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