Ken McPeek | Horse Racing Free Tips

Thursday’s Insights: Expensive Curlin-Taris Colt Debuts Going Two Turns

7th-CD, $97K, Msw, 2yo, 1 1/16m, 4:16 p.m. ET
KING FURY (Curlin), the first and only foal out of the late Grade I winner Taris (Flatter), makes his debut in this two-turn affair. King Fury brought $950,000 from Fern Circle Stables and Three Chimneys Farm as a FTSAUG yearling and is trained by Ken McPeek. ‘TDN Rising Star’ Taris, a $90,000 KEESEP yearling turned $2.35 million FTKNOV horse of racing age, concluded her career with a runaway win for Mrs. John Magnier, Michael B. Tabor, and Derrick Smith in the 2016 GI Humana Distaff S. TJCIS PPs

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TDN Rising Stars Headline Pocahontas

Louis Wright’s Inject (Frosted), who turned in an eye-opening performance in her career debut at Ellis to earn TDN Rising Star status, will try and punch her ticket to the GI Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies with a victory in Thursday’s GIII Pocahontas S. at Churchill Downs. Let go at 7-1 for that five-furlong unveiling Aug. 15, the daughter of first-season son of Tapit came from just off the pace to win by a widening six-length margin at the wire. The $390,000 KEESEP yearling purchase is a half-sister to GI Belmont S. winner Tapwrit (Tapit).

Also a winner at first asking, Phoenix Thoroughbred’s Crazy Beautiful (Liam’s Map) got the job done going a mile over the Ellis turf July 5 before overcoming a whole mess of trouble in the Aug. 9 Debutante S. and still managing to come home a 3 3/4-length winner in a TDN Rising Star-earning performance.

Rounding out the TDN Rising Star triumvirate is Girl Daddy (Uncle Mo), who made short work of her rivals while going six panels at Ellis July 24. In the irons that day was Joe Talamo, who led the jockey standings at the recently concluded Ellis summer meeting, gets the call in the Pocahontas.

Russell Welch’s American Grace (American Pharoah) was favored for her career bow going seven furlongs at Ellis Aug. 7 and did not disappoint, coming home a 2 1/2 length winner. Sharpened with a four-furlong move in :48 flat at Churchill Aug, 28, the Larry Jones trainee reunites with Gabe Saez in this stakes debut.

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Talamo Earns Ellis Park Riding Title

Joe Talamo, recently relocated from the West Coast, won his first jockey’s title on the Kentucky circuit after riding 20 winners at Ellis Park’s Runhappy Summer meet which concluded Sunday.

“It feels really good,” said Talamo, who won a race both Saturday and Sunday to pull out of a tie with Rafael Bejarano. “Obviously Bejarano didn’t ride the last couple of weeks, so that definitely helped quite a bit, in all honestly. But more than anything, I was just really happy that we got into some nice barns and outfits and won on some really nice 2-year-olds this meet that I’m really excited about in the coming months. I think quite a few of them have a bright future.”

Talamo continued, “I really have to thank all the owners and trainers who supported me this meet, gave me good opportunities. Obviously [agent] Jake [Romans] did a great job. Hopefully we can keep the momentum going.”

Brad Cox and Ken McPeek tied for the meet’s leading trainer title with 10 wins apiece. Cox won Ellis titles in 2015 and 2018 and McPeek was winning his first title at the Henderson oval.

“We had a great meet,” McPeek said. “We had a lot of horses who came into it perfect. I liked the distance 2-year-old races, and I think we even had one win going short. Overall, the team did a great job. We brought up some from Florida to run, so it was a great summer. It’s a fun meet.”

Cox came on top in the money title with purse earnings of $450,261.

“I was happy with the meet,” Cox said. “It’s a great place to start a lot of young horses, to get them going. Whether they won or not, at least we got some races into them and the meet offered a lot of options as far as turf and dirt. The place has been extremely good to us, and we think a lot of Ellis Park. We’re able to stable there, and it’s a big part of our operation for sure. It’s a good meet, and we’re looking forward to bigger and better things to come.”

The Haughey family’s PTK was the leading owner at the meet with six wins from 23 starters.

“My amazing mom, our P, actually passed away unexpectedly in late March,” Kaitlin Haughey said in an email. “PTK was her baby, and we know she must be proud of this achievement. Winning the Ellis Park owner’s title is really a testament to all the many people and horses who keep PTK functioning on a day-to-day basis.”

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Gamine Draws Five, Made the Even-Money Choice for the Longines Kentucky Oaks

‘TDN Rising Star‘ Gamine (Into Mischief), the ultra-impressive winner of the one-mile GI Longines Acorn S. and seven-furlong GI Longines Test S. in her two most recent appearances, drew gate five and was installed as the even-money favorite on Mike Battaglia’s morning line for Friday’s GI Longines Kentucky Oaks at Churchill Downs.

Owned by Michael Lund Petersen, the $220,000 Keeneland September yearling turned $1.8-million Fasig-Tipton Midlantic 2-Year-Olds in Training topper is likely to be hard sent by John Velazquez in what will be her second go around two turns. She defeated Speech (Mr Speaker) in a first-level Oaklawn allowance, only to be disqualified for a lidocaine positive. Bob Baffert is a three-time winner of the Oaks.

Ken McPeek saddles 8-5 second choice Swiss Skydiver (Daredevil), who has drawn the rail with Tyler Gaffalione at the controls. Runner-up to Derby second pick Art Collector (Bernardini) in the GII Toyota Blue Grass S. July 12, she walloped her rivals last time out in the GI Alabama S. over 10 furlongs. McPeek isn’t the slightest bit concerned about the inside post.

“Not at all,” he told Churchill’s Ed DeRosa after the draw. “Fortunately they don’t let me ride her. I like the inside, it’s the shortest trip. I don’t see us taking back. She ran on the front end at Santa Anita and Keeneland. We’ll leave it up to Tyler mostly.”

Speech (Mr Speaker), the GI Ashland S. victress, should sit a stalking trip not far from the leaders and is pegged at an attractive 5-1 early quote. Javier Castellano takes the call from Mike McCarthy from one slot to the inside of Gamine in stall four.

“I’m fine with that,” said McCarthy. “Probably makes things pretty clear for us. We have speed right outside of us and speed inside. We should be able to tuck in with a nice trip.”

The Longines Kentucky Oaks goes as race 12 on a 13-race card Friday afternoon.

Friday, Churchill Downs

LONGINES KENTUCKY OAKS-GI, $1,250,000, 3yo, f, 1 1/8m

1 Swiss Skydiver (Daredevil), Gaffalione, McPeek, 8-5

2 Tempers Rising (Bayern), Leparoux, Stewart, 50-1

3 Donna Veloce (Uncle Mo), Santana Jr, Callaghan, 15-1

4 Speech (Mr Speaker), Castellano, McCarthy, 5-1

5 Gamine (Into Mischief), Velazquez, Baffert, Even

6 Bayerness (Bayern), Bejarano, DeVaux, 50-1

7 Shedaresthedevil (Daredevil), Geroux, Cox, 20-1

8 Hopeful Growth (Tapiture), Franco, Margotta, 30-1

9 Dream Marie (Graydar), Talamo, Willams, 50-1

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