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‘Fresh’ Totally Boss Chasing ‘Win And You’re In’ Berth In Kentucky Downs’ Turf Sprint

Part of the charm of Kentucky Downs is the unique level of hominess the Franklin, Ky., track offers to those making the trek down Interstate 65. While its purses are among the most elite in the nation, the airy atmosphere that surrounds the European-style course gives off a welcoming feel whether one is simply observing the high-level action taking place or trying to claim some of that ample prize money.

At last year's meet, few enjoyed the track's hospitality as much as trainer Rusty Arnold and his hard-knocking charge, Totally Boss. This Saturday, the two will once again aim to take in all the spoils Kentucky Downs has to offer when Totally Boss sets out to defend his title in the Grade 3, $700,000 RUNHAPPY Turf Sprint Stakes.

The Turf Sprint Stakes is one of five stakes, four of them enjoying Grade 3 status, on Saturday's Calumet Farm Day card with the headliner being the $1 million Calumet Farm Kentucky Turf Cup.

With respect to all the title sponsors, Arnold made the venue's signature day his own personal showcase a year ago. In addition to watching Totally Boss earn his first career graded stakes-victory when he prevailed in the six-furlong Turf Sprint, Arnold also saddled Morticia to the win in the 2019 edition of the $500,000 stakes now known as the Real Solution Ladies Sprint, making it one of the most lucrative days of the venerable horseman's career.

It was also the day that Totally Boss uncorked arguably the best race of his life. Where Kentucky Downs' undulating course can throw some runners off their game, Totally Boss relished the going en route to earning a 1 ¼-length triumph over a field the included his graded stakes-winning stablemate Leinster and Stormy Liberal, the champion turf male of 2018.

“He did, he loved it down there last year,” Arnold said of Totally Boss, who has six wins from 18 career outings. “He likes the (six furlongs) I think the better than the five-eighths. He gets to relax a little bit, get his spot and he is really doing well. I don't think he's a natural five-eighths horse. He's trained good for this and he's ready to go.”

With the coronavirus pandemic throwing schedules for a loop, Totally Boss has only had two prior starts this season heading into the Turf Sprint Stakes. The 5-year-old Street Boss gelding was given a freshening after finishing 10th in the $1 million, Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint at Santa Anita Park last November, then had an eventful seasonal bow at Churchill Downs on May 29 when he was taken up abruptly on the turn while finishing eighth in an allowance race.

His most recent outing in the Grade 2 Shakertown Stakes at Keeneland July 11 produced a return to form for Jim and Susan Hill's runner, even if it didn't yield a victory. After racing well back early on in the 5 1/2-furlong Shakertown, Totally Boss came flying late on the outside only to lose the photo finish to his friendly rival Leinster.

“(Totally Boss) just never runs bad. He never runs bad, other than the Breeders' Cup race, it's really the only time,” Arnold said. “But he got the 1 hole (in the Breeders' Cup) that day and had no chance. So you take out that race and he doesn't have a bad race.

“I've told both owners (of Leinster and Totally Boss) that the one thing the pandemic did for me this year was keep me from over-racing these horses. So I've got two fresh horses going into the fall. Anything can happen, anything can go wrong. But right now both horses are very sound, very fresh and ready to go. That's important. They've both had two starts, and they're both going to run one more time. So they're going into the Breeders' Cup off three starts where last year they had five or six starts.”

Reflecting on good times is fun. Topping such achievements is better. To that end, Arnold could enjoy another banner Kentucky Downs meet this week as he also has morning-line favorite Bama Breeze set to run in Thursday's $750,000 Gun Runner Dueling Grounds Derby and graded-stakes winner English Affair slated for either Saturday's Grade 3 Kentucky Downs Ladies Turf Stakes or Sunday's TVG Stakes (formerly the Ladies Marathon), both $500,000 races.

Owned by Ashbrook Farm and BBN Racing, Bama Breeze is seeking his first victory since breaking his maiden at Churchill Downs last September 14. The 3-year-old Honor Code gelding finished sixth in both the Grade 3 Transylvania Stakes at Keeneland on July 12 and the 1 3/16-miles Saratoga Derby Invitational on August 15.

“We've kind of pointed to this race all year,” Arnold said of Bama Breeze. “I think the horse wants to go that distance, we think he's a mile and a half horse. You don't know exactly who will handle (Kentucky Downs) but he sure seems a real handy horse to do it. He kept getting himself in trouble but he did not get in trouble in New York last time, he ran his race. Those were a pretty tough bunch in there but he came out of it good and we're very optimistic that he's going to show up (today).”

Calumet Farm homebred English Affair showed her best self in some time when she captured the Kentucky Downs Preview Ladies Turf Stakes at Ellis Park on August 2. The 6-year-old daughter of English Channel won the 2018 Grade 3 Cardinal Handicap but suffered a hind-end injury coming out of the 2019 Grade 3 La Prevoyante Stakes that kept her on the sidelines for over a year.

“I'm really happy that Calumet was patient enough to run her as a 6-year-old,” Arnold said. “It would have been easy to pull the plug on her. She was a graded-stakes winner at the end of her 5-year-old year and they could have taken her home. But they knew she had talent and they like to race and we got her back.”

Since coming back to the races this February, English Affair has made incremental progress in each of her outings. After dropping her first three starts of 2020, the chestnut mare skipped over the rain-soaked course at Ellis to capture the Preview Ladies Turf Stakes by 1 ½-lengths.

How much moisture ends hitting Kentucky Downs this weekend will likely determine which race the smallish distaffer will head to post for.

“She's a nice filly when everything is right with her,” Arnold said. “She likes a little cut in the ground and we are going to enter her for Sunday and decide which race to run in. We're going to look at both races and see how they come up and … she is going to run on which track we think has the softest ground because she is tough on soft ground.

“That race at Ellis was a bog but she fell in love with it. She's a little filly, she's light, and she gets across it.”

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Equibase Analysis: Hierarchy Could Best Zulu Alpha In Kentucky Turf Cup

The Grade 3, $1 million Calumet Farm Kentucky Turf Cup Stakes drew a full field of 12, plus four also-eligibles. Leading the field is Zulu Alpha, arguably the best of the North American based horses that specialize in these races run at the marathon distance of one mile and one-half and farther. If not for his defeat by a neck in March, Zulu Alpha would have a perfect four-for-four record on the year including victories in the Grade 1 Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational in January, the Grade 2 Mac Diarmida Stakes in February and the Grade 2 Elkhorn Stakes in July.

Eleven horses will try to beat the likely betting choice, including Arklow, who won this race in 2017 and who finished second to Zulu Alpha in the Turf Cup last year. However, Arklow enters this race off poor fourth and sixth place efforts and is adding blinkers for the first time in hopes of reversing his recent non-threatening efforts. Red Knight is a horse proven at this distance and beyond, having won the Point of Entry Stakes last October and the two-mile H. Allen Jerkens Stakes in December of 2018. Another with a chance to compete is Postulation, most recently beaten three-quarters of a length when second to Zulu Alpha in the Elkhorn.

Then there's Hierarchy, entering the race off a second of 11 finish in the Kentucky Downs Preview Turf Cup Stakes last month at Ellis Park. Many of the rest have yet to run well at this distance or in stakes but could jump up to compete on this occasion. He's No Lemon could be one of those as he recently won at the distance of 11 furlongs on turf and last summer was placed first via a disqualification in the mile and one-half Bald Eagle Derby. The rest of the field consists of American Tattoo (ARG), Bundibunan, Celerity, Changi, Eons, Grand Journey, Perfect Tapatino (FR), Standard Deviation, Surprise Twist and Tintoretto (GER).

There's no doubt Zulu Alpha is the one to beat and therefore a legitimate betting favorite, but I think Hierarchy is up to the task of posting the upset win in this year's Kentucky Turf Cup Stakes. Hierarchy has run two “A” races in a row, arguably the two best races of his career, winning the first of the two then finishing second (beaten a half-length) in the Kentucky Downs Preview Turf Cup Stakes in his most recent start. Both efforts earned Hierarchy 110 Equibase Speed Figures. Zulu Alpha earned a 110 figure nearly winning the Pan American Stakes in March and a 105 figure winning the Elkhorn Stakes in July so Hierarchy fits with the favorite.

Additionally, the Kentucky Downs Preview Turf Cup has already become a “KEY RACE”, indicated by two or more horses having come back to win since that race. Winner Factor This almost won the Grade 1 Turf Classic last weekend at Churchill, which is not the reason the race is a key race but indicates how productive the race was. The fourth place finisher, Ry's the Guy, won strongly last weekend at Churchill Downs and both the eighth and 11th place finishers have since won. The horse Hierarchy beat for second has not run back yet but with the winner and fourth place finishers having run very well, I think Hierarchy can do the same and win. Jockey Corey Lanerie was up for both recent big efforts and rides back and that's another positive sign. Additionally, Hierarchy put in a strong four furlong (47.8) workout in preparation for this race so he's fit and ready to run big. Last but not least, Hierarchy was entered to run in the $300,000 Tapit Stakes on Wednesday and his trainer (Joe Sharp) opted for this race instead, likely figuring with the horse in top form he could run well enough to win.

Zulu Alpha won the 2019 Turf Cup over Arklow by three lengths but didn't run as well subsequently in the Turf Classic or Breeders' Cup Turf. Rested three months, Zulu Alpha began his seven year old campaign with a strong win in the Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational, earning a career-best 119  figure in the process. After duplicating that figure and effort in the Mac Diarmida Stakes in February, Zulu Alpha lost a heartbreaker in the Pan American Stakes by a neck after battling for the lead the entire last eighth of a mile. Rested three and one-half months, Zulu Alpha returned in the Elkhorn Stakes this past July and won more decisively than the three-quarter length margin of victory makes it appear. However, his figure did regress to 105 after 110 in the Pan American. Freshened two months again and proven capable of winning big races off this kind of layoff, Zulu Alpha is certainly the one to beat on paper and as a horse who shows up every time I think he has every right to win.

Postulation, Red Knight and Grand Journey are three more with a decent chance to compete at least for the minor awards, and it's not out of the question one of them could post the upset if everything goes their way. Postulation has run 11 times at marathon distances in his career, winning twice and finishing second three times. The most recent of those efforts came when leading from the start in the Elkhorn Stakes before being passed late by Zulu Alpha and finishing three-quarters of a length behind in second. That effort earned a 105 figure, and in 2018 at the distance in the Point of Entry Stakes Postulation earned a 112 figure so a top effort puts him right there with the main contenders. Red Knight won the 2019 Point of Entry Stakes with a 108 figure and was second, beaten a half-length, in the 2019 Elkhorn so fits at this level and distance. Not seen since finishing fourth of 11 in the McKnight Stakes in January, Red Knight also won the two mile H. Allen Jerkens Stakes in 2018 so he's a true “stayer” who must be respected as a contender.

Then there's Grand Journey, who will likely be one of the longshots in the field. He started out his career in claiming races but won three straight last spring and summer on the grass, the best of those earning a 107 figure. In his third race of the year this past June, Grand Journey won at the distance of one mile and one-sixteenth on turf and earned a 105 figure. Trainer Mike Maker claimed the horse from that race then put him in a stakes race on July 8. Although fourth in that race, Grand Journey was beaten a nose and a head for second and tied his previous best 107 figure. Maker, who also saddles Zulu Alpha, has a knack for finding horses he can turn into successful turf stakes runners and I have a suspicion Grand Journey may be one of those and can run better than his high odds suggest he can. North American leading jockey Irad Ortiz, Jr. sees fit to ride and that's significant. Also of significance is the fact that Grand Journey is by Giant's Causeway, who has produced a number of top turf runners including 2019 Horse of the Year Bricks and Mortar. For those reasons I plan to at least make a win and place bet on Grand Journey at likely very high odds.

The rest of the field, with their best Equibase Speed Figures, is American Tattoo (ARG), Arklow, Bundibunan, Celerity, Changi, Eons, Grand Journey, Perfect Tapatino (FR), Standard Deviation, Surprise Twist and Tintoretto (GER).

Main Win Contenders (in probability/preference order):
Hierarchy
Zulu Alpha

Secondary win contenders and in-the-money contenders:
Postulation
Red Knight
Grand Journey

Calumet Farm Kentucky Turf Cup Stakes – Grade 3
Race 10 at Kentucky Downs
Saturday, September 12 – Post Time 6:04 PM E.T.
One Mile and One-Half on Turf
Three Years Olds and Upward
Purse: $1 Million

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Zulu Alpha Better Than Ever Ahead Of Kentucky Turf Cup Title Defense

The fields are set for America's biggest day of turf racing this year outside the Breeders' Cup, with a sensational stakes quintet on tap Saturday at the RUNHAPPY Meet at Kentucky Downs.

Each stakes on the Calumet Farm Day program is worth at least $500,000, with the four Grade 3 stakes highlighted by the $1 million Calumet Farm Kentucky Turf Cup at 1 1/2 miles. The other graded stakes are the $700,000 RUNHAPPY Turf Sprint at six furlongs, whose winner will receive a fees-paid spot in the $1 million Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint Nov. 7 at Keeneland as part of the Breeders' Cup Challenge Series' “Win and You're In” program, along with the $500,000 English Channel Ladies Turf at a mile, the $500,000 Real Solution Ladies Sprint at 6 1/2 furlongs and the $500,000 Bal a Bali Juvenile Turf Sprint at 6 1/2 furlongs.

The Kentucky Turf Cup is headed by Michael Hui's 2019 winner Zulu Alpha and Donegal Racing's 2018 winner Arklow. Both became Grade 1 winners after their 1-2 finish a year ago at Kentucky Downs, with Arklow winning Belmont Park's Joe Hirsch Turf Classic in his next start and Zulu Alpha taking Gulfstream Park's $1 million Pegasus World Cup Turf in January.

Zulu Alpha will try to join Rochester and Da Big Hoss as the only repeat winners in Kentucky Turf Cup history, which dates to the first year the track opened in 1990.

“He had a maintenance work on Monday, and I'm marking the days off on the calendar to race day,” said trainer Mike Maker. “I've got to say he's coming into the race this year even better than last, because he's had such a great year.”

Said Hui: “I spoke with Mike, obviously about Zulu, because I always ask about him first. He says he's never been better and expects him to have his usual performance where he always shows up. He loves Kentucky Downs. As far as the post (10), I'm glad he drew outside rather than the inside, and he'll get a good look at Arklow (post 5) in his new blinkers.”

Here's a closer look on the Calumet Farm Day Stakes:

$500,000, Grade 3 English Channel Ladies Turf at a mile (7th race, 3:27 p.m. Central): Chad Brown, the future Hall of Famer who is a presence at this meet for the first time, already has one stakes win with Flavius in Monday's $750,000 Tourist Mile. Now he's got 9-5 favorite Regal Glory in this race for fillies and mares. Regal Glory is a multiple graded-stakes winner, taking last year's Grade 2 Lake Placid and Grade 3 Lake George at Saratoga, along with two other stakes at age 3. In two starts this year she was second to her talented stablemate Newspaperofrecord in Belmont's Grade 3 Intercontinental and fourth to her in the Grade 1 Just a Game. Brown also entered 5-1 Tapit Today, who finished most recently was a good fourth in Monmouth Park's Grade 3 Matchmaker.

Secret Message won Churchill Downs' Grade 3 Mint Julep for trainer Graham Motion, whose horses always must be respected. A Grade 2 winner in Woodbine's Nassau Stakes last year, Secret Message was a decent sixth in Keeneland's very tough edition of the Grade 1 Jenny Wiley, then a good third in Saratoga's Perfect Sting.

English Affair earned a free spot in this race by virtue of taking Ellis Park's Kentucky Downs Ladies Preview at 14-1 odds over soft turf. English Affair was to be cross-entered in Sunday's $500,000 TVG Stakes (formerly the Ladies Marathon). Trainer Rusty Arnold last year won two stakes, including the RUNHAPPY Turf Sprint with Totally Boss, who is back this year.

Lady Apple certainly has the back class but has been off form this year in four races since taking the Grade 3 Houston Ladies Classic. If the surface change does the trick, she could be formidable at a price. Trained by Steve Asmussen, Lady Apple is a multiple graded-stakes winner who finished third in last year's Kentucky Oaks. She's also the only millionaire in the field of 12, with one also-eligible.

Mitchell Road is out of the same mare as 2019 adjudged Kentucky Derby winner Country House. She got back in the win column in taking the Ellis Park Turf but struggled over soft turf in the Kentucky Downs Preview Ladies Turf. The firm turf should suit her much better.

Ask Bailey is 20-1 in the morning line and could provide value in the exotic wagers as she figures to come flying late. The Mike Maker-trained Ask Bailey was second in last year's 2-year-old filly stakes at a mile.

Here is the field in post position order with jockey/trainer and morning-line odds: Mitchell Road (Luis Saez/Bill Mott 8-1), Princess Causeway (Chris Landeros/Ian Wilkes 15-1), Tapit Today (Javier Castellano/Chad Brown 5-1), English Affair (Rafael Bejarano/Rusty Arnold 6-1), Frond (Gerardo Corrales/Ben Colebrook 20-1), Regal Glory (Jose Ortiz/Chad Brown 9-5), Lady Apple (Ricardo Santana/Steve Asmussen 6-1), Secret Message (John Velazquez/Graham Motion 4-1).

$500,000, G3 Real Solution Ladies Sprint at 6 1/2 furlongs (8th race 3:59 p.m. Central): The Ladies Sprint provides a scintillating showdown among Got Stormy, the 2-1 favorite in the overflow field of 15, and Into Mystic and Kimari. The Mark Casse-trained Got Stormy has consistently been tough competing against males in Grade 1 races, including winning last year's Fourstardave at Saratoga and finishing second in her title defense this year, along with a second in last year's Breeders' Cup Mile. Now she'll sprint for the first time in her glorious career that has seen her earn $1.6 million to date. Kimari, trained by Wesley Ward, has only been beaten once in the United States, and that was when a good fourth in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint at Santa Anita. Whether intended as a prep or not, Ward has effectively used England's Royal Ascot meet, where Kimari was second for the second time in a prestigious race this year, as a stepping stone to Kentucky Downs victory. Into Mystic was sent to trainer Brendan Walsh in Kentucky with the Kentucky Downs Preview Ladies Sprint (check off win) and this stakes in mind. She's a very fast horse who in May was a good fourth in Santa Anita's Grade 2 Monrovia, whose 1-2 finishers were the talented Jolie Olimpica and Oleksandra. That effort came after she won a 3 1/2-furlong allowance race in a mixed-breed race against quarter horses on dirt at Los Alamitos.

The rest of the field isn't shabby, including Intuicao making her first U.S. start after racing in Brazil, and stakes-winners Cariba, Mentality, I'llhandalthecash, Winning Envelope, Quebec and Jakarta. (A note on Jolie Olimpica: She was to run in this race but spiked a temperature before she was scheduled to fly out from California.)

Here is the field in post position order with jockey/trainer and morning-line odds: Intuicao (Florent Geroux, Paulo Lobo 20-1), I'llhandalthecash (Jose Ortiz/Raymond Handal 20-1), Winning Envelope (Julien Leparoux/Chris Block 20-1), Quebec (Adam Beschizza/Joe Sharp 30-1), Change of Control (Colby Hernandez/Michelle Lovell 15-1), Mentality (Gerardo Corrales/Wesley Ward 15-1), Cariba (Irad Ortiz/Christophe Clement 8-1), Got Stormy (Tyler Gaffalione/Mark Casse 2-1), Into Mystic (Joe Talamo/Brendan Walsh 6-1), Jakarta (Luis Saez/Mike Maker 10-1), Kimari (Julio Garcia/Wesley Ward 4-1), Surrender Now (Ricardo Santana/Steve Asmussen 15-1). Also eligible: Dixieincandyland (Javier Castellano/Eddie Kenneally 30-1), Lady Lawyer (Joel Rosario/Chad Brown) 15-1, Bohemian Bourbon (Julien Leparoux/Ian Wilkes 20-1)

$500,000 Bal a Bali Juvenile Turf Sprint at 6 1/2 furlongs (ninth race, 4:32 p.m. Central): A good way to bet is trainer Wesley Ward, who won the first two runnings of this stakes with fillies. With 2-year-old fillies now having their stakes on Sunday, Ward has only colts in this spot this year but they are the two favorites in Saratoga turf debut winner Outadore (2-1) and Fauci (5-2), who won a Keeneland maiden race on turf and was second in Saratoga's Skidmore on grass.

Another interesting horse is 9-2 third choice County Final, who won his debut on grass at Churchill Downs then was second in the Grade 3 Bashford Manor on dirt. Transferred to Hall of Famer Steve Asmussen, County Final romped in Monmouth Park's off-the-turf Tyro Stakes. Asmussen also entered Cowan, who will try turf for the first time.

Trainer Valerie Lund brings Bodenheimer in from Minnesota, where he won his first start on turf by 11 1/4 lengths and then took Iowa's Prairie Gold Juvenile on dirt by a neck.

Here is the field in post position order with jockey/trainer and morning-line odds: Baytown Bear (Jack Gilligan/Paul McEntee 50-1), Perfect Mistake (Jack Gilligan, Paul McEntee 50-1), Perfect Mistake (Rafael Bejarano/John Ortiz 20-1), Petit Verdot (Joe Talamo/John Ennis 15-1), County Five (Jose Ortiz/Steve Asmussen 9-2), Boss Bear (Luis Saez/Mike Maker 20-1), Bodenheimer (Brian Hernandez/Valorie Lund 6-1), Scorsese (Tyler Baze/James Chapman 50-1), Cowan (Ricardo Santana/Steve Asmussen 8-1), Outadore (Irad Ortiz/Wesley Ward 2-1), Fauci (Tyler Gaffalione/Wesley Ward 5-2).

Grade 3, $1 million Calumet Farm Kentucky Turf Cup at 1 1/2 miles (10th race, post time 5:04 p.m. Central): Zulu Alpha, a very good fourth in last year's Breeders' Cup Turf, has made a claim as being America's best distance turf horse after winning the Grade 1 Pegasus World Cup Turf and tacking on Grade 2 victories in Gulfstream Park's Mac Diarmida and Keeneland's Elkhorn. His only defeat in four starts was by a neck to stablemate Bemma's Boy in Gulfstream's Pan American (G2).

Arklow is trying to regain his 2019 form, and trainer Brad Cox has been pleased how the 6-year-old horse has responded in training to the addition of blinkers.

While Zulu Alpha and Arklow's rematch is the main story line, the supporting cast is solid in the field of 12, with four other horses needing scratches to run. Others in the race include stakes-winners Postulation, the 2017 Kentucky Turf Cup runner-up; Eons, Red Knight, He's No Lemon and stakes sponsor Calumet Farm's American Tattoo.

Trained by Hall of Famer Bill Mott, the New York-bred 12-1 shot Red Knight is making his first start since January.

“I'm actually a little worried about Red Knight,” said Mike Maker, Zulu Alpha's trainer. “He had plenty of options up there (in New York) and they chose to come down here. You have to respect that. Look at the horses he's been running with.”

Maker also is running Grand Journey, who has been training with Zulu Alpha. “I said that as good as he's working, there are not very many options for him so take a shot.”

Here's the field in post-position order with jockey, trainer and morning-line odds): Changi (Tyler Baze/Jeanne Dolan 50-1), Red Knight (Luis Saez, Bill Mott 12-1), Grand Journey (Irad Ortiz/Mike Maker 15-1), Eons (Flavien Prat/Arnaud Delacour 20-1), Arklow (Florent Geroux/Brad Cox 9-2), Postulation (Julien Leparoux/Michael Matz 8-1), He's No Lemon (Javier Castellano, Graham Motion 10-1), Bundibunan (James Graham/Ignacio Correas 30-1), American Tattoo (Adam Beschizza/Jack Sisterson 30-1), Zulu Alpha (Tyler Gaffalione/Mike Maker 7-5), Standard Deviation (John Velazquez/Graham Motion 12-1), Hierarchy (Corey Lanerie/Joe Sharp 12-1). Also eligible: Celerity (Gabriel Saez/Waylon Cundiff 50-1), Tintoretto (Joe Talamo/Michael McCarthy 30-1), Perfect Tapatino (Adam Beschizza/Roger Attfield 50-1), Surprise Twist (Joel Rosario/Arnaud Delacour 50-1).

Grade 3, $700,000 RUNHAPPY Turf Sprint at six furlongs (race 11, 5:36 p.m. Central): This is a fantastic betting race with 2019 winner Totally Boss a hefty 9-2 favorite over a trio of 5-1 choices in the intriguing Front Run the Fed, multiple graded-stakes winner Kanthaka and last year's Tourist Mile winner Bound for Nowhere.

Totally Boss has raced only twice this year, most recently rallying strongly only to lose Keeneland's Grade 2 Shakertown by a head to his Rusty Arnold-trained stablemate Leinster. Totally Boss could join Hold the Salt (2008-2009) as the only repeat winner of the stakes.

Bound for Nowhere scratched out of last Saturday's $250,000 turf sprint at Churchill Downs to run for the bigger purse. He also has run twice this year, a pair of narrow losses that included third by a total of a neck in the Shakertown. Front Run the Fed, coming in off a Belmont Park allowance race, will be flying late as he seeks to win for the fifth time in his last seven starts. Kanthaka, who was briefly on the Kentucky Derby trail in 2018 while based in California, has raced just once this year, finishing second by a head to the classy mare Oleksandra in Belmont's Grade 1 Jaipur in his first start for trainer Graham Motion.

Stubbins was second in last year's Grade 3 Franklin-Simpson at Kentucky Downs behind his Doug O'Neill-trained stablemate Legends of War then beat older horses in Keeneland's Grade 2 Woodford and finished a fast-flying fourth in the Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint.
Imprimis, fourth in last year's RUNHAPPY Turf Sprint, has raced only once this year, finishing first in Saratoga's Troy Stakes only to be disqualified to third.

Archidust is 2 for 2, in a pair of small stakes at Monmouth Park, since being sent to trainer Steve Asmussen. He was fourth in last year's Grade 3 Franklin-Simpson in his only prior turf start.

American Anthem makes his first start for trainer Mike Maker and first start on turf. The 6-year-old horse was a two-time Grade 2 winner on dirt when trained by Bob Baffert and most recently was third in New York's Grade 1 Carter for trainer Danny Gargan.

Chicago shipper Richiesinthehouse boasts 14 wins out of 21 starts, including going 12 for 16 on synthetic surfaces.

Here is the field in post position order with jockey/trainer and morning-line odds: Renaissance Frolic (James Graham/Saffie Joseph 50-1), Stubbins (Joel Rosario/Doug O'Neill 6-1), Front Run the Fed (Javier Castellano/Chad Brown 5-1), Totally Boss (Florent Geroux/Rusty Arnold 9-2), Bombard (Flavien Prat/Richard Mandella 20-1), Kanthaka (Jose Ortiz/Graham Motion 5-1), American Anthem (Tyler Gaffalione/Mike Maker 12-1), Bon Raison (Adam Beschizza/Jack Sisterson 30-1), Imprimis (Irad Ortiz/Joe Orseno 8-1), Richiesinthehouse (Brian Hernandez/Larry Rivelli 15-1), Archidust (Ricardo Santana/Steve Asmussen 12-1), Bound for Nowhere (Julio Garcia/Wesley Ward 5-1). Also eligible: Tiger Blood (Tyler Gaffalione/Mike Maker 20-1), Fast Boat (Adam Beschizza/Joe Sharp 15-1), Hollis (Gabriel Saez/John Ortiz 30-1), Admiral Lynch (Luis Saez/Mike Maker 15-1) .

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After ‘Tough’ Year, Kentucky Downs Meet Comes At A Good Time For Trainer Joe Sharp

The RUNHAPPY Meet at Kentucky Downs couldn't come soon enough for Joe Sharp.

The trainer has always done well at the all-grass meet. That includes winning at Kentucky Downs with the first starter after opening his own stable in 2014, with Holiday Drama ridden by Sharp's wife, Rosie Napravnik. He has won at least one race every Kentucky Downs meet since. Last year Sharp earned a share of the training title with Wesley Ward and Ian Wilkes at four wins apiece. That ended the run of four straight Kentucky Downs meet titles for Sharp's former boss, the track's all-time win leader Mike Maker.

Sharp has Midnight Tea Time and Hierarchy entered in Wednesday's $300,000 Tapit Stakes for horses who haven't won a stakes in 2020. Hierarchy was cross-entered in Saturday's $1 million Calumet Farm Kentucky Turf Cup, one of five stakes on the showcase Calumet Farm Day card. Sharp also entered the stakes-winner Quebec in the $500,000, Grade 3 Real Solution Ladies Sprint and Fast Boat in the $700,000, Grade 3 RUNHAPPY Turf Sprint among his five entries Saturday. Fast Boat needs two scratches to run in the overfilled RUNHAPPY Turf Sprint, whose winner receives a fees-paid spot in the $1 million Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint (G1) with the six-furlong stakes being a Breeders' Cup Challenge Series' “Win And You're In” race.

“Kentucky Downs has been a track that's been really good to us over the years,” Sharp said. “Being based here in Kentucky, you know what kind of horses to look for, what kind of distances to target over there.

“I was telling my wife, we can make our whole year this month. In a normal year, it's a really, really fun place to go to the races. You can bring the family and enjoy it. It's real casual. That's one of my favorite parts about it. I was saying my favorite day of the year is when they take entries for opening day at Kentucky Downs. The track just has a great feeling to it.”

This has been a difficult year for Sharp, to put it mildly. He had to undergo surgeries June 4 and July 24 connected to a brain tumor, with a procedure in between to insert a lumbar drain. The good news was that the tumor, known as an acoustic neuroma, was non-cancerous. The bad news was that in order to remove it, the surgeons also had to remove auditory nerves that had wrapped around it, rendering him deaf in his right ear.

Because the tumor was benign and he knew he was going to lose his hearing in an ear, Sharp said he delayed surgery for a year. Amid that, he had a rash of horses at Churchill Downs last fall and the Fair Grounds disqualified for testing over the limit for the dewormer Levamisole.

“It just keeps coming this year, for sure,” Sharp said. “But we're tough…. We're going on and doing our thing. We've always had a good reputation prior to that. It was just unlucky. I think if I had to guess after talking to veterinarians and specialists that most likely the horses were recontaminating the stalls. That's why it's carried on. There's no other explanation.”

Sharp said he almost had his surgery last November “but I chickened out… There's never a good time for that.

“I'd never even broken a bone,” said the 35-year-old former jockey, who until being grounded by the surgeries got on many of his horses in morning training. “So I've been very lucky. That being said, I'm not the best patient ever because I wasn't used to that. I've never been unfit since I was 16. I couldn't lift over 10 pounds for 90 days and then when I had my second surgery, that started over again. So like the kids, the barn, I can't bend down. That was the toughest part.”

One of Sharp's four wins last year at Kentucky Downs came with a maiden called Art Collector. Unfortunately for Sharp, one of his Levamisole disqualifications came in a subsequent Churchill Downs allowance race in which Art Collector finished first by 7 1/2 lengths. Owner Bruce Lunsford, who had sent Art Collector to trainer Tommy Drury to bring back off a layoff, opted to keep the colt with Drury. They are 4 for 4 since, including winning Keeneland's Grade 2 Toyota Blue Grass and the $200,000 Ellis Park Derby. After missing the Derby with a minor but untimely foot issue, Art Collector is being pointed for the Oct. 3 Preakness Stakes.

Sharp said he continues to have a good relationship with Lunsford and harbors no hard feelings about losing Art Collector. With his surgeries, he noted it would have been difficult to have a horse on the delayed Kentucky Derby trail anyway.

Mostly, Sharp is grateful just to be back at the track, returning a little more than two weeks ago. Midnight Tea Time got the scratch he needed to get into Wednesday's Tapit off the also-eligible list. In his last start he was second by a neck in a third-level allowance race won by He's No Lemon, an unusual result where both horses in the exacta are out of the same mare, It's Tea Time. (As an aside, He's No Lemon is entered in the Calumet Farm Kentucky Turf Cup.) Midnight Tea Time won a second-level allowance race at Kentucky Downs last year by a nose over Combatant, who went on to win the Grade 1 Santa Anita Handicap.

Sharp said that a final decision will be made with owner Carl Moore but that they believe the Kentucky Turf Cup's 1 1/2-mile distance will suit Hierarchy. Hierarchy was a good second in the Kentucky Downs Preview Turf Cup won by Factor This, who then was second in last Saturday's Grade 1 Old Forester Bourbon Turf Classic at Churchill Downs.

“He's a horse we've always wanted to try going that far,” Sharp said. “He ran really big going a mile and a quarter against Factor This, got a really big (handicapping) number. There are limited opportunities to find a race going a mile and a half. If he fires and runs his last two numbers back, he's very competitive with these horses. Obviously Zulu Alpha is in top form right now. Arklow's form isn't what it was last year at this time, but he's still consistent. Honestly I think it comes down to what distance is going to suit him better, because the Tapit came up pretty tough as well.”

Sharp believes firmer turf will help Quebec, a $105,000 purchase at Keeneland's November sale last fall, in the Ladies Sprint.

“She ran some really good races at Lone Star for us,” Sharp said of a pair of seconds before Quebec finished seventh in the Kentucky Downs Preview Ladies Turf. “The day we ran her at Ellis Park, it was boggy. She's a California horse. They like to hear their feet rattle. So we're going to cut her back in distance to 6 1/2 furlongs. That uphill, I think she'll really like.”

Sharp's best finish opening day was a third but he's optimistic about the rest of the meet, saying, “I think our meet will get stronger as it goes, as far as entries are concerned.”

The post After ‘Tough’ Year, Kentucky Downs Meet Comes At A Good Time For Trainer Joe Sharp appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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