Trainer Mark Casse's stakes quartet of Helium, Palazzi, Spanish Loveaffair and Tap It to Win are poised to return to form on Saturday's Stephen Foster Preview Day at Churchill Downs.
“I think all four of our horses are very live in those races,” Casse's assistant trainer David Carroll said. “Each one of them fit very well in their respective fields and I think we are setting up for a solid day of racing.”
D J Stable's Kentucky Derby (GI) 10th-place finisher Helium was installed as the co-second choice at 5-2 in the $150,000 Matt Winn (G3). Juddmonte's $300,000 Oaklawn Stakes winner Fulsome also is 5-2. The 2-1 morning line favorite is Bernard Racing, Tagg Team Racing, West Point Thoroughbreds and Terry Stephens' Kentucky Derby fifth-place finisher O Besos.
“He ran a solid effort in the Derby,” Carroll said of Helium. “I think he will be able to sit a better trip in the Matt Winn from just off the pace and I think he matches up with this field better.”
The 1 1/16-mile Matt Winn, carded as Race 9 at 4:55 p.m. (all times Eastern), shares the Saturday spotlight with the $150,000 Audubon (Race 5), $150,000 Blame (Race 6), $150,000 Shawnee (Race 7), $150,000 Regret (G3) (Race 8), $150,000 Aristides (Listed) (Race 10), and $110,000 Douglas Park Overnight Stakes (Race 11). The stellar program gets underway at 12:45 p.m.
The complete field for the Matt Winn (from the rail out with jockey, trainer and morning line odds): Ready to Pounce (Brian Hernandez Jr., Neil Pessin, 15-1); Helium (Julien Leparoux, Casse, 5-2); O Besos (Marcelino Pedroza, Greg Foley, 2-1); Southern Passage (Corey Lanerie, Dale Romans, 20-1); Fulsome (Florent Geroux, Brad Cox, 5-2); Hello Hot Rod (Francisco Arrieta, Caio Caramori, 20-1); Sittin On Go (Joe Talamo, Romans, 8-1); and Game Day Play (David Cohen, Robertino Diodoro, 8-1).
One race after the Matt Winn, Live Oak Plantation's four-time winner Tap It to Win will hope to avenge his 11th-place finish in the $500,000 Churchill Downs (G1) as the 3-1 morning line favorite in the six-furlong Aristides.
“We've been working mentally with him a lot following that race,” Carroll said. “I think we've got him to a good place after the Churchill Downs. He got stuck in a speed duel that day and it wasn't the best of trips. I think drawing to the outside of this field should help him sit a better trip.”
The complete field for the Aristides from the rail out (with jockey, trainer and morning line odds): Haunt (Gerardo Corrales, Reeve McGaughey, 10-1); Tough Love (Corey Lanerie, Brian Williamson, 10-1); Bango (Marcelino Pedroza, Greg Foley, 4-1); Edgemont Road (Ricardo Santana Jr., Eddie Kenneally, 12-1); Empire of Gold (David Cabrera, Terry Eoff, 7-2); Long Range Toddy (Jon Court, Dallas Stewart, 15-1); Royal Daaher (Drayden Van Dyke, Jimmy DiVito, 10-1); Mojo Man (Francisco Arrieta, DiVito, 10-1); Sir Alfred James (Colby Hernandez, Al Stall Jr., 8-1); and Tap It to Win (Tyler Gaffalione, Casse, 3-1).
Earlier in the card, John Oxley's two-time winner Palazzi will have to overcome the rail draw in the 1 1/8-mile Audubon Stakes run over the Matt Winn Turf Course.
“We are supposed to get some rain Friday so we'll have to wait and see what the turf condition is like,” Carroll said. “He likes to be to the outside of horses and got into a tough trip in the American Turf (G2). He'll have to find a trip breaking from the rail but I think can bounce back from that race fairly well. He's been a very consistent horse since running on the grass.”
The only start Palazzi missed the board on the turf was in the $500,000 American Turf (G2). Arguably his best effort came at the end of January when he got up to win the $200,000 Texas Turf Mile at Sam Houston by a nose under Carroll's son Declan.
The full field for the Audubon from the rail out (with jockey, trainer and morning line odds): Palazzi (Tyler Gaffalione, Mark Casse, 7-2); Like the King (Chris Landeros, Wesley Ward, 7-2); Cave Hill (Declan Cannon, Brendan Walsh, 10-1); Hidden Enemy (IRE) (Ricardo Santana Jr., Steve Asmussen, 4-1); Haddassah (Mitchell Murrill, Kevin Attard, 15-1); Cellist (Julien Leparoux, Rusty Arnold II, 8-1); Holy Vow (David Cabrera, John Ortiz, 10-1); and Royal Prince (Florent Geroux, Brad Cox, 3-1).
Michael Hernon, Gary Barber and Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners' Spanish Loveaffair will be in search of her first graded stakes glory in the Regret (G3). Run at 1 1/8 miles on the turf, Spanish Loveaffair was made the 5-2 morning line favorite.
“She took a little longer to come out of the (April 3) Appalachian (G2) but we got her back to Churchill and she's picked things up nicely the last few weeks,” Carroll said. “She's really flourished the last couple of weeks and I think will be ready for a top effort in this spot.”
The complete field for the Regret from the inside out (with jockey, trainer and morning line odds): Oyster Box (Chris Landeros, Graham Motion, 6-1); Munnyfor Ro (Drayden Van Dyke, Brian Lynch, 12-1); Line Dancing (Julien Leparoux, Michael Matz, 12-1); Spanish Loveaffair (Tyler Gaffalione, Mark Casse, 5-1); Barista (James Graham, Jimmy Baker, 5-1); Postnup (Brian Hernandez Jr., Cherie DeVaux, 12-1); Gam's Mission (Adam Beschizza, Cherie DeVaux, 5-1); Flown (Ricardo Santana Jr., Brendan Walsh, 9-2); and Saranya (Forent Geroux, Brad Cox, 5-1).
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