Racing Resumes Thursday Afternoon At Churchill Downs Without Fans

Racing returns to Churchill Downs on Thursday for the resumption of the September Meet.

Post time for each of the final nine days of the September Meet will be 12:45 p.m. (all times Eastern). Racing will take place Thursday through Sunday and Wednesday, Sept. 23 through Sunday, Sept. 27.

As it was during the Spring Meet (May 16-June 28) and Kentucky Derby Week (Sept. 1-5), racing at Churchill Downs with be run without fans and will be limited to essential personnel and participants because of COVID-19. Individual ticket holders who purchased tickets for September race dates through Churchill Downs or Ticketmaster.com will have their tickets refunded and will receive a credit applied to their original method of payment within the next 30-45 days.

Here's the day-by-day schedule with national TV coverage and daily prize money offered:

· Thursday, Sept. 17: 9 races (12:45-4:53 p.m.), TV: FS2 (12:30-5:30 p.m.), $418,000

· Friday, Sept. 18: 10 races (12:45-5:26 p.m.), TV: FS2 (12:30-5:30 p.m.), $458,000

· Saturday, Sept. 19: 11 races (12:45-5:57 p.m.), TV: FS1 (12:30-4 p.m.), FS2 (4-6 p.m.), $494,000

· Sunday, Sept. 20: 10 races (12:45-5:26 p.m.), TV: FS1 (12:30-4 p.m.), FS2 (4-5:30 p.m.), $441,000

· Wednesday, Sept. 23: 9 races (12:45-4:53 p.m.), TV: FS2 (12:30-5 p.m.), $442,000

· Thursday, Sept. 24: 9 races (12:45-4:53 p.m.), TV: FS2 (12:30-5:30 p.m.), $421,000

· Friday, Sept. 25: 10 races (12:45-5:26 p.m.), TV: FS2 (12:30-5:30 p.m.), $523,000

· Saturday, Sept. 26: 11 races (12:45-5:57 p.m.), TV: FS1 (12:30-1:30 p.m.), FS2 (1:30-8:30 p.m.), $609,000

· Sunday, Sept. 27: 10 races (12:45-5:26 p.m.), TV: FS2 (12:30-6 p.m.), FS1 (6-7 p.m.), FS2 (7-8 p.m.), $458,000

A total of $4,264,000 in prize money is offered in the 89-race condition book over the nine days for a daily average of $473,778. Maiden special weight races have a $75,000 purse while allowance races range from $77,000 to $81,000.

The lone remaining stakes race in September is the $100,000 Ack Ack (Grade III) for 3-year-olds and up at one mile on Saturday, Sept. 26 – a race often used as a prep for the $1 million Breeders' Cup Big Ass Fans Dirt Mile (GI) on Nov. 7 at Keeneland.

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Fillies And Mares In Kentucky Downs Tuesday Spotlight In Trio Of Rescheduled Stakes

Fillies and mares will be in the spotlight Tuesday, with three stakes headlining the rescheduled penultimate card of the RUNHAPPY at Kentucky Downs meet in Franklin, Ky.

The $400,000 Untapable Stakes for 2-year-old filly sprinters and $400,000 Music City Stakes for 3-year-old filly sprinters are new this year, with the $500,000 TVG Stakes at 1 5/16 miles in its 10th running.

The 11-race card was moved from Sunday to Tuesday because of the rain that pelted the area during Saturday's races and again Sunday morning. Any horses who were early scratches out of Sunday's races now have been reinstated, with horsemen having to re-scratch if they wish to come out. Scratch time for Tuesday's races is Monday at 9 a.m. Central, with stakes horses on the also-eligible list having until 10 a.m. Tuesday to draw into the field.

Here's a look at the stakes:

$500,000 TVG Stakes for fillies and mares at 1 5/16 miles (race 9, 4:32 p.m. Central) — Mrs. Sippy is the even-money favorite in the field of six as she makes her second start of her 5-year-old season, having been second in Saratoga's Grade 3 Waya Stakes at 1 1/2 miles by a neck. A Grade 2 winner last year, Mrs. Sippy also was a close second in Belmont's Grade 1 Flower Bowl to top mare Sister Charlie.

Michael Dickinson ships in from Maryland with 5-2 second choice Theodora B., front-running winner of Woodbine's Grade 2 Dance Smartly in her last start. She's also run well over courses with some give in the ground so anticipated overnight rain shouldn't be an issue.

Trainer Rusty Arnold scratched English Affair, winner of Ellis Park's Kentucky Downs Preview Ladies Turf in a bog, out of Saturday's $500,000 English Channel Ladies Turf in hopes of getting softer turf and also the longer distance. The irony is English Affair now might encounter firmer turf, with the forecast calling for sunshine Monday and Tuesday. Rounding out the field California invader Siberian Iris, Over Thinking and Delta's Kingdom.

Here's the field in post position order (with jockey, trainer and odds): Delta's Kingdom (Florent Geroux/Bill Mott 20-1), Theodora B. (Irad Ortiz/Michael Dickinson 5-2), Mrs. Sippy (Joel Rosario/Graham Motion even), English Affair (Rafael Bejarano/Rusty Arnold 7-2), Siberian Iris (Flavien Prat/Richard Mandella 12-1), Over Thinking (Luis Saez/Victoria Oliver 8-1).

$400,000 Untapable for 2-year-old fillies at 6 1/2 furlongs (race 10, 5:04 p.m. Central) — The Wesley Ward-trained Red Ghost is the 3-1 favorite in the field of 11 off winning her debut by 8 1/2 lengths at Saratoga in a race taken off the turf.

Mad Maddy certainly has an experience edge, with four seconds in four maiden races, the last two on turf at Saratoga. The daughter of 2015 Triple Crown winner American Pharoah is trained by Hall of Famer Steve Asmussen for Ron Winchell, co-owner of Kentucky Downs and whose Winchell Thoroughbreds bred and campaigned champion Untapable, the 2014 Kentucky Oaks and Breeders' Cup Distaff winner for whom the stakes is named.

Other contenders include Ellis Park debut winners La Libertee, Lady Edith, Emro and Lady Goldstart; out-of-state invaders Taylor's Tourist (Louisiana), Fouzia (Florida), Kewpie Doll (Maryland), Becca's Bouquet (Texas). Taylor's Tourist is an interesting horse at 12-1 odds in the morning line, coming in off a 9 3/4-length win at Evangeline Downs. And while that's considered the comparative minor leagues to Kentucky, New York and California, her speed figures for that performance put her in the thick of things should she take to the grass. Mike Maker, Kentucky Downs' all-time win leader, will saddle Herald Angel, who was second in a New York-bred maiden race at Saratoga. The fact that he didn't keep the filly in New York with his Belmont Park division is telling.

Here's the field in post position order (with jockey, trainer and odds): Lady Goldstart (Chris Landeros/Ian Wilkes 8-1), Taylor's Tourist (Florent Geroux/Scott Geiner 12-1), Red Ghost (Jose Ortiz/Wesley Ward 3-1), Becca's Bouquet (Robby Albarado/Scott Geiner 20-1), Herald Angel (Irad Ortiz/Mike Maker 12-1), Kewpie Doll (Tyler Gaffalione, Cathal Lynch 20-1), Fouzia (Julien Leparoux/Saffie Joseph Jr. 20-1), Lady Edith (Colby Hernandez/Tommy Drury 6-1), Mad Maddy (Ricardo Santana/Steve Asmussen 8-1), La Libertee (Adam Beschizza/Mark Casse 9-2), Emro (Shaun Bridgmohan/Brad Cox 6-1).

$400,000 Music City for 3-year-old fillies at 6 1/2 furlongs (11th race, 5:36 p.m. Central): Kimari, scratched out of Saturday's $500,000, Grade 3 Real Solution Ladies Sprint, is the 3-1 favorite, with trainer Wesley Ward also entering her in Wednesday's closing-day feature, the $500,000, Grade 3 Franklin-Simpson against males. However, on Saturday Ward said his plan is to run Kimari in the Music City. In two starts this year, Kimari won Oaklawn Park's Purple Martin in the slop then was a rallying second after being left at the start in Royal Ascot's Group 1 Commonwealth Cup in England. Kimari was one of the top 2-year-old turf sprinters of either sex.

Winchell Thoroughbreds' Finite, who stamped herself as one of the best of her generation over the winter, comes in off almost a six-month layoff following the surgical removal of a bone chip after a fourth-place finish in the Grade 2 Fair Grounds Oaks. After winning a Kentucky Downs maiden race a year ago in her only start on turf, Finite reeled off four stakes victories on dirt, capped by the Grade 2 Rachel Alexandra in New Orleans.

The Shug McGaughey-trained Enola Gay, winner of Keeneland's Grade 2 Appalachian at a mile before finishing fifth in the 1 3/16-mile Saratoga Oaks, shortens back to sprinting over the course where she won her debut last year. She's My Type, trained by Christophe Clement, won Saratoga's $100,000 Coronation Cup in her last start and never runs a bad race.

Santa Anita stakes-winner She's So Special and Lighthouse ship in from California. Other contenders include Grade 3 Florida Oaks winner Outburst, Grade 2 Gulfstream Park Oaks runner-up Lucrezia and stakes-winners Miss J McKay and She's So Special. Mom's Red Lipstick, Fashionable Lady, Poseidon's Passion and Lucky Jingle were early scratches but now have been reinstated into the field unless their connections opt to again scratch them.

Here's the field in post position order (with jockey, trainer and odds): Lucrezia (James Graham/Arnaud Delacour 12-1), Outburst (Florent Geroux/Eddie Kenneally 20-1), Mom's Red Lipstick (Ricardo Santana, Chris Block 30-1), Bredenbury (Luis Saez/Graham Motion 12-1), Enola Gay (Julien Leparoux/Shug McGaughey 9-2), She's My Type (Joel Rosario/Christophe Clement 5-1), She's So Special (Flavien Prat/Peter Miller 12-1), Finite (Jose Ortiz/Steve Asmussen 8-1), Lighthouse (Umberto Rispoli/Simon Callaghan 8-1), Kimari (Irad Ortiz/Wesley Ward 3-1), Miss J McKay (Tyler Gaffalione/Cathal Lynch 10-1), Hear My Prayer (Rafael Bejarano/David Fisher 30-1), Fashionable Lady (Florent Geroux/Michael Ann Ewing 30-1), Evil Lyn (Shaun Bridgmohan/Mike Maker 20-1), Poseidon's Passion (Mitchell Murrill/James Gulick 30-1), Lucky Jingle (Jose Ortiz/Graham Motion 30-1).

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Bronx Beauty Wins Monmouth’s Regret Off Short Rest

The best year of jockey Isaac Castillo's young career just keeps getting better.

Able to get the jump on 3-5 favorite Royal Charlotte coming out of the final turn, Castillo and Bronx Beauty drew off for a 4 1/4-length victory in Sunday's $75,000 Regret Stakes at Monmouth Park in Oceanport, N.J., giving the 22-year-old Panamanian rider his first stakes win of the meet.

Trained by Anthony Margotta, Jr., Bronx Beauty was racing for the second time in six days. The classy 5-year-old mare was a late-running third in the Teresa Garofolo Memorial Stakes at Parx on Sept. 7 after breaking last in the seven-horse field.

“We typically do not run back this quickly,” said Margotta. “But we will do it if the circumstances surrounding it are good. These happened to be good circumstances. She fit very well against these, she loves Monmouth Park – four out of five now on the racetrack – she's very sound and she's fit right now. Isaac Castillo rides her really well. They get along great. All of those things led to us to coming back quickly in this race. Isaac did an outstanding job.”

Castillo, who began riding full-time in 2017, has already set personal bests this year for victories and earnings in a season.

“It feels great to win my first stakes race of the meet,” Castillo said. “This has been a really good year for me. It shows how hard work every morning can pay off. I'm very happy to win this.”

With Bridlewood Cat, Day by Day and Decoupage all vying for the early lead through fractions of :22.14 to the opening quarter and :45.29 to the half, Castillo had Bronx Beauty just behind that group but ahead of the Chad Brown-trained Royal Charlotte.

Both made their moves on the outside coming out of the final turn but Bronx Beauty and Castillo got there first, passing a tiring Bridlewood Cat at the sixteenth pole and having more than enough to hold off Royal Charlotte, who finished a head in front of Day by Day.

The winning time for the six furlongs was 1:10.45.

“I knew I needed to be aggressive against (Royal Charlotte),” said Castillo. “I had to time my move just before she made hers to get clear. I knew I would have enough left if I was able to get the lead in the stretch because I have ridden this horse many times and I know her.”

Owned by 2W Stables LLC, Bronx Beauty won for the 10th time in 22 career starts, with the daughter of Liaison boosting her career earnings to $572,270. She paid $9.60 to win.

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