Breeders' Cup Sprint

A strong field of eight accomplished sprinters headed by Grade I stakes winners Capt Candyman Can and Here Comes Ben and defending winner Riley Tucker has been entered to compete in Saturday’s 23^rd running of the $100,000-added Aristides (Grade III) at Churchill Downs.

            This year’s running of the Aristides looms as an important prep for important early prep for the $2 million Sentient Jet Breeders’ Cup Sprint (GI), which will be run over main track at Churchill Downs on Saturday, Nov. 5.

            The six furlong race for 3-year-olds and up is one of a pair of Grade III events on Saturday’s 11-race program, which is set to begin with the first race at 12:45 p.m. (all times EDT).  The Aristides is scheduled as the tenth race with a post time of 5:29 p.m.  The co-featured $100,000-added Dogwood Stakes for 3-year-old fillies at a mile immediately precedes the Aristides.

            Each member of the Aristides field boasts at least one victory over the main track at Churchill Downs, but Capt. Candyman Can and Here Comes Ben possess the strongest career accomplishments.

            Rosemary Rauch and David Zell’s Capt. Candyman Can, winner via disqualification of the 2009 King’s Bishop (GI) at Saratoga, did not race in 2010 because of injury, but has returned in 2011 with three strong races coming into the Aristides.  The 5-year-old Candy Ride gelding won non-graded stakes races at Tampa Bay Downs and Gulfstream Park over the winter and finished fourth, beaten just three-quarters of a length by Aikenite, in the $300,000-added Churchill Downs (GII) on Kentucky Derby Day.  It was the first time in four races at Churchill Downs, which include wins in the Iroquois (GIII) and Matt Winn, in which Capt Candyman Can had finished worse than third. 

            Calvin Borel will ride Capt. Candyman Can from post three for trainer Ian Wilkes.

            Marianne and Brandon Chase’s Here Comes Ben, winner of last year’s Forego (GI) at Saratoga, will make his second start of the year after a stellar 2010 during which he won four of six races.  His wins included the Kelly’s Landing overnight stakes at Churchill Downs before son of Street Cry finished the year with an 11^th-place finish as the favorite in the $1 million Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile (GI).  Here Comes Ben finished seventh to Aikenite in the Churchill Downs in his 2011 debut.

            Julien Leparoux will ride the Charles Lopresti-trained Here Comes Ben, who breaks from the rail post in the Aristides as the veteran sprinter bids for a fourth career victory at Churchill Downs.

            Zayat Stables’ Riley Tucker, searching for his first stakes victory since his mild surprise in last year’s renewal of the Aristides, will be sandwiched between his Grade I-winning opponents on Saturday when he breaks from post two for trainer Steve Asmussen.   Kent Desormeaux will be aboard the 6-year-old son of Harlan’s Holiday who is coming off a runner-up finish to Aristides rival Cash Refund in a six-furlong allowance prep on May 15.

Eligible to improve in the Aristides in Chasing Dreams Racing’s Noble’s Promise, who finished a fast-closing fifth in Aikenite’s Churchill Downs in his first start of 2011.  The Ken McPeek-trained son of Cuvee finished fifth to Super Saver in last year’s Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (GI) and narrowly lost the Rebel (GII) at Oaklawn Park in a runner-up finish to eventual Preakness (GI) winner and 3-year-old champion Lookin At Lucky.  Noble’s Promise, who won the Jimmy V. Stakes at Churchill Downs on Breeders’ Cup Weekend, will break from post eight with Alan Garcia aboard.

R.E.V. Racing’s Atta Boy Roy, the runner-up in the 2010 Aristides, is back for another try at Churchill Downs for trainer Valorie Lund.  Jesus Castanon will ride Atta Boy Roy, who scored the greatest victory of his career when he took the 2010 Churchill Downs over a sloppy track.  He starts from post seven.

Cash Refund, a homebred Petionville gelding who finished third in the 2010 Aristides, carries the hopes of Louisville-based owners Richard, Elaine and Bert Klein in Saturday’s renewal.  The Steve Margolis trainee notched his second career victory at Churchill Downs when he turned back Riley Tucker in the track’s May 15 allowance prep for the Aristides.  Shaun Bridgmohan will ride Cash Refund, who drew post five.

Dawn and Ike Thrash’s Hurricane Ike, winner of the 2010 The Cliff’s Edge Derby Trial (GIII) at Churchill Downs, will attempt to snap a four-race losing streak when he runs in the Aristides.  Formerly trained by John Sadler, the 4-year-old son of Graeme Hall will be saddled in the Aristides by Jeff Thornbury and Robby Albarado will be the saddle as Hurricane Ike breaks from post four.

Thomas Shank and Stan Young’s Good Lord, an impressive winner of a seven-furlong allowance winner on Kentucky Derby Day, will make his stakes debut beneath the Twin Spires in his bid for the Aristides.  Trained by veteran Forrest Kaelin, the 4-year-old gelded son of Greatness has a record of 2-2-2 record in eight races at Churchill Downs.  Leading jockey Corey Lanerie will ride Good Lord from post six.

The field from the 23^rd running of the Aristides includes (from the rail out, with jockey): Here Comes Ben (Leparoux), Riley Tucker (Desormeaux), Capt. Candyman Can (Borel), Hurricane Ike (Albarado), Cash Refund (Bridgmohan), Good Lord (Lanerie), Atta Boy Roy (Castanon), Noble’s Promise (Garcia).

All starters in the Aristides will carry 118 pounds.

THE “DUKE” HOPES TO FOLLOW IN BIG DRAMA’S FOOTSTEPS – After Duke of Mischief finished second in the Carl G. Rose Classic Handicap at Calder on Nov. 13, trainer David Fawkes did not really expect to be on the road any time soon with the 4-year-old colt.

“He didn’t do much running that day,” Fawkes said Tuesday morning after getting Duke of Mischief settled in Barn 45 for a run in Friday’s $500,000-added Clark Handicap Presented by Norton Healthcare (GI). “The other horse (Birdrun) got away from him and (jockey Eibar) Coa wrapped up on him. He was going to go on the shelf for a while, but I thought he had one more in him so we’ll give it a shot.”

The trip to Louisville was the second of the month for Fawkes, who brought Harold L. Queen’s Big Drama here to capture the $2 million Sentient Jet Breeders’ Cup Sprint (GI) on Nov. 6.

“I hauled him back myself and it sure made the drive a lot easier,” Fawkes said of his first Breeders’ Cup victory. “When we got back, they had a big sign for him at the barn.”

This is Duke of Mischief’s second trip to Churchill Downs this year, having made a June trip in which he finished eighth behind Blame in the Stephen Foster Handicap (GI).

“He was trapped inside the whole race and he doesn’t like to be down inside like that,” Fawkes said. “You look at his races and the best ones are when he can loop around four- or five-wide. We are hoping for a better trip this time.”

Duke of Mischief, who is owned by Alex and JoAnn Lieblong, breeder Marilyn McMaster and Fawkes Racing Inc., will be ridden by Coa on Friday and carry 116 pounds. Duke of Mischief will break from post position 11.

As for Big Drama, Fawkes said the 4-year-old colt owned by Harold Queen is “doing really good. We are pointing for the (Jan. 29) Sunshine Millions and then hopefully the Golden Shaheen (March 26 in Dubai).”

PATIENCE PAYS OFF FOR DOLLASES WITH DISTINCTIVE DIXIE – It took Distinctive Dixie seven tries to break her maiden and it took eight attempts in stakes company to enjoy her initial success at that level of competition, but it appears now that the 5-year-old daughter of 2000 Kentucky Derby (GI) winner Fusaichi Pegasus is hitting her best stride.

She is getting better with age,” said Cincy Dollase, wife of trainer Wally Dollase. “We knew that going in. The Fusaichi Pegasuses get better as they get older and with them it is mostly mental.”

Distinctive Dixie, who will carry high weight of 120 pounds in Thursday afternoon’s Falls City Handicap (GII), is coming off a 1 ½-length score in the Chilukki (GII) in her most recent start. Robby Albarado, who was aboard for the Chilukki victory, will be aboard again Thursday.

Even though she is a 5-year-old, the plan is to race a full season in 2011 with Distinctive Dixie, who is owned by the Robert and Beverly Lewis Trust.

“Plan A is to race next year,” Dollase said. “The horses come first with the Lewises and they like to see their horses perform.”

Beverly Lewis will be watching from California on Thursday with a family gathering planned at Newport Beach. What she may see if an off track for her mare, who has compiled a record of 5-6-3 in 18 races with earnings of $383,154.

“She has trained well on the mud,” Dollase said of Distinctive Dixie, who shows a runner-up finish on a track labeled as “wet-fast” in the Bayakoa this spring at Oaklawn Park. “But everybody has to run on the same track. I just hope it dries out and it is a nice day.”

CASH REFUND TO MAKE TURF DEBUT THURSDAY, WEATHER PERMITTING – It has been nearly three weeks since the Breeders’ Cup World Championships were run here and horses that ran in that memorable two-day event are beginning to make their initial starts back.

One of those is Richard, Bertram and Elaine Klein’s Cash Refund, who finished eighth in the Breeders’ Cup Sprint. Cash Refund is entered in Thursday’s fifth race, a five-furlong allowance sprint on the Matt Winn Turf Course.

“It looks like he might have to run in the mud,” trainer Steve Margolis said with a nod toward a forecast that indicated rain in the Louisville area through Thursday night.

Cash Refund would be taking his grass debut if the race stays on the turf.

“We worked him on it over at Keeneland before the Breeders’ Cup and he worked well,” Margolis said. “He came out of the Breeders’ Cup fine and he is doing well. I talked it over with Richard and he said as long as he is doing well to take a shot.”

BARN TALK – With five racing days left in the 21-day Fall Meet, two of the three human races appear to be safely locked up. Owners Ken and Sarah Ramsey have had six winners, four more than a host of other owners. The Ramseys own a record 16 leading owner titles. Steve Asmussen has saddled 12 winners this meet, five more than his closest pursuer, Todd Pletcher. Asmussen is seeking his fourth consecutive leading trainer title, fifth Fall Meet title and ninth title overall.

That leaves the chase for leading rider that has come down to a two-man battle between Julien Leparoux and Robby Albarado. Leparoux holds a 22-18 advantage and is named on 29 mounts the next three days while Albarado is named on 27. Leparoux, who won leading Fall Meet riding titles outright in 2007 and 2008 and shared the title last fall with Calvin Borel, also has three spring titles on his resume. Albarado, who was leading rider during the 2008 Spring Meet, never has won a fall riding title. …

Leparoux continues his march up the all-time win list at Churchill Downs. His 22 victories at the current meet have elevated his total to 444, which is 12th all time. In his immediate sights at No. 11 is Mike McDowell (452). No. 10 on the all-time list is Patrick Johnson (465).  Kent Desormeaux, whose 10 victories are good for a tie for fourth in the rider standings, has 99 career wins at Churchill Downs. …    

Asmussen’s 12 victories put him at 390 all time at Churchill Downs, fifth best. The only trainers ahead of Asmussen are Bill Mott (639), Dale Romans (511), D. Wayne Lukas (477) and Bernie Flint (425). Tom Amoss, who is seventh all time here with 332 victories, has a chance to catch Jack Van Berg (335) for the sixth spot before the meet closes Sunday. …

There has not been a two-time winner this meet, which enters its 17th day today. Nine previous winners have tried for the second victory, but none has succeeded with three runner-ups and four third-place finishers. On today’s card, Strong Clue in the second and Party Lang in the fourth will bid for their second victory of the month beneath the Twin Spires. …

Because of the early 11:30 a.m. post time on Thanksgiving, training will be conducted from 6-8 a.m. on Thursday. …

Retiring Churchill Downs stall superintendent Mike Hargrave recorded his first hole-in-one on Monday at Seneca Golf Course. Hargrave aced the 183-yard 13th using a 7-wood.

CAPT. CANDYMAN CAN TO HAVE FINAL BREEDERS’ CUP WORK SUNDAY – Trainer Ian Wilkes said that Joseph Rauch and David Zell’s Capt. Candyman Can is scheduled for his final work before the Breeders’ Cup Sprint (Grade I) on Sunday and then ship to Santa Anita the next day.

Capt. Candyman Can, who won the first of his four graded-stakes victories in last fall’s Iroquois (GIII) here, has been training at the Skylight Training Center in Goshen over the Pro-Ride synthetic track, similar to what he will run on at Santa Anita.

“He has had two works since the Phoenix (GIII) and is doing well,” Wilkes said of the 3-year-old gelding who ran second to Fatal Bullet in the Phoenix on Oct. 9 at Keeneland. “He will probably work Sunday and then ship Monday.”

Wilkes’ other top 3-year-old in the barn, Warrior’s Reward, has been galloping at Churchill Downs after running fifth as the favorite in the Perryville (GIII) at Keeneland on Oct. 17. After the race, jockey Calvin Borel got off Warrior’s Reward in the first turn and the colt was unsaddled there.

“We are just keeping an eye on him; hopefully all it was just a bad step (in the race),” Wilkes said of Warrior’s Reward, who is owned by A. Stevens Miles Jr. “He is galloping now and I’m not sure (when he’ll run next).”

ROMANS EYES POCAHONTAS REPEAT WITH SASSY IMAGE – Trainer Dale Romans unleashed a true “Star of Tomorrow” in the 2008 Pocahontas when Sara Louise romped to victory by 3 ¾ lengths over Rachel Alexandra.

On Sunday, he hopes history repeats itself when he saddles Jerry Romans’ Sassy Image in the 41st running of the Grade III event for 2-year-old fillies.

“This time last year, Sara Louise was starting to move forward and I hope Sassy Image does the same,” Romans said.

Sassy Image has some big hoofprints to follow in. Sara Louise ran second behind Rachel Alexandra in last year’s Golden Rod (GII) and this year has won the Grade III Victory Ride at Saratoga and was second behind champion Indian Blessing in the Grade II Gallant Bloom at Belmont. Next Friday she will be competing in the Sentient Jet Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Sprint (GI) at Santa Anita for Godolphin Racing and trainer Saeed bin Suroor.

Sara Louise came into last year’s Pocahontas off a maiden score. Sassy Image, a maiden winner here in June, finished eighth in her most recent start in the Darley Alcibiades (GI) at Keeneland on Oct. 9 after enduring a wide trip.

“She likes this track and she has been training well,” Romans said of Sassy Image, who worked a bullet half-mile of :47.80 in her first work back after the Alcibiades.

Romans will have one Breeders’ Cup starter in Frank Jones Jr.’s Tapitsfly, who is already at Santa Anita. A maiden winner at Saratoga, Tapitsfly won the P.G. Johnson on grass at Saratoga and is pre-entered in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf. Robby Albarado has the mount.

Romans also reported that Mark Stanley’s Swift Temper remains on track for a run in the Nov. 26 Falls City Handicap (GII). Tenth as the favorite in the Juddmonte Spinster (GI) over Keeneland’s Polytrack surface, Swift Temper worked five furlongs in 1:01.20 on Sunday.

WIGGINS HOPING TO FINISH WITH A FLOURISH – Hal Wiggins hit the apex of his training career this spring when he saddled Rachel Alexandra to her resounding victory in the Kentucky Oaks (GI).

He hopes the final month on the backside gets off to a rousing start on Sunday when he sends out Brassy Boy in the 28th running of the Iroquois (GIII) for longtime client Millsap Stables.

Wiggins, who has 20 horses stabled here, is retiring at the end of the meet on Nov. 28, two days before his 67th birthday.

“It is starting to sink in a little bit,” Wiggins said. “It will probably hit me on the 28th when I get ready to turn another year older. I’m going to go to Houston. My wife, Renee, is already there.

“I am still going to go to sales and still be involved in it because I love the game so much. I don’t want to quit cold turkey.”

Brassy Boy won his first two starts during the spring meet and then ran third in the Bashford Manor (GIII).

“I gave him a month off after the Bashford Manor,” Wiggins said. “He came back at Louisiana Downs (on Oct. 3 in the Razorback Futurity) and ran OK. He was just second best that day.”

The horse that beat Brassy Boy that day, Comedero, also is considered a likely Iroquois starter.
    “I hope Brassy Boy likes a mile better than the other colt,” Wiggins said.

BARN TALK – Lewis Lakin’s Pure Clan came out of her five-furlong breeze of Tuesday in good order according to Betsy Couch, assistant to trainer Bob Holthus. “She ate up everything last night and is in good form this morning,” Couch said. Winner of the Flower Bowl (GI) in her most recent start on Oct. 3, Pure Clan worked five-eighths in 1:01.40 on Tuesday, her second five-furlong work since the Flower Bowl in preparation for the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf (GI) to be run Friday, Nov. 6 at Santa Anita. Pure Clan is scheduled to have a light breeze Sunday morning and ship to California on Monday.

Trainer Ken McPeek said that Anthony Bonomo Jr.’s Connie and Michael would ship to California on Saturday for a start in the Grey Goose Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies (GI) on Nov. 6. Connie and Michael broke her maiden at first asking on Oct. 17 at Keeneland going seven furlongs by 7 ¾ lengths from the No. 12 post position. McPeek hoped to have another Keeneland maiden winner on the plane in Fist of Rage, but that colt was sixth on the preference list for the over-subscribed Grey Goose Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (GI) to be run Nov. 7.

West Point Thoroughbreds’ Macho Again, winner of this year’s Stephen Foster Handicap (GI) here and runner-up to Rachel Alexandra in the Woodward (GI), is on track for a start in the Clark Handicap Presented by Norton Healthcare (GII) on Nov. 27 according to trainer Dallas Stewart. A cough last week knocked Macho Again out of a possible start in the Breeders’ Cup Classic (GI).

G. Watts Humphrey Jr. and the Louise Ireland Humphrey Revocable Trust-2008’s One Caroline is scheduled to return to the races in the 24th running of the Chilukki (GII) on Nov. 7. Trained by Rusty Arnold, One Caroline is scheduled to work at Keeneland on Sunday and then ship to Churchill Downs midweek for her first start since running second to Miss Isella in the Louisville Distaff (GII) on May 1. One Caroline will be ridden in the Chilukki by Leandro Goncalves.

WORK TAB – Centaur Farms’ Yes It’s Valid, considered a possible starter for Sunday’s Pocahontas, worked a half-mile Wednesday morning over a “muddy” track in :50.20 for trainer Merrill Scherer.