Fluer De Lis

EINSTEIN ASSIGNED 124 POUNDS FOR FOSTER; MISS ISELLA TOPS FLEUR DE LIS WEIGHTS – Midnight Cry Stable’s Einstein (BRZ) was assigned top weight of 124 pounds by Churchill Downs Racing Secretary Ben Huffman for next Saturday’s 28th running of the $600,000-added Stephen Foster Handicap (Grade I) for 3-year-olds and up going 1 1/8 miles on the main track.
Trained by Helen Pitts-Blasi, Einstein ran second in last year’s Stephen Foster behind Horse of the Year Curlin.  The 7-year-old son of 1985 Kentucky Derby (GI) winner Spend A Buck is scheduled to work a half-mile Sunday morning.  A winner of 11 of 25 races with earnings of $2,609,904, Einstein will be shooting for a third consecutive Grade I victory and his first win at that level on traditional dirt.
A win in the Stephen Foster would allow Einstein to join Lava Man as the only horses to win Grade I races on dirt, grass and synthetic courses.  The two-time winner of Churchill Downs’ Woodford Reserve Turf Classic (GI) on turf and the $1 million Santa Anita Handicap (GI) on the synthetic Pro-Ride surface at Santa Anita, Einstein won the $500,000 Clark Handicap (GII) last fall on the man track at Churchill Downs.
The next high weight was assigned to Asiatic Boy with 122 pounds. The 6-year-old is coming off a 12th-place finish to Well Armed in the $6 million Dubai World Cup (GI) and the Foster will mark both his U.S. bow and debut for trainer Kiaran McLaughlin.  Previously trained by South African Mike de Kock, he has a record of 7-3-2 in 15 races and earnings of $3,068.090.  He was second to Curlin in last year’s Dubai World Cup and won the $2 million UAE Derby as a 4-year-old in 2007.
Other probable starters and their weight assignments include 2008 Meadowlands Cup (GII) winner Arson Squad (118); Finallymadeit, winner of Calder’s Memorial Day Handicap (GIII) and Gulfstream Park’s Skip Away (GIII) (118); Researcher (118), winner of the Queens County (GIII) at Aqueduct and the recent $500,000 Charles Town Classic;  Alysheba (GIII) winner Bullsbay (117), Macho Again (117), runner-up to Big Brown in the 2008 Preakness (GI) and winner of the 2009  New Orleans Handicap (GII).
Domino Stud of Lexington’s Miss Isella, winner of the Louisville Distaff (Grade II) on the May 1 Kentucky Oaks (GI) undercard, was assigned top weight of 122 pounds for the 35th running of the $200,000-added Fleur De Lis Handicap (Grade II) for fillies and mares 3-years-old and up going 1 1/8 miles on the main track.
Trained by Ian Wilkes, Miss Isella has won four of six starts at Churchill Downs, including the Grade II Falls City Handicap last fall.  The daugheter of 1997 Kentucky Derby winner Silver Charm has a record of 4-1-0 in six races under the Twin Spires and has earned $436,733.  Of that total, $400,968 has been earned at Churchill Downs.
Second high weight for the Fleur De Lis is the Eric Guillot-trained Santa Teresita, winner of Santa Anita’s Santa Maria (GI) with 121 pounds. Other probable starters and their weight assignments are Sixty Saile (GIII) and Gardenia (GIII) winner Swift Temper (117); Arlington Matron (GIII) runner-up Kiss With a Twist (115); Unforgotten (115), the runner-up in Churchill Downs Chilukki (GII) and Pimlico’s DuPont Distaff (GII); and Distinctive Dixie (114), runner-up in Oaklawn’s Bayakoa. Considered as possible for the race are Maryland-based multiple stakes winner All Smiles (115) and Humana Distaff (GI) runner-up Temple Street (113).

COURT RELISHES RETURN TO THE BLUE GRASS – A familiar scene from the Spring Meet played out after Friday’s sixth race, where jockey Jon Court’s mega-watt smile illuminated the winner’s circle as a fat, double-figure payoff lit up the tote board.
    Hidden Bay gave Court his 14th winner of the meet and returned $35.20. The average payoff for Court’s winners is $25.10, which nearly triple the average return for a winners ridden by the meet-leading Julien Leparoux and almost double the return on Calvin Borel’s winners, which include the $103.20 Derby mutuel on Mine That Bird.
    “People are hollering back ‘welcome home’ and it just doesn’t get any sweeter than that,” said Court, who last rode regularly at Churchill Downs in the 2003 Fall Meet. “I was just thinking that maybe about this time next year it will wear off, but I hope the rejuvenation doesn’t.”
When Court, 48, left for Southern California to ride regularly five years ago, he held on to his house in Shelbyville. Now, that house is home again.
“I am far more delighted about being back in Kentucky than I thought I would be,” said Court, the 18th-leading rider all time at Churchill Downs with 323 victories. “Second of all, I thought I would miss California a bit, but the warm homecoming has been so overwhelming that I have no longings to go back to California.”
Court feels the return to Kentucky may prolong his career.
“I have found that at my age I get an agent (Tony King) that puts you on the card and your career has some longevity that a year ago you didn’t think was possible,” Court said. “I had people ask last year what I would do after I was done riding.
“At that point, I had no plans on quitting, but apparently the way my career was  moving -- it had slowed down quite a bit – people were thinking I was taking that as an option. I know that is down the road. I just hope it is further down the road.”
Another plus for Court is the fact that his son Justin is here and works as an exercise rider.
“That has been a pleasure to have my oldest son on the track,” Court said. “he is always a joy to be around.”

FINAL LIGHTS ARRIVE FOR NIGHTS NEXT WEEK – “Downs After Dark” night racing debuts June 19 and its final sets of temporary lights arrive next week.
    “They will be installing one set of lights at the top of the stretch and two near the track kitchen on June 10 and 11,” said David Sweazy, Churchill Downs’ vice president, Operations. “There will be eight mobile trailers for the infield that will go up between June 10 and 13.”
    Training hours on Monday and Tuesday, June 15 and 16, will begin at 5 a.m. to give trainers an opportunity to have their horses on track under the lights.
    Two more Downs After Dark programs are scheduled for June 26 and July 2 with the first post time for each card being 6 p.m.

RAMSEYS IN COMMAND OF OWNERS RACE – With 60 percent of the 45-day Spring Meet in the books, the husband-wife team of Ken and Sarah Ramsey appear to be well on their way to a 15th owner’s title at Churchill Downs.
The victory by Pauillac in Friday’s fifth race gave the Ramseys 12 winners for the meet, six more than their closest pursuer, Maggi Moss.
The Ramseys, who have won the past three meet titles at Churchill Downs, had 20 winners during last spring’s 52-day meet.
Steve Asmussen, who has won five training titles at Churchill Downs, leads Mike Maker 16-12 in the chase for leading trainer.
In the race for leading rider, four-time meet leader Julien Leparoux has a 43-35 lead over Calvin Borel. Both jockeys are riding at Belmont Park on Saturday and have mounts in the Belmont Stakes (Grade I): Leparoux on Flying Private and Borel on Kentucky Derby winner Mine That Bird.

MILESTONE WATCH – Calvin Borel will be back at Churchill Downs on Sunday, with mounts in nine of the 10 races. Borel has 920 career victories at Churchill Downs and needs six wins to surpass Don Brumfield for second place all time at the track. Pat Day is No. 1 all time with 2,482 victories.
David Vance has one starter in at Churchill Downs on Saturday – Westline in the eighth -- in his bid to become the 11th trainer with 300 victories beneath the Twins Spires.

BARN TALK – The disqualification of Calimonco for interference in the stretch of Friday’s 11th race that elevated Victory Notion to the win was only the second DQ of the meet for first place. The other previous win DQ came on May 7 in the seventh race when Cross Village was disqualified and placed third for interference in the stretch.

WORK TAB – Three possible candidates for next Saturday’s Fleur De Lis worked over a fast track Saturday morning at Churchill Downs. Likely starter Unforgotten worked a half-mile in :49.80, the 41st fastest of 70 at the distance. Also working were possible starters Temple Street, who worked a half in :47.40 under jockey Jon Court for the second fastest move at the distance of the morning, and French Kiss, who worked seven furlongs in 1:27.60 under jockey Joe Johnson. Probable Regret starter The Best Day Ever worked five furlongs in 1:03.20, the 20th fastest of 33 at the distance. Posting half-mile works were Matt Winn runner-up Cash Refund (:49.20, 30th fastest) and seventh- place Preakness finisher Terrain (:49.60, 36th fastest), who runs next in the Iowa Derby.

Rancho San Miguel, George Todaro and Jerry Hollendorfer’s Hystericalady, runner-up in last fall’s $2 million Breeders’ Cup Distaff (Grade I), makes her second appearance of the spring at Churchill Downs on Saturday when she heads a field of six fillies and mares ages 3 and up for the 34th running of the $300,000-added Fleur de Lis Handicap (GII) at 1 1/8 miles on the main track.

The Fleur de Lis is the first of six graded stakes worth a combined $2,025,000 on Stephen Foster Super Saturday. It also launches an all-stakes Pick 6, one of the highlight’s of the day’s rich wagering menu. First post time for the 11-race card is 1:15 p.m. (all times EDT) with gates opening at 11:30 a.m.

A multiple graded stakes winner, Hystericalady will carry high weight of 121 pounds and be ridden by 2007 Eclipse Award-winning jockey Garrett Gomez. The Hollendorfer trainee ran third in the seven-furlong Humana Distaff (GI) at Churchill Downs on Derby Day, a race she had won the previous spring.

Hystericalady won the Grade III Azeri at Oaklawn Park in March for her lone win in three 2008 starts. In her most recent try at nine-furlong Fleur de Lis distance, she was beaten a neck by the champion Ginger Punch over a “sloppy” surface in the 2007 Emirates Airline Breeders’ Cup Distaff (GI) at Monmouth Park.

The field for the Fleur de Lis, from the rail out, is as follows: G. Watts Humphrey Jr. and W.S. Farish’s Aspiring (Julien Leparoux, 111 pounds); J. Paul Reddam and Rockin BB Ranch’s Peach Flambe (Robby Albarado, 116); Talley Racing’s Initforthekandy (John McKee, 113); Eagle Valley Farm’s Kathleens Reel (Calvin Borel, 114); Hystericalady (Garrett Gomez, 121) and Jeff Singer’s Cowgirls Don’t Cry (Mike Luzzi, 115).

The 32nd running of the $150,000-added Early Times Mint Julep Handicap (GIII) has attracted a field of 11, headlined by Frank Calabrese’s Eclipse Award-winning filly Dreaming of Anna for the 1 1/16-mile race over the Matt Winn Turf Course.

Trained by Wayne Catalano, Dreaming of Anna secured her Eclipse Award as champion 2-year-old filly at Churchill Downs in 2006 when she won the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies (GI) on the main track. Since finishing sixth to eventual 3-year-old filly champion Rags to Riches in the mud in the 2007 Kentucky Oaks (GI), Dreaming of Anna has raced exclusively on the grass, where she has compiled a career mark of 7-3-0 in 10 starts.

Garrett Gomez, who rode Dreaming of Anna to a runner-up finish to Bit of Whimsy in last fall’s prestigious Queen Elizabeth Challenge Cup (GI) at Keeneland, has the mount Saturday and will make up most of her 123-pound impost assigned by Churchill Downs Racing Secretary Ben Huffman.

The field for the Early Times Mint Julep Handicap, from the hedge out, is as follows: Woodford Racing’s Sprung (Shaun Bridgmohan, 114 pounds); Gold Square’s Mama I’m Home (Brian Hernandez Jr., 115); Dreaming of Anna (Garrett Gomez, 123); Elisabeth Alexander’s Sousaphone (Jesus Castanon, 112); Mrs. Paul Shanahan’s Rustic Flame (Ire) (Gavin Faulkner, 111); Hidden Creek Farm’s Street Sounds (Robby Albarado, 115); Sean Mulryan’s Ballymore Lady (Julien Leparoux, 114); Hurstland Farm’s Kiss With a Twist (Miguel Mena, 113); Joseph Allen’s Danzon (Kent Desormeaux, 115); Peter Bradley’s Tears I Cry (Jamie Theriot, 114) and Iron County Farms’ Ciao (Mike Luzzi, 115).

Three-year-olds will get their chance to shine in the other three stakes that comprise the Super Saturday card: the 31st running of the $200,000-added Jefferson Cup (GII) at 1 1/8 miles on the Matt Winn Turf Course; the seventh running of the $175,000-added Northern Dancer (GIII) at 1 1/16 miles on the main track; and, the 39th running of the $200,000-added Regret (GIII) for 3-year-old fillies going 1 1/8 miles on the Matt Winn Turf Course.

The Jefferson Cup features the 2008 debut of Lawrence Carroll’s Old Man Buck who closed out 2007 by winning the Grand Canyon Handicap on the closing day of the Churchill Downs Fall Meet. Trained by Ken McPeek, Old Man Buck has won three of four career starts on the grass including the Miller Lite Cradle at River Downs.

Robby Albarado, who has won the Jefferson Cup a record four times, including last year with Inca King, has the mount on Old Man Buck.

Eyeing a second consecutive turf graded stakes score is Michael Cooper and Pamela Ziebarth’s Tizdejavu, who upset the Crown Royal American Turf (GIII) field with a front-running win at 21-1 odds under Garrett Gomez on May 2. Gomez returns to pilot the son of two-time Breeders’ Cup Classic (GI) champion Tiznow for trainer Greg Fox.

The field for the Jefferson Cup, from the hedge out, is as follows: Zayat Stables’ Halo Najib (Kent Desormeaux, 117 pounds); Whispering Pines’ Budge Man (Jesus Castanon, 117); Ashbrook Farm’s Wicked Style (Julien Leparoux, 117); Tizdejavu (Garrett Gomez, 121); the Millard R. Seldin Revocable Trust’s Golden Yank (Jamie Theriot, 117); Old Man Buck (Robby Albarado, 119); Italian Stallion Racing Stable’s Bobby Blue Eyes (Miguel Mena, 117); and Richard, Bertram and Elaine Klein’s Go West Bert (Calvin Borel, 117).

Three colts that chased Big Brown in the Kentucky Derby on the first Saturday in May will reunite in the Northern Dancer: Ronnie Lamarque and Louie Roussel III’s Recapturetheglory (fifth), Winchell Thoroughbreds’ Pyro (eighth) and Team Valor International and Vision Racing’s Visionaire (12th).

Winner of the Illinois Derby (GII), Recapturetheglory had been pointed for the Preakness after the Derby, but a fever less than 10 days before that race scuttled those plans.

Trained by Steve Asmussen, Pyro opened the year with authoritative victories in the Risen Star (GIII) and Louisiana Derby (GII) at Fair Grounds. Prior to the Kentucky Derby, Pyro ran 10th over the Polytrack at Keeneland in the Toyota Blue Grass Stakes (GII).

Michael Matz, who trained 2007 Northern Dancer winner Chelokee, brings Visionaire back to Churchill Downs. A winner of three of seven career starts, Visionaire’s graded stakes score came in the Gotham (GIII).

The field for the Northern Dancer, from the rail out, is as follows: Recapturetheglory (E.T. Baird, 122 pounds); Pyro (Shaun Bridgmohan, 122); Zabeel Racing International’s Tiz Now Tiz Then (Miguel Mena, 116); James B. Tafel’s Unbridled Vicar (Calvin Borel, 116); B. Wayne Hughes’ My Pal Charlie (Jamie Theriot, 116); Visionaire (Garrett Gomez, 120) and Stonerside Stable’s Texas Wildcatter (Julien Leparoux, 116).

The Regret marks the return to the grass for Pure Clan. Owned by IEAH Stable, Lewis Lakin and Pegasus Holding Group Stables, Pure Clan ran third to Proud Spell in the Kentucky Oaks (GI) in his most recent start.

However, the Bob Holthus trainee began her career on the grass, posting victories in her first two starts at Ellis Park and Keeneland. At Churchill Downs last fall, Pure Clan moved to the main track won the Pocahontas (GIII) and Golden Rod (GII) stakes under Julien Leparoux, who will be aboard Saturday.

Leparoux won the 2006 renewal of the Regret aboard Lady of Venice.

Zayat Stables’ Zee Zee, trained by three-time Regret winner Bill Mott, won the May 2 Edgewood at Churchill Downs to increase her career turf record to three wins in four starts. Her lone loss on grass came last summer at Saratoga against males when she ran second to eventual Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf winner Nownownow.

The field for the Regret, from the hedge out, is as follows: Sarah Lyn Stables’ C J’s Leelee (Robby Albarado, 116 pounds); Overbrook Farm’s Clearly Foxy (Shaun Bridgmohan, 118); Zee Zee (Kent Desormeaux, 122); Pure Clan (Julien Leparoux, 116); Keith Kinmon’s Absolutely Cindy (Orlando Mojica, 116); G. Watts Humphrey Jr.’s Magical Theater (Calvin Borel, 116) and Glory Days Racing’s Miss Mafioso (Jesus Castanon, 116).