Giant Oak

PEITZ SEES TAJAAWEED AS ‘HORSE TO BEAT’ IN SATURDAY’S RIVER CITY – Shadwell Stable’s Tajaaweed, winner of the Arlington Handicap (Grade III) in July, faces eight rivals as the 119-pound high weight in Saturday’s 34^th running of the River City Handicap (GIII) at Churchill Downs, but trainer Dan Peitz sees the 6-year-old son of Dynaformer as the one to beat.

“I haven’t really analyzed the race too much, but I looked it over and we’re the high weight and look to be the horse to beat,” Peitz said.

Churchill Downs oddsmaker Mike Battaglia believes the public will also see Tajaaweed as the horse to beat and made him the 9-5 morning-line favorite for the River City, which will be contested at 1 1/8 miles on the Matt Winn Turf Course.

Tajaaweed, who will break from post eight under Jesus Castanon, will enter the River City off a sixth-place finish in Keeneland’s Shadwell Turf Mile (GI), a race in which he faced such accomplished runners as three-time Eclipse Award-winner Gio Ponti, Get Stormy, Sidney’s Candy – all contenders in the TVG Breeders’ Cup Mile (GI) – and Wise Dan, winner of the Firecracker Handicap (GII) at Churchill Downs.

“We were taking a shot in the Shadwell (Turf Mile) and were hoping to get third or fourth,” Peitz said. “It might have been a little short for him and he really didn’t get the kind of pace he needed to close.

“The River City distance is more what he wants and the competition is softer.  He’s had two really good works at Trackside and is coming into the race in good shape.”

The River City will be the third start on the Matt Winn Turf Course for Tajaaweed. He finished fifth in an allowance race in June of 2010 and this spring he was second to Turallure in the Opening Verse.

“Both of his races on the turf at Churchill have been pretty good,” Peitz said. “I know he was fifth in the allowance, but he was very wide throughout. Then he only lost by a length to Turallure in the stake. If he runs the same race he did in the Opening Verse then I think it might make him a winner.”

Since the Opening Verse, Turallure has recorded wins in the Bernard Baruch (GII) and Ricoh Woodbine Mile (GI) and finished second by a nose to Court Vision in the TVG Breeders’ Cup Mile.

“I wish Tajaaweed would have moved up after the Opening Verse as much as Turallure did,” Peitz said.

The River City is the ninth of 10 races on Saturday with a scheduled post time of 4:37 p.m. EST.

LEPAROUX EYES FIFTH STRAIGHT FALL MEET TITLE – Julien Leparoux recorded his 23^rd win of the meet aboard Cozzetti in Wednesday’s eighth race and entered Thursday’s action with a 23-to-15 lead over Corey Lanerie in his pursuit of a fifth consecutive Fall Meet riding title at Churchill Downs.

“Things are going really well again this meet,” Leparoux said. “I’ve had good momentum and have been getting on some good horses. It’s going great.”

Leparoux, who has won eight riding titles overall beneath the Twin Spires, has collected 526 career victories at Churchill Downs and already ranks tenth among all-time leading riders as the historic track.  Despite his rapid and sustained success, the 28-year-old native of Senlis, France is still hungry for more.

“Winning never gets old and I’m always trying to win,” Leparoux said. “I’m always trying to ride the best horses.”

Leparoux has definitely collected a lot of hardware as he counts 36 stakes victories at Churchill Downs during his relatively brief career at the Louisville track, but one race is conspicuously missing from his resumé.

“I want to win a Kentucky Derby,” Leparoux said. “That is the ultimate goal. Every year we are looking for a horse that might be the one to get me there.”

Leparoux has ridden in five Kentucky Derbys with his best effort being a fifth-place  finish aboard Sedgefield in the 2007 renewal. This year Leparoux rode favored Dialed In to an eighth-place finish.

At the conclusion of the Fall Meet, Leparoux will move his tack to Miami to ride at Gulfstream Park.

MORALES RECORDS HIS SECOND RIDING DOUBLE OF FALL MEET – Leading apprentice-rider Roberto Morales recorded his second riding double of the 2011 Fall Meet on Wednesday at Churchill Downs with wins aboard Sympathy Act in the third race and Killin Time in the finale. The two wins brought Morales’ total to four for the meet, which ties him for sixth in the overall jockey standings.

“The meet is going great,” said agent Julio Espinoza, the ninth all-time leading rider at Churchill Downs with 642 victories. “He’s got a lot of talent and always gives 100%. He’s also versatile and can ride speed horses or come from the back.”

Morales, a 21-year-old native of Aibonito, Puerto Rico, has made a lot of noise on the Kentucky-circuit since he moved his tack to the Bluegrass State in May. He recorded one victory from a handful of mounts at the end of the Churchill Downs Spring Meet, but then second in the Ellis Park jockey standings to three-time Kentucky Derby winner Calvin Borel.

Morales followed the strong effort at the Henderson track by capturing his first career riding title in the Fall Meet at Turfway Park, where he rode 32 winners from 121 mounts.

“He rode great throughout the whole meet at Turfway,” Espinoza said. “If we had another day or two, we would have broken (Julien) Leparoux’s Fall Meet record (36 wins).”

Espinoza attributes Morales’ success to his work ethic and eagerness to learn.

“He works hard in the morning and exercises a lot of horses,” Espinoza said. “I try to teach him as much as I can and it’s helping.”

At the conclusion of the Churchill Downs Fall Meet, Morales will move his tack to Turfway Park for the Holiday Meet, which begins Dec. 1.

BARN TALK – The Virginia Tarra Trust’s Giant Oak will attempt to defend his title in the $500,000-added Clark Handicap Presented by Norton Healthcare (Grade I) on Friday, Nov. 25.  The son of Giant’s Causeway will ship to the Louisville track Tuesday, according to Drew Coontz, assistant trainer to Chris Block. Giant Oak will enter the Clark off a third-place finish the Breeders’ Cup Marathon (GII). …

In other news at the Chris Block barn, Never Retreat, who breezed six furlongs in 1:14.40 at Churchill Downs on Sunday, will ship to Hollywood Park on Monday for a start in the Matriarch (Grade I) on Nov. 25. Never Retreat won the First Lady (GI) at Keeneland in her most recent start. …

Ready’s Rocket, winner of 10 races beneath the Twin Spires, came out of his most recent race at Churchill Downs last Thursday with a displaced palate, according to trainer Tim Glyshaw. An 8-year-old gelded son of More Than Ready, Ready’s Rocket will be pointed to a starter-allowance race at Churchill Downs on closing day of the 21-day Fall Meet on Nov. 27.

WHO’S HOT – The hottest jockey over the last five racing days (Nov. 10-16) is Julien Leparoux (9-for-30). Mike Maker (5-for-11) is the hottest trainer over the same period and Ken and Sarah Ramsey (4-for-7) are the hottest owners.

WORKTAB – Jay Em Ess Stable’s Worldly breezed five furlongs in 1:03.20 on a good main track at Churchill Downs on Thursday morning for trainer Paul McGee. The work was the ninth fastest of 13 at the distance. …

Charles Cella’s Uncle Brent, winner of the Northern Spur at Oaklawn Park, breezed five furlongs Thursday morning in 1:02.80 for trainer Lynn Whiting. The work was the eighth fastest of 13 at the distance.

FLAT OUT, RULER ON ICE, DEFENDING CHAMP GIANT OAK, WISE DAN HEAD TALENTED NOMINEES TO 137^TH CLARK ‘CAP – Preston Stable’s Flat Out, winner of the Jockey Club Gold Cup (Grade I), George and Lori Hall’s Belmont Stakes (GI) winner Ruler On Ice, the Virginia Tarra Trust’s defending champion Giant Oak and Morton Fink’s Fayette (GII) winner Wise Dan head strong roster of 25 accomplished older horses nominated to run in the $137^th running of Churchill Downs’ $500,000-added Clark Handicap Presented by Norton Healthcare (GI) on Friday, Nov. 25.

The history of the 1 1/8-mile Clark, named for the family of Churchill Downs founder Meriwether Lewis Clark, dates to the historic track’s first year of operation as the Louisville Jockey Club in 1875.  Like the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum Brands (GI) and the Kentucky Oaks, the Clark has been run annually without interruption since that first racing meet.

Along with the Clark, nomination lists were released Friday for the other three stakes races on the Thanksgiving/Closing Weekend schedule.  Those races are the $150,000-added Falls City Handicap (GII) for older fillies and mares on Thanksgiving Day and the pair of Grade II stakes events for 2-year-olds set for “Stars of Tomorrow II” on Saturday, Nov. 26: the $150,000-added Kentucky Jockey Club and its counterpart for fillies, the $150,000-added Golden Rod.

The 21-day Fall Meet at Churchill Downs will close on Sunday, Nov. 27.

Flat Out (sixth) and Ruler On Ice (third) join Ken and Sarah Ramsey’s Headache and Robert LaPenta’s Ice Box as Clark nominees that competed in the $5 million Breeders’ Cup Classic (GI) won by WinStar Farm’s Drosselmeyer.  Prior to his Breeders’ Cup run, Headache won the Hawthorne Gold Cup (GII) and Prairie Meadows Cornhusker (GIII) for trainer Mike Maker.  Ice Box was the runner-up to Super Saver in the 2010 Kentucky Derby and won the 2010 Florida Derby (GI) for Hall of Fame trainer Nick Zito.

Zayat Stables LLC’s  Prayer for Relief, who was entered in the Classic by trainer Bob Baffert but scratched the following day, was also made eligible for the Clark  The 3-year-old son of Jump Start enjoyed a successful summer with wins in the Super Derby (GII), West Virginia Derby (GII) and Iowa Derby (GIII).

The Clark nominees also include the top four finishers in the $500,000 Breeders’ Cup Marathon (GII) at Churchill Downs on Nov. 5.  Kasey K Racing Stable’s Afleet Again, the upset winner; Preston Stables’ Birdrun, the Marathon runner-up and winner of the Brooklyn (GII); third-place Giant Oak, the defending Clark champ and winner of the Donn (GI) at Gulfstream Park; and the Ramseys’ Pleasant Prince, fourth in the Marathon after setting the pace for trainer Wesley Ward, could meet again in the Clark.

Trainer Charlie Lopresti’s versatile Wise Dan would enter the Clark off an impressive four-length romp over Keeneland’s synthetic Polytrack in the Fayette, a race that has been a key prep for the Clark in recent years.  Claiborne Farm and Adele Dilschneider’s Blame took both races as a 3-year-old in 2009 and returned to Churchill Downs in 2010 to defeat previously unbeaten Zenyatta in the Breeders’ Cup Classic and earn an Eclipse Award as America’s top older horse.  Last year’s Fayette winner was Successful Dan, a stablemate of Wise Dan who finished first in the Clark for Fink and Lopresti, but was disqualified for interference in the stretch and Giant Oak was elevated to victory in the stewards’ decision.

Other notables among the 25 3-year-olds and up nominated to the Clark Handicap include the Tom McCarthy-owned and trained General Quarters, winner of the Woodford Reserve Turf Classic (GI) at Churchill Downs and Keeneland’s Toyota Blue Grass (GI) on Polytrack; Reeves Thoroughbred Racing and Dream Team One Racing Stable’s Mucho Macho Man, third to Animal Kingdom in the 2011 Kentucky Derby and an easy winner in a return to competition in a recent allowance race at Aqueduct; Twin Creeks Racing Stable’s Mission Impazible, a close runner-up to Pool Play in the 2011 Stephen Foster Handicap Presented by Abu Dhabi (GI) at Churchill Downs;  Thomas and Jack Conway’s Stately Victor, winner of the 2010 Toyota Blue Grass and fifth to St. Nicholas Abbey in the recent Emirates Airline Breeders’ Cup Turf (GI); Winchell Thoroughbreds’ Tapizar, the 3-year-old winner of the Robert B Lewis (GII) at Santa Anita and fifth to Caleb’s Posse in the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile (GI); and the Dodson Skaggs-owned and trained Future Prospect, winner of the Kentucky Cup Classic (GII) on Polytrack at Turfway Park.

Other possible Clark contenders include Lothenbach Stables’ Mister Marti Gras and Bourque Goldstein Thoroughbreds’ Alma D’Oro, the 1-2 finishers in this year’s Grade III Ack Ack at Churchill Downs; Amerman Racing Stables’ Demarcation, winner of the 2009 Ack Ack who has competed in the last two renewals of the Clark; Pattons Creek Farm’s Will’s Wildcat, winner of the Jimmy V here on Nov. 4; and WinStar Farm’s Rule, third to Havre de Grace and Flat Out in the Woodward (GI) at Saratoga.

The fillies and mares nominated for the 96^th running of the 1 1/8 Falls City Handicap are headed by Dundalk 5 LLC’s defending champion Dundalk Dust; Mrs. Yoshio Fujita’s versatile Ravi’s Song, winner of Fair Grounds’ New Orleans Ladies and Pelleteri Handicap and runner-up in three consecutive graded stakes races on turf; and the improving 3-year-old Juanita, winner of the Indiana Oaks (GII) for trainer Mike Maker.

Other Falls City nominees include the Bill Mott-trained Arena Elvira, winner of the Turnback the Alarm (GIII) at Aqueduct; Super Espresso, seventh to Royal Delta in the Breeders’ Cup Ladies Classic (GI); and Kentucky Cup Distaff (GIII) runner-up Bella Medaglia, who was scratched from the Ladies Classic.

Kendall Hansen and Sky Chai Racing’s Hansen, the winner of the Grey Goose Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (GI) who provided Churchill Downs-based trainer Mike Maker with his first Breeders’ Cup victory, tops a group of 28 2-year-olds nominated to the 1 1/16-mile Kentucky Jockey Club.

Other nominees include Lantern Hill Farm’s Motor City, winner of the opening day Iroquois (GIII) at Churchill Downs for trainer Ian Wilkes; Bluegrass Hall LLC’s Optimizer, eighth in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile but a closing third prior to that for trainer D. Wayne Lukas in the Breeders’ Futurity (GI) at Keeneland; Winchell Thoroughbreds’ Sabercat, winner of the Garden State at Monmouth for trainer Steve Asmussen and a late scratch from the Grey Goose Breeders’ Cup Juvenile; and My Meadowview Farm’s Stephanoatsee, a half-brother to Preakness (GI) winner Shackleford who won a recent maiden race at Laurel Park for trainer Graham Motion.

Anita McCauley’s homebred On Fire Baby, a late-running winner on the Fall Meet’s opening over a strong field in the $150,000-added Pocahontas (GII) at a mile, heads 24 2-year-old fillies nominated to the 68^th running of the 1 1/16-mile Golden Rod.

The daughter of Smoke Glacken has won 2-of-3 races for veteran trainer Gary Hartlage and jockey Joe Johnson.

Others 2-year-old fillies made eligible for the Golden Rod include Stonestreet Stable’s Glinda the Good, third in the Iroquois for trainer Steve Asmussen; John C. Oxley’s Spirited Miss, a narrowly beaten favorite for trainer Mark Casse in the Mazarine (GIII) on Polytrack at Woodbine; Glen Hill Farm’s Customer Base, 11^th in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (GII) won by Stephanie’s Kitten; Alex Campbell Jr.’s Karlovy Vary, a winner at Keeneland for trainer Rusty Arnold who failed to draw in from the list of also-eligibles for the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf; and Debby Oxley’s Sweet Seventeen, an unbeaten daughter of Hard Spun trained by Graham Motion.

ATTFIELD SHIPS IN SMART STING FOR MRS. REVERE BID – Smart Sting, who dominated the field in the Selene (Grade III) at Woodbine in her most recent start, has shipped into Louisville for a bid in Saturday’s 21^st running of the $175,000-added Mrs. Revere (GII) for trainer Roger Attfield.

Stronach Stable’s Smart Sting, who will break from post six under John Velazquez, beat a competitive field in the Selene, including Inglorious, who beat the boys in the $1 million Queen’s Plate.

"She’s doing very well and ran a great race last time,” Attfield said. “She’s developing into the kind of filly we always thought she would be.”

The Mrs. Revere, which will be run at 1 1/16 miles on the Matt Winn Turf Course at Churchill Downs, will be the second start on the grass beneath the Twin Spires for the 3-year-old daughter of Smart Strike. Smart Sting ran third to Diva Ash as the 2-1 favorite in the Edgewood on the Kentucky Oaks Day undercard.

“She’s a different horse now then she was that day,” Attfield said. “She has continued to develop and improve.”

Attfield chose the Mrs. Revere as the next spot for Smart Sting for the same reason as many of the other trainers in the field: to keep her against her age group.

“This race made a lot of sense and we get to give her one more shot against 3-year-olds,” Attfield said. “She’s improving and I think she’ll be even better at ages four and five.”

While Smart Sting does avoid older fillies and mares in the Mrs. Revere, the race is anything but an easy spot. The field includes graded stakes winners Hungry Island, Bizzy Caroline, Groupie Doll, New Normal and Marketing Mix and stakes winners Trac N Jam, Tourmaline and Louvakhova.

“It looks like a very tough race, but that’s what good races are supposed to look like, right?” Attfield said.

The Mrs. Revere will be the ninth race on Saturday’s 10-race card. Post time for the first race is 12:40 p.m. (all times EST) with the Mrs. Revere scheduled for 4:37 p.m.

GUAM TYPHOON RETURNS TO HIS FAVORITE TRACK SATURDAY – Guam Typhoon, a four-time winner beneath the Twin Spires, will return to the Louisville track in a very tough allowance/optional claiming race Saturday that includes graded-stakes winner Riley Tucker.

“He (Guam Typhoon)’s got some back class to him and can really run,” trainer Ian Wilkes said. “He beat (Champion Older Horse) Blame here (Churchill Downs) as a 3-year-old and (Grade I winner) Here Comes Ben when he broke his maiden.”   SIGI Racing’s Guam Typhoon, who will break from post two under leading-rider Julien Leparoux, will enter Saturday’s third race off a ¾-length victory in an allowance/optional claiming race at Hoosier Park in September. It was the first race for the 5-year-old gelded son of Distorted Humor since February.

“He just needed some time to get over a few minor issues, but it was nothing serious,” Wilkes said. “He came back and ran really well at Hoosier and I was going to run him back in another race there, but the track came up sloppy and I scratched him. He doesn’t want to run on Polytrack, so we didn’t bring him to Keeneland.”

Guam Typhoon’s main rival could be Zayat Stables LLC’s Riley Tucker, a six-time winner with earnings of $588,094. Riley Tucker’s biggest victory came in the Aristides (GIII) at Churchill Downs in 2010. The 6-year-old son of Harlan’s Holiday will break from post three under Corey Nakatani.

“It’s not an easy spot for him, but we’ll see how it goes,” Wilkes said. “He likes this track and I think he’ll run well. We’ll see where he takes us.”

Another stakes winner in the field is Thomas Galvin’s Su Casa G Casa, who has not raced since winning the Premier Night Prince at Delta Downs in February. The 3-year-old Louisiana-bred son of During has a record of 4-3-0 from seven career starts with earnings of $270,800. He will be ridden by Miguel Mena and break from post four.

Post time for Saturday’s third race is 1:37 p.m.

BARN TALK – Rosemary Homeister Jr., the second all-time leading female rider in North America with 2,438 victories, recorded her first win since Feb. 6 in Thursday’s second race at Churchill Downs aboard Eden Star. Homeister Jr., who gave birth to a daughter on Aug. 21, has ridden 17 winners in her career at the Louisville track. …

Happy 59^th birthday to trainer Jimmy Baker, who got an early birthday present last Friday when Will’s Wildcat won the Jimmy V. “Don’t Give Up…Don’t Ever Give Up!” on the Breeders’ Cup Friday undercard. It was the fourth stakes win at Churchill Downs for Baker, whose biggest victory beneath the Twin Spires came in the Churchill Downs (Grade II) with Elite Squadron in 2008.

WORKTAB – Priscilla Vaccarezza’s Little Mike, winner of three Grade III races at Gulfstream Park this year, breezed three furlongs over the fast main track at Churchill Downs in :38.80 for trainer Dale Romans. The 4-year-old gelded son of Spanish Steps has not raced since winning the Emirates Airline Appleton Stakes (GIII) on April 3. …

Beat the Blues, a 4-year-old stakes-winning daughter of Great Pyramid-IRE, breezed four furlongs on the main track in :49.40 for trainer Bret Calhoun. The work was the seventh fastest of 46 at the distance.

William S Farish Jr’s Pool Play, the longest shot in the field of 11 older horses at 36-1, rallied from the back of the pack to beat Mission Impazible by a neck to win Saturday’s 30^th running of the Grade I, $561,300 Stephen Foster Handicap Presented by Abu Dhabi at Churchill Downs.

Much like Animal Kingdom who won Kentucky Derby 137 after racing exclusively on turf and synthetic racing surfaces, Pool Play excelled in his dirt debut, which came in the 6-year-old’s 28^th career start. He clocked 1 1/8 miles in 1:50.52 over a surface that was upgraded to “fast” after overnight rain caused the track to be rated “sloppy” for most of the 12-race card.

Pool Play paid $75.20, which was third highest winning payoff in the 30^th running of the race. Seek Gold ($185.40) was the largest in 2006, followed by Colonial Colony ($127.20) in ’04.

Locally-based jockey Miguel Mena, who notched the second Grade I win of his career, rode the winner for Canadian-based trainer Mark Casse, who has a string of horses at Churchill Downs with his son and assistant Norman. It was Casse’s fourth Churchill Downs stakes win and first since winning the 1988 WHAS-11 with One That Got Away – the same year he won the Spring Meet title with 29 victories.

Regal Ransom, the mild 9-2 favorite, broke alertly in the competitive cast and led the field through the first three quarters of a mile through fractions of :23.96, :48.74 and 1:13.37 with Worldly, Mission Impazible and Crown of Thorns in close pursuit. Pool Play was unhurried into stride and settled near the tail of field, only to be ahead of Giant Oak, the 9-2 second choice and 122-pound starting high weight. Pool Play commenced his rally with three furlongs to run as Mission Impazible grabbed the lead from a weakening Regal Ransom and went head-and-head with Duke of Mischief at the top of stretch. Pool Play circled nine-wide into the stretch, hit his best stride with a powerful late kick and just got up to nail Mission Impazible in the final strides.

"I was a little concerned early in the race because I felt like the fractions were a little soft,” Casse said. “I was also afraid that Miguel was going to have to go really wide, but he did a great job and only had to swing him out on the final turn. It was a great ride by him and the horse ran great.”

Pool Play, a Canadian-bred son of Silver Deputy who carried 116 pounds, rewarded his backers handsomely with mutuels of $75.20, $29.40 and $14.60. Mission Impazible, ridden by Javier Castellano, returned $8.40 and $5 with Apart under Julien Leparoux another 1 ¼ lengths back in third returning $4.40.

Duke of Mischief was another half-length back in fourth and was followed in order by Giant Oak, Flat Out, Crown of Thorns, Worldly, Equestrio, El Caballo and Regal Ransom.

The $327,127 winner’s share of the Stephen Foster purse boosted Pool Play’s career earnings to $909,556 with a record of 6-6-5 from 28 starts. This was the third stakes win of the dark bay horse’s career, which began on July 5, 2008. His only other graded stakes win came in the Grade III Durham Cup at Woodbine in 2009. In his previous start, Pool Play finished second in the Grade II Elkhorn at Keeneland, 1 ¼ lengths behind Musketier-GER.

The Stephen Foster Handicap was one of five stakes races on a 12-race program sponsored by Abu Dhabi. Trainer Ken McPeek won the $138,500 Matt Winn Presented by Emirates Equestrian Federation (Grade III) with Scotus and the $138,135 Regret Presented by Ethiad Airways (GIII) with Bizzy Caroline. The 48-year-old conditioner has won the last five Churchill Downs graded stakes races that he’s entered. This month, he also won the Dogwood with Salty Strike, Aristides with Noble’s Promise and the Early Times Mint Julep Handicap with My Baby Baby – all Grade III events.

Also, Banned became the fifth horse in track history to complete the American Turf-Jefferson Cup double with a two-length triumph in the Grade III, $106,215 Jefferson Cup Presented by Abu Dhabi. The stakes parade began with T M Fred Texas becoming the first winner of an Arabian race at the world-famous home of the Kentucky Derby with a 9 ¼-length score in the Grade I, $52,500 President of the United Arab Emirates Cup.

Racing continues Sunday with a 10-race Father’s Day program that includes a Pick 6 carryover of $19,254 and a Super High 5 carryover of $13,407. The Pick 6 begins with Race 5 (post time 2:51 p.m. EDT) and the Super High 5 will take place during Race 10 (5:25 p.m.). First post is at 12:45 p.m.

STEPHEN FOSTER HANDICAP QUOTES

Mark Casse, trainer of Pool Play (winner): “I was a little concerned early in the race because I felt like the fractions were a little soft. I was also afraid that Miguel (Mena) was going to have to go really wide, but he did a great job and only had to swing him out on the final turn. It was a great ride by him and the horse ran great.”

On first race over dirt surface: “It all started when he was training at Palm Meadows over the dirt surface there and Norman (Casse) would call me and say, ‘Dad, this horse loves the dirt!’ We didn’t get to run him on the dirt down there (Gulfstream Park), but then we brought him here and started thinking about it again. He was working really well and I called (owner) Bill (Farish Jr.) and told him that we could go the grass route, but it’d be nice to see if he can run over the dirt because there is a little race they’ll run here in the fall for $5 million (Breeders’ Cup Classic).”

Where to go from here: “I’ll talk it over with Bill and we’ll discuss our options. I am not sure that he will like every dirt surface so we’ll have to talk it over. He is actually over at Royal Ascot right now and it’s a shame he isn’t here. I called him right after the race to tell him we won and he said, ‘You’re kidding!’”

Miguel Mena, jockey of Pool Play (winner): “The fractions were pretty soft so I didn’t want to get him too far back. I tried to save some ground with him and not go too wide. He was handling the track perfectly the whole time and turning for home I wheeled him out and he just exploded.

“This is probably the biggest win of my career. It is my second Grade I win (note: he previously won 2010 Grade I Test at Saratoga aboard Champagne d’Oro), but this time is more special because it’s at my home track, Churchill Downs. Louisville is my home and I’m very happy to win such a big race here.

“I am going to ride at Saratoga this summer and hopefully a win like this will help my business up there and get me some good horses.”

Todd Pletcher, trainer of Mission Impazible (runner-up): “It was a tough loss but a big effort.”

He had run poorly as the favorite in his previous start here in the Alysheba. Did you find any excuse for that effort and what convinced you to come back and try again in the Stephen Foster? “The horse has always trained pretty well at Churchill and we were kind of perplexed by his race. On that day the track was maybe a little dry and cuppy and he didn’t seem to love it, but he’s been training well and we’re looking for that Grade I with him, so we thought we’d give it another shot. We thought it would help if we got some rain leading into the race, then it was upgraded to fast (before the race). But it had some moisture in it, which I think helped him.”

Did you think you had it, or did you see Pool Play coming on the outside? “I knew it was going to be close. I thought we had a big shot and it was going to be close and that he would see that horse in time to kind of rally again. He got a good trip from the outside post and definitely ran his race.”

Where does Mission Impazible go now in this wide-open division? “I think we’ll probably take a look at the Whitney (at Saratoga) next and see how he comes out of it. We’ll take a look at that and go from there.”

Javier Castellano, jockey of Mission Impazible (runner-up): “He ran huge. It was a big race and a great performance. I’m so happy with the way he did it today. Unfortunately we lost the race by a bob, but I give all the credit to my horse. He’s a very nice horse and the way he traveled today made me so happy. He enjoyed when he got to the lead – he was just galloping. And when I asked him he took off. I thought I had it. I saw the horse (Pool Play) way outside, my horse never saw the other horse when he went by. I think he (Pool Play) surprised him. He’s a great horse and I think he belongs with this group. I think we can have a lot of fun with him.”

Al Stall Jr., trainer of Apart (third): “He’s shown us time and time again that he’s spotty, and that’s exactly what happened. Julien (Leparoux) said down the backside he wouldn’t trade places with anybody and it was great – he was as confident as he could be. Then Duke of Mischief came zooming on his outside and Julien said he just waited a little bit. He said maybe if he’d gone on and made him do it, he would have gone on. It looked like he was going to run in the middle of the pack, and he got beat a length, or a length and a quarter – whatever it was. He’s just done that to us. That’s why we always think maybe, maybe he’s going to turn the corner on us. There’s definitely something else there. There’s no question. He’s not cheating – he’s really just not there yet. Like I said, I’m thinking he’s ‘Deadsville’ and next thing he’s coming right back at ‘em.”

Julien Leparoux, jockey of Apart (third): “He ran great. It was the first time I had ridden him, so I didn’t know him that much. I thought I had so much horse, I could not wait to go. But when I asked him the other one (Duke of Mischief) came around me and kind of took my spot, and by the time he got going it was too late. I think if I would have asked him a little earlier he would have won it. I know him now, so next time he’ll be tough.”

David Fawkes, trainer of Duke of Mischief (fourth): “He ran his butt off all the way to the wire, he just finally got outrun a little bit. I’ve got no complaints. I really can’t complain. I’d love to win, but I got outrun.”

Joe Bravo, jockey of Duke of Mischief (fourth): “He ran great and he got everybody excited.”

Chris Block, trainer of Giant Oak (fifth): “He just flattened out. I don’t know. I’ll have to scope him and see if there’s an excuse.”

Shaun Bridgmohan, jockey of Giant Oak (fifth): “He was on the bridle early on.  The winner was behind me and I thought he was in comfortable position, but I got spun a little wide around the second turn – but he was running.  In the last part he kind of leveled out.  He didn’t quite follow through with the run that he’s always given me.  I had a good set-up for him, because obviously the winner came from behind me.”

BUSY SUNDAY FOR STEPHEN FOSTER CONTENDERS – It was a busy Sunday morning for horses being pointed to compete in Saturday’s $500,000-added Stephen Foster Handicap Presented by Abu Dhabi (Grade I) as four contenders – including the Virginia H. Tarra Trust’s high weight Giant Oak – were on the main track at Churchill Downs for their final pre-race works.

Other Foster hopefuls who worked on Sunday over a fast Churchill Downs surface included Preston Stable LLC’s Flat Out, Twin Creeks Racing Stable LLC’s Mission Impazible and William S. Farish Jr.’s Pool Play.

Giant Oak was out early at 6;30 a.m. (all times EDT) and breezed five furlongs in 1:00.60.  Jockey Eddie Perez was in the saddle for trainer Chris Block as the 5-year-old son of Giant’s Causeway worked in company with the Jim Baker-trained Westshore.  Giant Oak was timed in fractional splits of :12.40, :24.60 and :36.40, and galloped out six furlongs in :1:14.20.

The move by Giant Oak was the second-fastest of 41 at the distance.  Sunday’s “bullet” for the distance was the :59.40 move by trainer Bob Baffert’s stakes-winning sprinter Ventana.

"He breezed real well,” Block said.  “Jimmy Baker was kind enough to give us some company, and he needs that to focus in.  It was a good five-eights and I like the way he’s doing.  He’s coming into it as good as I’ve seen him come into one."

Giant Oak won Churchill Downs’ $500,000-added Clark Handicap Presented by Norton Healthcare (GI) last fall via the disqualification of Successful Dan.  He followed his Clark triumph with an emphatic victory in the Donn Handicap (GI) at Gulfstream Park to start his 2011 season.

He will attempt to snap a two-race losing string in the Foster after he finished third in the New Orleans Handicap (GII) and fifth in the Alysheba (GIII) on Kentucky Oaks Day at Churchill Downs.

Shaun Bridgmohan has the Foster mount on Giant Oak, who has been assigned high weight of 122 pounds for Saturday’s 1 1/8-mile race for 3-year-olds and up.

A large and competitive field is shaping up for the 30^th running of the Stephen Foster.  Although Giant Oak has a stretch-running style that is vulnerable to traffic issues, Block a big field could also work in his favor.

“We need a pace, and the shorter the field it seems that the pace doesn’t really set up well for us,” he said.  “I don’t a big field bothers me too much, because he comes around ‘em and he’s done that here before.  I’ve got a good rider and I feel good about it.”

Flat Out, runner-up in the Lone Star Park Handicap (GIII) on Memorial Day, worked five furlongs in 1:01.60 shortly after the track opened for training at 6 a.m.

The Scooter Dickey-trained son of Flatter had Corey Lanerie, the leading rider of the Spring Meet, in the irons as he covered the distance in fractions of :13.20, :25.20, :37.20 and :49.60.  Flat Out galloped out six furlongs in 1:15.

Dickey said Flat Out is close to “definite” for a Foster run.

“All systems are go,” Dickey said.  “Corey was pleased with the way he worked.”

Lanerie is committed for the Foster ride aboard Flat Out, whose career has been placed on hold several times because of quarter crack issues.  But Dickey said the 5-year-old’s feet are fine now.

"The horse is doing good, and he’s ready,” he said. “You don’t know with him.  He’s day-to-day if he gets another quarter crack.  But everything is good now.”

Mission Impazible, the winner of the New Orleans Handicap (GII) who ran 10^th to Super Saver in last year’s Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (GI), worked five furlongs in 1:00.80 after the maintenance break for trainer Todd Pletcher.

The 4-year-old son of Unbridled’s Song was ridden by jockey Manoel Cruz as he worked in company with Micheal Tabor’s Excited, a 3-year-old filly being pointed toward Saturday’s $125,000-added Regret Presented by Etihad Airways (GIII).

"He shipped in a few days ago (from Belmont) and he's been doing good,” said assistant Michael McCarthy, who oversees Pletcher’s Churchill Downs stable.  “He's an easy horse to work with. Everything went really well this morning and he seemed to finish up full of himself."

Javier Castellano is expected to ride Mission Impazible for Pletcher, who is looking for his first victory in the Stephen Foster Handicap.

Pool Play, a Mark Casse-trained 6-year-old who will make a belated debut on traditional dirt in the Stephen Foster, breezed four furlongs in :48.80 under exercise rider Melanie Giddings.  Pool Play galloped out five furlongs in 1:03.

"We were just looking for something easy with him,” said assistant Norman Casse, the trainer’s son who oversees his father’s stable at Churchill Downs.

The younger Casse said Miguel Mena would ride Pool Play in the Foster.  The most recent effort by the son of Silver Deputy was a runner-up finish to Musketier in the 1 ½-mile Elkhorn (GII) on turf at Keeneland.

Trainer Clark Hanna reported that Don L. Benge’s A.U. Miner came out of a Saturday work well and remains “possible” to run in the Stephen Foster.  But the 6-year-old son of Mineshaft, a troubled fourth in his most recent start in last fall’s Breeders’ Cup Marathon at Churchill Downs, has been entered in a 1 1/16-mile allowance race on Friday’s “Downs After Dark” night racing program and could run there instead of the Foster.

Foster contenders stabled outside of Churchill Downs have been busy in recent days.

California-based Crown of Thorns turned up for his journey to Kentucky for the Stephen Foster on Saturday with a six-furlong work in 1:13.40 over a “fast” surface at Santa Anita.

Spendthrift Farm’s 6-year-old son of Repent won the Grade II Mervyn LeRoy at Hollywood Park last time out – the first victory for the talented, but often-injured veteran since a win in the Robert B. Lewis (GII) at Santa Anita in his 3-year-old season in 2008.  An injury after that victory knocked him out of consideration for the Kentucky Derby.  He had six well-spaced losses from his return to racing in 2009 through his 2011 debut in a seventh-place finish in Santa Anita’s Portrero Grande (GII), but those setbacks included four consecutive runner-up finishes in Grade I events.  One was a narrow loss in the 2009 Breeders’ Cup Sprint (GI).

Crown of Thorns is scheduled to travel to Churchill Downs for the Foster on a Tuesday flight from Southern California.  Other Foster contenders scheduled to be on the flight include Donald Dizney’s Alysheba (GIII) winner and 2010 Preakness (GI) runner-up First Dude and C R K Stable’s Gladding, the John Sadler-trained winner of Santa Anita’s San Antonio (GII) and runner-up in Lone Star Park’s recent Texas Mile (GIII).

First Dude and Gladding both worked Sunday in California.  The former worked five furlongs in :59.60 for trainer Bob Baffert at Santa Anita.  Gladding breezed six furlongs in 1:12 at Hollywood Park.

In New York, trainer Nick Zito worked Thoroughbred Legends Racing Stable’s Foster hopeful Equestrio a half-mile in :47 on Saturday at Saratoga.  The 4-year-old son of Elusive Quality, third in the five-horse blanket finish in his stakes debut in the Alysheba, will ship to Churchill Downs later in the week.

Meanwhile, Foster contender Duke of Mischief worked a half-mile in :48 at Florida’s Calder Race Course on Saturday in preparation for his Foster run.  The David Fawkes-trained son of Graeme Hall comes into the Foster off a 2 ½-length victory in the $1 million Charles Town Classic (GIII).

Godolphin’s Regal Ransom, winner of the UAE Derby (GII) and Super Derby (GII) in 2009, is scheduled to arrive at Churchill Downs on Monday.  The Saeed bin-Suroor-trained son of Distorted Humor was nipped at the wire in his runner-up finish to First Dude in the Alysheba.

Horses considered likely for the Stephen Foster include: Apart (Al Stall Jr., 118); Crown of Thorns (Mandella, 121); Duke of Mischief (Fawkes, 118); Equestrio (Zito, 116); First Dude (Baffert, 119); Flat Out (Dickey, 114); Gladding (Sadler, 117); Giant Oak (Block, 122); Mission Impazible (Pletcher, 118); and Regal Ransom (bin Suroor, 117).

REGRET HOPEUL HOLIDAYSATTHEFARM IN GOOD FORM FOLLOWING LAYOFF – Glen Hill Farm’s homebred Holidaysatthefarm will make her Churchill Downs debut Saturday in the Grade III, $125,000-added Regret Presented by Etihad Airways, although her first start of the year at Churchill Downs will come later than trainer Tom Proctor had hoped.

The 3-year-old daughter of 2004 Kentucky Derby winner Smarty Jones has not raced since an eighth-place finish behind Dynamic Holiday in the Herecomesthebride (GIII) at Gulfstream Park on Mar. 13.  The three-month layoff that commenced after that setback was not Proctor’s original plan for Holidaysatthefarm.

“I wanted to run her on Kentucky Oaks Day (in the Edgewood at 1 1/16 miles on the Matt Winn Turf Course), but she was scratched by the vets,” Proctor said. “Then I tried to run her in an allowance race, but it came off the turf, so I scratched her.”

Proctor prefers to look at the longer-than-expected break for his filly as a possible blessing in disguise.

"The layoff has actually done her good,” Proctor said. “This filly is doing really well.”

After being beaten by a combined 23 lengths in two starts at Gulfstream earlier this year, Proctor hopes Holidaysatthefarm will display a form in the Regret that is more comparable to her runner-up finish to Dynamic Holiday in February’s Florida Oaks at Tampa Bay Downs.

“I think she’ll like the turf course here,” Proctor said. “She didn’t run any good at Gulfstream in either of her races, even when she was third (beaten 12 lengths by Regret rival Kathmanblu in the Sweetest Chant on Jan. 22). But the race at Tampa … now that was a good race.”

Three-year-old fillies under consideration for Saturday’s 42^nd running of the Regret for 3-year-old fillies at 1 1/8 miles on the Matt Winn Turf Course: Bizzy Caroline (trained by Ken McPeek); Blushandbashful (John Terranova II); Bouquet Booth (Steve Margolis); Diva Ash (Dale Romans); Excited (Todd Pletcher); Gaya (Tom Amoss); Holidaysatthefarm (Tom Proctor); Kathmanblu (McPeek); My Phi Temper (Ronny Werner); and Sassy’s Dream (McPeek).

UNCLE BRENT FIRES ‘BULLET’ IN PREP FOR MATT WINN – Lynn Whiting, a Churchill Downs veteran best known as the trainer of the late W.C. Partee’s 1992 Kentucky Derby winner Lil E. Tee, was looking for a good work on Sunday from Charles Cella’s Uncle Brent in preparation for a start in Saturday’s $125,000-added Matt Winn Presented by Emirates Equestrian Federation (GIII).

The 3-year-old son of Pioneering did not disappoint as he breezed a “bullet” four furlongs in :46.80 over the fast main track. The breeze was the fastest of 37 moves at the distance. Manoel Cruz was in the irons for the work and will be aboard Uncle Brent in the Matt Winn.

"He’s a quality horse and I wanted to give him a sharp work,” said Whiting, who hopes to collect his first stakes victory beneath the Twin Spires since saddling Cat’s Career to a win in the 1997 Ack Ack (GIII). “He may have gone a tad too fast.  I would have preferred if he went 47 and change, but I guess he wasn’t too far from that. Overall it was a very nice work.”

Uncle Brent will enter the Matt Winn off a disappointing ninth-place finish behind Alternation in the Peter Pan (GII) at Belmont Park.

"It was a new track and he got tired,” Whiting said. “He was never able to change leads (in the Peter Pan) and that didn’t help. He’s a much better horse than what he showed that day.”

Uncle Brent has a record of 2-1-0 from four starts and earnings of $91,800. The biggest win of his career came in the $100,000 Northern Spur at Oaklawn Park, the Hot Springs, Ark. track where his owner serves as president.

Three-year-olds under consideration for Saturday’s 14^th running of the Matt Winn (formerly the Northern Dancer) for 3-year-olds at 1 1/16 miles: Alstom (trained by D. Wayne Lukas); Bind (Al Stall Jr.); Dominus (Steve Asmussen); Infrattini (Paul McGee); Joe Vann (Todd Pletcher); Uncle Brent (Whiting) and Wilburn (Asmussen).

TRAINER SIMMS TO MAKE RARE STAKES APPEARANCE IN JEFFERSON CUP – Veteran trainer Garry Simms, who has waged a battle with melanoma since early 2010, spoke of his health issues a few weeks back and said: “There’s nothing that a fast horse can’t fix.”

Simms was speaking specifically of Tanzana, his winner of the 2010 Cradle Stakes at River Downs, but Simms hopes he has another “fast horse” in his barn in the promising Redboard.

Burr Travis Racing VI’s lightly-raced son of Flower Alley is being pointed to Saturday’s $100,000-added Jefferson Cup Presented by Abu Dhabi (GIII).  Redboard comes into his stakes debut after breaking his maiden on the Matt Winn Turf Course earlier in the meet under apprentice rider Marcelino Pedroza Jr.

"That was only his second start and his first time on the turf,” Simms said. “He won so impressively that day that I’m going to give him a shot in the Matt Winn.”

The 3-year-old gelding will be Simms’ first stakes starter beneath the Twin Spires since he saddled Wheelin Dealin for a fourth-place finish in the Churchill Downs Turf Sprint in 1995.

“I’ve had some other good ones in my career that could have run in stakes here,” Simms said. “But we’ve always taken the money when someone has wanted to buy the horse for a good number.

“With my current condition, I think we will keep him (Redboard) for awhile, but if the number is right then we may end up selling him, too. Obviously his price would go way up if he wins Saturday, and I really think he is going to run well.”

Redboard tuned-up for the Jefferson Cup with a five furlong work at Churchill Downs on Saturday in 1:03.60.

"It was a nice maintenance work for him,” Simms said. “He just ran a couple of weeks ago so we didn’t want him going too fast. It was perfect.”

Leandro Goncalves, who has ridden three winners at the 2011 Spring Meet, will be aboard Redboard in the Jefferson Cup.

Known horses under consideration for Saturday’s Jefferson Cup for 3-year-olds at 1 1/16 miles on the Matt Winn Turf Course: Banned (trained by Tom Proctor); Chalice (Kellyn Gorder); Chinglish (Mark Hennig); Derby Kitten (Mike Maker); Dream Warrior (Eddie Kenneally); Perregaux (Neil Howard); Redboard (Garry Simms); and Swagger Jack (Darrin Miller).

NOMINATIONS FOR CHURCHILL DOWNS’ FIRST ARABIAN RACE - Churchill Downs will hold its first for horses of the Arabian breed Saturday as part of the Stephen Foster Day Presented by Abu Dhabi card.

The $50,000-added The President of United Arab Emirates Cup (Grade I) will feature a field of Arabian horses ages 4 and up at the Kentucky Derby distance of 1 ¼ miles.

Nominees to the race include: A Ladys Man (trained by Lynn Ashby); Another Color (Renee Lafleur); Crownn Royal (Ashby); Dixies Valentine (Tracy Nunley); Full of Fiesta (Greg Ketter); Grilla (Bill Waldron); Ovour the Top (Ashby); T M Fred Texas (Ronald Martino); Vip (Martino); and Wodkka (Lafleur).

Grilla won an April installment of The President of the United Arab Emirates Cup at Keeneland.

CRUZ SAVORS FIVE-WIN DAY AT CHURCHILL DOWNS– If there were horsemen and racing fans who had not been convinced that jockey Manoel Cruz made the proper decision when he departed his longtime base at Florida’s Calder Race Course for a new Kentucky home at Churchill Downs, the transplanted rider’s day at the Downs on Saturday could have sealed the deal.

Cruz scored five wins on the program, topped by a victory aboard Magdalena Racing’s My Baby Baby in the $100,000-added Early Times Mint Julep (GIII) for his most successful day beneath the historic Louisville track’s Twin Spires.

“It was my biggest day here, but I hope it’s my first big day,” Cruz said.  “I want plenty of those big days.  That would make me happy and I’m going to work toward that.”

His spectacular day improved the Spring Meet victory total for the 41-year-old native of Brazil to 14.  He entered Sunday’s races tied with Jon Court for seventh in the leading rider standings.

Cruz had long considered a move to Kentucky, but was hesitant to leave the comfort of life at Calder, where he had dominated the riding colony in recent years.  But Kentucky-based trainer Ken McPeek finally convinced Cruz to make the move to the Bluegrass State, and veteran Steve Elzey was enlisted as his agent.

“I appreciate what Ken McPeek did to bring me here,” Cruz said.  “I wanted to come and he pushed me.  It was not easy to leave Florida.  I was leading jockey there every year and it was hard to leave, but I’m glad I did.”

A look at his Cruz’s Florida numbers makes it easy to understand his comfort level at Calder.  Cruz won six riding crowns at the track, which include three Calder meets and a trio of Tropical-at-Calder titles.  He won 1,371 races at Calder and added another 584 victories at the Tropical-at-Calder meet.  Those totals rank second all-time at the respective meets.  When the totals are combined, Cruz is Calder’s all-time leading jockey.

He had limited experience at Churchill Downs heading into his first spring in Kentucky. He had participated in a single Kentucky Derby prior to his move: an 11^th-place finish aboard Smooth Air in the 2008 Run for the Roses.  Saturday’s victory aboard My Baby Baby was his second stakes win of the meet, both for McPeek.  He had he piloted Salty Strike to win last week’s $100,000-added Dogwood (GIII).

At the conclusion of the Churchill Downs meet, Cruz and Elzey will head to New York to ride at the prestigious Saratoga meet.  Then it’s back to Kentucky for the fall at Keeneland and Churchill Downs.

“I always wanted to move to this place, and my opportunity came,” Cruz said.  “I love Kentucky and I’ve come to stay.  I’m going to do the best I can to work hard and do the job.”

BARN TALK – Early Times Mint Julep winner My Baby Baby will more than likely be retired following her first stakes victory at Churchill Downs, according to McPeek. The 6-year-old daughter of Bernstein has already begun her career as a broodmare and won the Mint Julep while in-foal to the two-time Horse of the Year Curlin on a Feb. 12 cover. …

My Baby Baby gave McPeek his third consecutive stakes win at Churchill Downs. McPeek had previously won the Grade III Dogwood with Salty Strike and the Grade III Aristides with Noble’s Promise on June 4. …

Leading rider Corey Lanerie collected three more wins Saturday at Churchill Downs. With 34 wins this spring, Lanerie is now 10 ahead of Shaun Bridgmohan, who is currently second in the jockey standings. Lanerie has never won a riding title at the Louisville track. …

WORKTAB – Zayat Stables LLC’s Joe Vann, who won the Grade III Illinois Derby prior to a fourth place finish in the Grade II Peter Pan in his most recent start, worked five furlongs over a “fast” Churchill Downs track in 1:01.40 for trainer Todd Pletcher. The 3-year-old son of Silver Deputy recently shipped to Churchill Downs from New York and is under consideration for Saturday’s Matt Winn.

Charles E. Fipke’s Seeking the Title, who won the 2010 edition of the Grade III Iowa Oaks and finished eighth in the Grade II La Troienne Presented by Blackberry/RIM in her most recent start, worked four furlongs in :47.60 Sunday morning for trainer Dallas Stewart.

Michael Tabor’s Excited, winner of the Hilltop Stakes at Pimlico on May 20, completed a five furlong work in 1:01.40 while working in company with Stephen Foster hopeful, Mission Impazible, after the renovation break Sunday for trainer Todd Pletcher.

Karl Watson, Mike Pegram, and Paul Weitman’s Ventana, who won the Grade III Maryland Sprint Handicap at Pimlico in her most recent start, worked five furlongs in :59.40, which was the fastest time of 41 workers at the distance Sunday.

Dundalk 5 LLC’s Dundalk Dust, who captured the Grade II Falls City Handicap beneath the Twin Spires last November, breezed six furlongs in 1:14 for trainer Chris Block on Sunday morning.

WHO’S HOT – The hottest jockeys over the last five racing days (June 4-11) are Corey Lanerie (9-for-35), Julien Leparoux (7-for-24) and Manny Cruz (7-for-32). Ken McPeek (4-for-12) and Tom Amoss (3-for-4) are the hottest trainers over the same period. The hottest owners are Maggi Moss (2-for-2) and Charles E. Fipke (2-for-5).

WEATHER – Sunday: mostly sunny, 83. Monday: mostly sunny, 83. Tuesday: partly sunny with a 40% chance of showers and thunderstorms, 85. Wednesday: mostly cloudy with a 50% chance of showers and thunderstorms, 87. Thursday: partly sunny with a 40% chance of showers and thunderstorms, 85. Friday: mostly sunny, 89. Saturday: partly sunny with a 30% chance of showers and thunderstorms, 90.

GIANT OAK NAMED HIGH WEIGHT FOR STEPHEN FOSTER - Dual Grade I winner Giant Oak has been assigned the high weight of 122 pounds by Churchill Downs racing secretary Ben Huffman for next Saturday’s 30^th running of the Grade I, $500,000-added Stephen Foster Handicap Presented by Abu Dhabi at 1 1/8 miles on the main track.

The Virginia H. Tarra Trust’s 5-year-old son of Giant’s Causeway recorded his first Grade I victory when he was promoted to first place following the disqualification of Successful Dan in the Clark Handicap at Churchill Downs last November. After a brief break, Giant Oak returned to in February to launch his 2011 campaign for Chicago-based trainer Chris Block with an impressive two-length victory in the Donn Handicap (GI) at Gulfstream Park. After finishing third as the 3-2 favorite in the Grade II New Orleans Handicap, Giant Oak would return to Churchill Downs for his most recent start, where he finished fifth, beaten three-quarters of a length, in the Grade III Alysheba Presented by Besilu Stables on Kentucky Oaks Day.

Spendthrift Farm LLC’s Crown of Thorns, who won the Grade II Mervyn LeRoy Handicap at Hollywood Park in his most recent start, is rated one pound below Giant Oak at 121 pounds. Trained by Richard Mandella, the 6-year-old son of Repent finished second in four consecutive Grade I events between 2009 and 2010, including the Grade I Breeders’ Cup Sprint (GI) at Santa Anita. Crown of Thorns is confirmed as a starter in the Stephen Foster and is scheduled to fly from Los Angeles to Louisville on Tuesday.

Also scheduled to be on that flight from California on Tuesday is Donald Dizney’s First Dude, the narrow winner of the Alysheba who is third on the list of Foster weight assignments at 119 pounds. Trained by Bob Baffert, First Dude captured the first graded stakes victory of his career in the Alysheba and finishing second in last year’s Preakness (GI) and third in the Belmont Stakes (GI).

The 4-year-old son of Stephen Got Even has a career record of 3-5-4 from 16 starts with $1,142,140.

Other horses under consideration for a run in next Saturday’s Stephen Foster Handicap include A.U. Miner (trained by Clark Hanna, weighted at 114); Apart (Al Stall Jr., 118); Crown of Thorns (Mandella, 121); Duke of Mischief (David Fawkes, 118); First Dude (Baffert, 119); Giant Oak (Block, 122); Mission Impazible (Todd Pletcher, 118); and Regal Ransom (Saeed bin Suroor, 117).

A.U. MINER PUTS IN SHARP WORK FOR FOSTER BID – Don Benge’s A.U. Miner worked five furlongs in 1:02.20 Saturday morning prior to the renovation break over a “muddy” Churchill Downs track in final major training move prior to a bid for next Saturday’s Stephen Foster Handicap.

Jockey Calvin Borel, who will ride A.U. Miner in the Foster for trainer Clark Hanna, worked in company with Saintly Tale.  A. U Miner covered the distance in fractional splits of :13.20, :25.60, :37.40, and :49.40, and galloped out six furlongs in 1:16.20.

The work went very well today and I think he galloped out really strong,” Hanna said.

A.U. Miner was third in his most recent start, the Grade III Breeders’ Cup Marathon at Churchill Downs in November, a race in which he crossed the line in fourth-place, but was promoted to third following the disqualification of first-place finisher Prince Will I Am. The Kentucky-bred’s connections had hoped their luck would improve following their rough trip in the Marathon, but Hanna said the run of bad luck continued.

“He’s been battling some minor health issues since the Marathon,” Hanna said. “He had some knee issues and then a couple of foot problems. I think we’ve finally got him back on track though and we’re looking forward to running next Saturday (in the Foster).”

While hoping for a big run by A.U. Miner in the Foster, Hanna’s wish list for his veteran includes a least one more start for his veteran at Churchill Downs before the end of the year.

“The ultimate goal would be to bring him back in November for another run at the Breeders’ Cup Marathon,” Hanna said. 

Hanna’s veteran has a career record of 4-2-4 from 21 starts and earnings of $349,350.

STALL SAYS BIND WILL ‘RUN FREELY’ IN MATT WINN – After a pair of disappointing losses that following a spectacular racing debut at Fair Grounds, trainer Al Stall Jr. said Friday there would be a change of tactics for Claiborne Farm and Adele Dilschneider’s Bind when he makes his stakes debut in the $125,000-added Matt Winn Stakes Presented by Emirates Equestrian Federation (GIII), a race formerly known as the Northern Dancer, on next Saturday’s Stephen Foster Day program.

The son of the Claiborne stallion Pulpit has fought his rider when he was restrained just off the lead in runner-up finishes allowance races at Fair Grounds and Churchill Downs in his last two starts.  So Stall said Bind would be allowed to do what he wants to do in the 1 1/16-mile Matt Winn.

“We’re going to let him run like his old man,” said Stall.  “We’re going to let him bounce away from there and let him run freely.”

The most recent loss for Bind was his runner-up finish behind the 4-year-old Worldly in a 1 1/16-mile allowance race on Kentucky Derby Day.  Worldly is now expected to compete in last week’s $500,000 Stephen Foster Handicap (GI), the headline event of four graded stakes events on that program.  Along with Bind’s clear resentment of attempted restraint by jockey Rosie Napravnik, Stall’s colt had to wait for running room in the stretch before he launched a bid that fell a half-length short of catching his older and more experienced rival.

“There’s no question in my mind that we were pounds better than him, but you can’t just go run around there with your head stuck straight up in the air,” Stall said.  “That’s two races in a row that he’s done the same thing, because we’ve been restraining him and he clearly doesn’t want any part of that.”

Bind will have a new rider for the Matt Winn, but Stall is not sure yet who that will be.

            The most recent work for Bind was a five-furlong move in 1:01 over Keeneland’s Polytrack course on June 5.  The work was the fastest of seven at the distance on that day.

“He’s something to behold when you watch him train,” Stall said.  “He’s an absolute man-child and he’s not quirky to deal with at all.  He’s beautiful to deal with and we just don’t know what’s happened in those two races, except maybe it’s from his sire.  So we’re not going to take the run away from him.  I honestly think this horse can click off ‘twelves’ (12-second furlongs), and I mean keep clicking them off, too.”

Stall said Claiborne and Dilschneider’s 3-year-old filly Might would get some rest after a disappointing fifth-place finish as the favorite in last week’s $100,000-added Dogwood (GIII) at Churchill Downs.

He said the sister to 2010 Breeders’ Cup Classic (GI) winner Blame came out of the race well and her poor effort in her stakes debut in the Dogwood could have been a case of asking too much of the filly after back-to-back victories at Fair Grounds and Churchill Downs.

“Might has always had soft ankles,” Stall said.  “That’s why we slowed down on her.  Maybe in the heat of the battle they pinched her.  That’s the only think I could think of. “

Stall is hoping that rest will be the tonic for Might and will allow her to return later on to build on her otherwise successful year.

“I’m just going to try to quiet her down and make a fall run to try and get black-type on her,” Stall said.  “We most likely went to the well once too often.”

Other 3-year-olds known to be under consideration for the 1 1/16-mile Matt Winn include: Alstom (trained by D. Wayne Lukas); Dominus (Steve Asmussen); Infrattini (Paul McGee); Joe Vann (Todd Pletcher); and Uncle Brent (Lynn Whiting).

BOUQUET BOOTH POINTS TO REGRET FOLLOWING ‘GREAT’ WORK – Trainer Steve Margolis was unsure if Right Time Racing LLC’s Bouquet Booth would start in next Saturday’s Grade III, $125,000-added Regret Presented by Etihad Airways until she completed a five-furlong workout over a firm Matt Winn Turf Course on Thursday in a “bullet” time of 1:01.80.

“It was a really great work and she is definitely going to run (in the Regret) now,” Margolis said.

Shaun Bridgmohan, who is currently second in this meet’s jockey standings behind Corey Lanerie with 24 wins, was aboard for the workout.

“She worked really nicely,” Bridgmohan said. “She was very relaxed and really finished up well. Everything went perfectly.”

Bouquet Booth, a Kentucky-bred daughter of Flower Alley, was fifth, beaten 3 ¼-lengths, in the Kentucky Oaks (GI), last time out.  She will enter the 1 1/8-mile race for 3-year-old fillies on the Matt Winn Turf Course record of 3-1-1 in eight career races with earnings of $452,300.

Known horses under consideration the 42^nd running of Regret include: Bizzy Caroline (trained by Ken McPeek); Blushandbashful (John Terranova II); Bouquet Booth (Steve Margolis); Diva Ash (Dale Romans); Excited (Todd Pletcher); Gaya (Tom Amoss); Holidaysatthefarm (Tom Proctor); Kathmanblu (McPeek); My Phi Temper (Ronny Werner); and Sassy’s Dream (McPeek).

PROCTOR, BANNED LOOK TO KEEP ROLLING ON TURF IN JEFFERSON - Churchill Downs-based trainer Tom Proctor has already won stakes races on Churchill Downs’ Matt Winn Turf Course during the Spring meet with the history-making mare Keertana, who became the first of her gender to win the Grade III Louisville Handicap, and the impressive 3-year-old Banned in the Grade II American Turf Presented by Ram.

More good fortune on the grass for the 55-year-old Proctor could be just days away when send Banned out in search of another graded stakes triumph in the $100,000-added Jefferson Cup Presented by Abu Dhabi (GIII) on Stephen Foster Day Presented by Abu Dhabi for 3-year-olds at 1 1/16 miles on the turf.

Foster was confident Glen Hill Farm’s 3-year-old son of Kitten’s Joy would run well in the Oaks Day race, and Banned more than justified that optimism.

“I thought he would win, but he really ran big that day,” Proctor said. “Although the race set up for him because they went very fast up-front. That will always make a horse look better.”

Proctor is pleased with Banned’s training since that win.  One more pre-Jefferson Cup work lies ahead.

“He’s been doing really well since that race,” Proctor said. “I plan on working him an easy five-eighths on Tuesday.”

Other 3-year-olds under consideration for Saturday’s 36^th running of Jefferson Cup include: Coolmore Lexington (GII) winner Derby Kitten (Mike Maker); Dream Warrior (Eddie Kenneally); Redboard (Garry Simms); Swagger Jack (Darrin Miller); and either Close Ally (Neil Howard) or Perregaux (Howard).

NOMINATIONS FOR CHURCHILL DOWNS’ FIRST ARABIAN RACE - Churchill Downs will hold its first Arabian race next Saturday as part of the undercard on Stephen Foster Day Presented by Abu Dhabi.

The Grade I, $50,000-added The President of United Arab Emirates Cup will be run at 1 ¼-miles and its nominees include: A Ladys Man (trained by Lynn Ashby); Another Color (Renee Lafleur); Crownn Royal (Ashby); Dixies Valentine (Tracy Nunley); Full of Fiesta (Greg Ketter); Grilla (Bill Waldron); Ovour the Top (Ashby); T M Fred Texas (Ronald Martino); Vip (Martino); and Wodkka (Lafleur).

Grilla won an earlier stop on the The President of the United Arab Emirates Cup tour at Keeneland.

VALID CITIZEN FIRST THREE-TIME WINNER OF SPRING MEET – Kenneth Dalton’s Valid Citizen is stabled at River Downs with trainer Matt Kordenbrock throughout the year, but he has made a home for himself this spring on the main track at Churchill Downs.

Valid Citizen won Friday’s fourth race to become the first three-time winner of the 2011 Spring Meet.

“That’s pretty cool,” Kordenbrock said.  “He’s an honest horse and we’ve really tried to pick our spots with him. He really likes this track and things have worked out.”

The milestone win by the 6-year-old son of Proud Citizen came on day 24 of the 39-day meet.  It was Kordenbrock’s fifth career victory at Churchill Downs, and he hopes Valid Citizen gets another chance to run.

“We’ve still got some time left,” he said.  “We will try and bring him back to get (win) number four.”

Bred in Kentucky by Oak haven Farm LLC, Valid Citizen has a career record of 9-5-5 from 35 starts with earnings of $120,294.

BARN TALK – The top six leading riders at Churchill Downs all won at least one race beneath the Twin Spires on Friday. Julien Leparoux, currently third in the standings, and Miguel Mena, sitting in fifth position, each won two races on the card, while leading-rider Corey Lanerie won three. …

Nominations for the 111^th running of the $100,000-added Debutante (GIII) for 2-year-old fillies at six furlongs close Saturday. The Debutante, which is scheduled to be run on the main track at Churchill Downs on Saturday, June 25, was won last year by Eldon Farm Equine, LLC’s Just Louise under Robby Albarado for trainer Dale Romans. …

Saturday’s 11-race program at Churchill Downs will include a Pick 6 carryover of $23,644. The Pick 6 begins with Race 6 at approximately 3:23 p.m. There will also be a Super High 5 carryover of $6,361. The Super High 5 will take place in the final race Saturday: Race 11 at 5:55 p.m. …

Sunday is the last chance of the spring for locals to win a $1,500 first prize and a coveted VIP trip to the Horseplayer World Series at The Orleans Resort & Casino in Las Vegas. The cost to enter the final “Who’s the Champ?” Handicapping Contest is $25 (or 25,000 Twin Spires Club points) and it will take place in the Champions Club Lounge. …

WORKTAB – Five D Thoroughbreds and Wind River Stables’ Kathmanblu worked five furlongs on a “muddy” Churchill Downs track in 1:01.60 Saturday morning for trainer Ken McPeek. Kathmanblu is scheduled to make her next start in the Grade III, $125,000-added Regret Presented by ETIHAD Airways beneath the Twin Spires on June 18 as part of the Stephen Foster Day undercard.

WHO’S HOT – The hottest jockeys over the last five racing days (June 3-10) are Julien Leparoux (9-for-32), Corey Lanerie (8-for-32) and Calvin Borel (7-for-24). Ken McPeek (3-for-11) and Steve Asmussen (3-for-14) are the hottest trainers over the same period. The hottest owners are Lothenbach Stables, Inc. (2-for-2), Maggi Moss (2-for-3), Stoneway Farm (2-for-3), and Charles E. Fipke (2-for-5).

WEATHER – Saturday: showers and thunderstorms, 89. Sunday: mostly sunny, 82. Monday: mostly sunny, 81. Tuesday: mostly sunny with a 20% chance of showers and thunderstorms, 85. Wednesday: partly sunny with a 40% chance of showers and thunderstorms, 88. Thursday: partly sunny with a 30% chance of showers and thunderstorms, 86. Friday: mostly sunny, 89.

CHURCHILL TRAINERS LIKE 1-2 DERBY RUNNERS IN THE BELMONT – Trainers based at historic Churchill Downs have had the opportunity to see many of the contenders for the 143^rd running of the $1 million Belmont Stakes (GI) up close and personal.

The top seven finishers in the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (GI) will run in Saturday’s Belmont; three of which are based at Churchill Downs: Zayat Stables LLC’s Nehro (second), Michael Lauffer and Bill Cubbedge’s Shackleford (fourth) and Tom Walters’ Santiva (sixth).  Also based at Churchill Downs is Donald Adam’s Prime Cut, third in the recent Peter Pan (GII) at Belmont Park.

After following the Triple Crown races and observing many of the Belmont contenders condition beneath the Twin Spires, many trainers on the Louisville track’s backstretch have made up their minds as to who will win the third jewel of the Triple Crown and the majority are thinking Animal Kingdom or Nehro.

“Animal Kingdom will win the Belmont,” trainer Paul McGee said. “I picked him in the Derby and the Preakness (GI) and I’m going to stick with him.”

Trainer Steve Margolis, who collected his 100^th win beneath the Twin Spires earlier in the meet, likes Animal Kingdom as well. “I’ll be rooting for Graham (Motion) and Animal Kingdom and I think he’ll win,” Margolis said. “But I also like Master of Hounds as a longshot possibility.”

“It’ll be a good race, but I don’t think anyone will beat Animal Kingdom,” trainer Scooter Dickey said.

Trainer Jimmy Baker, who has won with four of his 14 starters this meet, believes one of the favorites will cross the line first in the Belmont. “I like the favorites in the race,” Baker said. “Nehro will be fresh, Shackleford will be the pace and may hold on, and Animal Kingdom will be running at the end. One of those will win it.”

"How can you not like Animal Kingdom?,” said trainer Tom Amoss, who is currently tied with Dale Romans for second in the trainer standings with nine wins at the meet.

Trainer David Carroll is also in Animal Kingdom’s corner. “Animal Kingdom will win tomorrow (Saturday),” Carroll said.                                   

The other Belmont contender who has a lot of support on the Churchill Downs backstretch is Nehro.

“I like Shackleford and Animal Kingdom, but Nehro will be fresh and I think he’ll win,” trainer Bret Calhoun said.

Garry Simms, who has won with three of his ten starters this meet, also picked Nehro. “I hope Shackleford wins, but I’m going with (Steve) Asmussen’s horse (Nehro),” Simms said.

"I like Nehro and I think he’ll like the distance (1 ½-miles),” trainer Helen Pitts-Blasi said.

Trainer Dallas Stewart was one of the few trainers to not select Animal Kingdom, Shackleford, or Nehro. “I think a longshot is going to win,” Stewart said. “I just don’t know which one.”

Tom McCarthy, who will saddle General Quarters in Friday’s featured ninth race, was unsure of who will win Saturday.

“Anyone’s guess is as good as mine,” McCarthy said. “It’ll be a good race and we’ll just have to wait and see.”

CAPT. CANDYMAN CAN INJURED, PROBABLY OUT FOR THE YEAR – Rosemary A. Rauch and David Zell’s Capt. Candyman Can is expected to miss most or all of the remainder of the 2011 racing season after apparently suffering an injury during his third-place run behind Noble’s Promise in last week’s $100,000-added Aristides (GIII) at Churchill Downs.

Trainer Ian Wilkes said he’s not “100 percent” sure of the exact nature of the problem that has sent the 5-year-old gelded son of Candy Ride to the sidelines.  But Wilkes suspects that Capt. Candyman Can fractured his humerus bone in his left shoulder.  Capt. Candyman Can is due for a bone scan in a few days that should identify the exact injury.

Wilkes said the injury would knock Capt. Candyman Can out of training for “at least 90 days.”

The winner of the Grade I King’s Bishop at three, Capt. Candyman Can missed all of 2010 with a knee issue.  The Aristides was the fourth start of a 2011 campaign for Capt. Candyman Can that Wilkes had hoped would reach its climax in November in the $2 million Sentient Jet Breeders’ Cup Sprint (GI) at Churchill Downs.  He won his first two starts of the year and finished a close fourth to Aikenite in the Churchill Downs (GII) on Kentucky Derby Day prior to his run in the Aristides.

Wilkes believes the injury could have occurred at the start of the Aristides.  Capt. Candyman Can got away from the starting gate slowly after a slow loading process for the field of eight when one of its members was reluctant to enter the gate.

“It’s possible it happened at the start – he did stumble there, too,” Wilkes said.  “He didn’t finish the way he should – the way he normally does.  I have no doubt that he would have won the race if he was right.”

Capt. Candyman Can is stabled at Skylight Training Center, which is located about 30 minutes from Churchill Downs.  He is scheduled for rest on a farm after the bone scan is completed on Wilkes’ stable star.

Capt. Candyman Can has a career record of 8-2-2 in 16 races with earnings of $760,147.

STEPHEN FOSTER HANDICAP PROBABLES NEAR FINAL WORKS AT CHURCHILL DOWNS – A pair of probable starters for the $500,000-added Stephen Foster Handicap Presented by Abu Dhabi (GI) on June 18 at Churchill Downs will soon be putting in their final pre-race workouts at the historic track.

The Virginia H. Tarra Trust’s Clark Handicap (GI) winner Giant Oak is scheduled to tune-up for his Stephen Foster run on Sunday at Churchill Downs with a 6:30 a.m. (all times Eastern) workout for Chris Block. The 5-year-old son of Giant’s Causeway captured the Donn Handicap (GI) at Gulfstream Park earlier this year prior to a fifth-place finish in the Alysheba Presented by Besilu Stables (GIII) on Kentucky Oaks Day.

Twin Creeks Racing Stable, LLC’s Mission Impazible, who won the New Orleans Handicap (GII) at Fair Grounds prior to a seventh-place finish in the Alysheba (GIII), will have his final workout prior to the Stephen Foster on Sunday at Churchill Downs, according to Todd Pletcher’s assistant trainer, Mike McCarthy.  Mission Impazilbe finished tenth behind Super Saver in the 2010 Kentucky Derby.

Other horses known to be under consideration for the Stephen Foster (with trainers) include Apart (Al Stall Jr.), Crown of Thorns (Richard Mandella), Duke of Mischief (David Fawkes), First Dude (Bob Baffert) and Regal Ransom (Saeed bin Suroor).

Weights for the 30^th running of the Stephen Foster Handicap (GI) will be released Saturday.

KATHMANBLU WILL LEAD MCPEEK DUO IN REGRET – Five D Thoroughbreds and Wind River Stables’ multiple graded stakes winning filly Kathmanblu will return from a disappointing sixth-place finish in the Kentucky Oaks (GI) to run in the 42^nd running of the $125,000-added Regret Presented by ETIHAD Airways (GIII) at 1 1/8-miles on the Matt Winn Turf Course on June 18.

Kathmanblu’s stablemate in the Ken McPeek barn, Catesby Clay’s Bizzy Caroline, a 3-year-old daughter of Afleet Alex who sprinted away to a seven-length victory in an allowance race at Churchill Downs on May 27, is also being pointed toward a start in the Regret.

Kathmanblu will be making her fifth start of the year in the Regret, but it will be her first on the turf since a victory in the Sweetest Chant at Gulfstream Park in January. McPeek’s assistant trainer, Philip Bauer, said he hopes Kathmanblu will appreciate a return to the turf and get back on the winning track.

“She’s been doing really well since the (Kentucky) Oaks and I think that turf is her best surface,” Bauer said. “On paper it looks like she will be tough to beat.”

The 3-year-old daughter of Bluegrass Cat has a record of 3-1-1 from five starts over the turf, including two stakes wins and a third behind More Than Real and Winter Memories in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (GII) at Churchill Downs last November.

Other horses under consideration to compete in the Regret (with trainers) include Bouquet Booth (Steve Margolis), Diva Ash (Dale Romans) and Excited (Todd Pletcher).

NEHRO WORKMATE PROBABLE FOR MATT WINN – George Bolton, Stonestreet Stables, LLC and Spendthrift Farm, LLC’s Dominus, who finished second behind Machen in The Cliff’s Edge Derby Trial (GIII) in his most recent start, is being pointed towards a start in the 14^th running of the $125,000-added Matt Winn on June 18 for trainer Steve Asmussen.

  Dominus, a 3-year-old ridgling by Smart Strike out of the Lord At War-ARG mare Cuando, worked in company with Belmont Stakes (GI) starter Nehro on May 30 at Churchill Downs. The stablemates completed the six furlong work together in 1:12.20, which was the fastest of four, six furlong workers that morning.

Other horses known to be under consideration for the Matt Winn and their trainers include Alstom (Wayne Lukas), Bind (Al Stall Jr.), Infrattini (Paul McGee), and Uncle Brent (Lynn Whiting).

RUNNER-UP IN AMERICAN TURF POSSIBLE FOR JEFFERSON CUP RUN - William S. Farish and Skara Glen Stables’ Close Ally, runner-up to Banned in the American Turf Presented by Ram (GII)  on Kentucky Oaks Day and the  Lone Star Derby (GIII) on Memorial Day, worked three furlongs in :37.60 on a fast main track at Churchill Downs on Friday morning for trainer Neil Howard.

The 3-year-old son of Giant’s Causeway is a possible starter for the 36^th running of the $100,000-added Jefferson Cup (GIII) at 1 1/16-miles on the Matt Winn Turf Course on June 18 Stephen Foster Day undercard.

Howard is also considering running Courtlandt Farms’ Perregaux in the Jefferson Cup. The 3-year-old son of Distorted Humor finished second beaten a half-length to Ronin Dax on May 27 in a one-mile allowance over the Matt Winn Turf Course in his most recent start, which served as his 2011 debut.

"I’m considering both of them (Close Ally and Perregaux) for the Jefferson Cup,” Howard said. “Only one is likely to start; however, I’m not sure which one that will be just yet. Robby Albarado will have the mount regardless of which one runs.”

Other horses known to be under consideration for the Jefferson Cup and their trainers include Banned (Tom Proctor), Derby Kitten (Mike Maker), Redboard (Garry Simms) and Swagger Jack (Darrin Miller).

BARN TALK – Stoneway Farm’s Exfactor gave trainer Bernie Flint his fourth 2-year-old win of the meet in the fifth race at Churchill Downs on Thursday. Cathy and Bob Zollars’ Daddy Nose Best was second and Donegal Racing’s Dullahan, a half-brother to 2009 Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (GI) winner Mine That Bird, finished third.

Right Time Racing LLC’s Street Storm, who finished eighth in the Kentucky Oaks (GI) in her most recent start, is being pointed to the Iowa Oaks (GIII) at Prairie Meadows on June 25, according to trainer Steve Margolis.

Nominations for the 111^th running of the $100,000-added Debutante (GIII) for 2-year-old fillies at six furlongs close Saturday. The Debutante, which is scheduled to be run on the main track at Churchill Downs on Saturday, June 25, was won last year by Eldon Farm Equine, LLC’s Just Louise under Robby Albarado for trainer Dale Romans. …

Churchill Downs will offer advance wagering all day Friday beginning at 11:20 a.m. for the 143^rd running of the $1 million Belmont Stakes to be run Saturday. A unique wager offered Friday by the New York Racing Association is the Brooklyn/Belmont double that links Belmont Park's two 1 1/2-mile marathon stakes events: Friday's Grade II, $150,000 Brooklyn Handicap for older horses and Saturday’s Belmont Stakes. …

Belmont Park's 13-race Belmont Stakes program will begin at 11:35 a.m. EDT, and will feature $1 million guaranteed pools for an all graded stakes Pick 6 (Races 6-11 starting at 2:34 p.m.) and Pick 4 (Races 8-11 starting at 3:59 p.m.). The 1 1/2-mile Belmont -- the third and final leg of the Triple Crown -- is scheduled as Belmont Park's Race 11 at approximately 6:36 p.m. The on-track simulcast of the Belmont will follow Race 11 and the racing will be prominently shown on television monitors throughout the facility, including the infield and paddock JumboTrons. ...

There will be a drawing ton win three Early Times prints by Marita Walizer on Saturday. Patrons may register for the drawing prior to 2 p.m. near Gate 17. Also, there will be an Early Times mascot race on the Matt Winn Turf Course following Saturday’s fourth race. …

The official drink of the Belmont Stakes, the Belmont Jewel (1.5 oz Woodford Reserve, 2 oz lemonade, 1 oz pomegranate juice), will be sold throughout the facility on Saturday.

Saturday’s Junior Jockey Club events for the kiddos include foam fun and a puppet show at 2:15 p.m.

WORKTAB – Courtlandt Farms’ Machen, winner of The Cliff’s Edge Derby Trial (GIII) at Churchill Downs in his most recent start, also worked for Howard beneath the Twin Spires on Friday morning. The 3-year-old son of Distorted Humor completed the four furlong breeze in :51.40. …

Briland Farm’s Absinthe Minded, who finished second by a head to Awesome Maria in the Shuvee Handicap (GII) at Belmont Park in her most recent start, worked four furlongs in :48.00 Friday morning for trainer Wayne Lukas.  …

WHO’S HOT – The hottest jockeys over the last five racing days (May 30- June 9) are Corey Lanerie (8-for-29), Julien Leparoux (7-for-26) and Calvin Borel (6-for-26). Bernie Flint (3-for-5), Ian Wilkes (3-for-10), Steve Asmussen (3-for-12) and Ken McPeek (3-for-13) are the hottest trainers over the same period. The hottest owners are Stoneway Farm (3-for-3), Lothenbach Stables, Inc. (2-for-2), and Charles E. Fipke (2-for-5).

WEATHER – Friday: mostly sunny with a 20% chance of isolated thunderstorms, 93. Saturday: partly sunny with a 50% chance of showers and thunderstorms, 90. Sunday: mostly sunny, 82. Monday: partly sunny, 83. Tuesday: mostly sunny with a 20% chance of showers and thunderstorms, 85. Wednesday: partly sunny with a 30% chance of showers and thunderstorms, 89. Thursday: partly sunny with a 30% chance of showers and thunderstorms, 88.

SANTIVA WORKS, BOUND FOR BELMONT STAKES ON TUESDAY – Tom Walters’ Santiva, sixth to Team Valor International’s Animal Kingdom in the $2 million Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (Grade I), tuned up for a run in next week’s $1 million Belmont Stakes (GI) with a strong five-furlong work on Saturday at Churchill Downs.

            The Eddie Kenneally-trained son of Giant’s Causeway worked five furlongs over a fast track in 1:01 with assistant trainer Brendan Walsh in the saddle.  Santiva worked in company with stablemate Manx Miss and the duo finished with identical clockings for five furlongs, a time that tied for sixth fastest of 27 works at the distance.

            Santiva breezed in fractional times of :13, :25.20 and :36.80 and galloped out six furlongs in 1:14.40.  His gallop out time was faster than either of the day’s two six-furlong works.

            “I’m very happy with him,” Kenneally said.  “He hasn’t missed a beat since the Derby.  He’s been on schedule and has had a good four weeks, and hopefully he’ll have another good week until we get to the Belmont.”

            The winner of Churchill Downs’ Kentucky Jockey Club (GII) is scheduled to ship on Tuesday to Belmont Park, where both Animal Kingdom and Preakness winner Shackleford will be awaiting in the 1 1/2 mile race that New Yorkers have dubbed the “Test of the Champion” through the years. 

            The Belmont Stakes will be the fourth start of the year for Santiva, who opened the season with a promising runner-up finish to likely Belmont rival Mucho Macho Man in the Risen Star (GII) at Fair Grounds.  But Kenneally’s colt then encountered major traffic woes in his final Kentucky Derby prep – a ninth-place finish behind Brilliant Speed in the Toyota Blue Grass Stakes (GI) over Keeneland’s synthetic Polytrack course.

             “He didn’t get everything out of the Blue Grass that we had wanted,” Kenneally said.  “He got a little bit tired, perhaps, in the Derby.  He’s a horse that’s done well since then and we’re happy enough with the way he ran on Derby Day.”

 

            Kenneally believes Santiva is ready for the challenge of the mile and a half in the Belmont Stakes, which will be uncharted territory the Kentucky Derby and Preakness winners and every other 3-year-old in the race.

            “The thing about it is you don’t know who is going to really be a mile-and-a-half horse until you try, so you don’t know about those horses either,” Kenneally said.  “Our horse is a horse that likes to run, he doesn’t quit and he keeps grinding it out.  He’s a tough little horse and he keeps fighting.  He’s tactical and he doesn’t have to be coming from way back. 

            “He likes to run in the middle of the pack, relatively close to the leader in the first tier of runners, so I think his running style would be effective in a race like the Belmont.  I don’t think the Belmont favors closers.  The Belmont traditionally, for the most part, favors horses that like to lay up close to the pace – not on the lead, necessarily, but close to the pace.”

            Santiva’s victory in the Kentucky Jockey Club in November remains his only triumph in his career record that stands at 1-3-1 in seven races.  His earnings total is $257,597.

            Shaun Bridgmohan, who was aboard Santiva in both the Kentucky Derby and Kentucky Jockey Club, is scheduled to ride the colt in the Belmont.

CLARK WINNER, STEPHEN FOSTER HOPE GIANT OAK WORKS SIZZLING FIVE FURLONGS – The Virginia H. Tarra Trust’s Giant Oak, winner of Churchill Downs’ $500,000 Clark Handicap (GI) and the $500,000 Donn Handicap (GI) at Gulfstream Park, worked a sparkling five furlongs at Churchill Downs on Saturday in preparation the 30^th running of the $500,000 Stephen Foster Handicap (GI) on June 18.

            The homebred 5-year-old son of Giants Causeway zipped over a fast track for trainer Chris Block to complete the five-furlong move in :59.60.  The work under jockey Shaun Bridgmohan was the “bullet” of 27 works at the distance and a full second faster than the morning’s second-best move.

            “He had a really good breeze this morning,” Block said.  “He’s on-target for the Stephen Foster.”

            Giant Oak will attempt to snap a two-race losing streak in the Foster after he started the year as a rising star in a division of American older horses thinned by the retirements of marquee stars that included Breeders’ Cup Classic (GI) winner Blame, multiple Grade I winner Quality Road, 3-year-old champion Lookin At Lucky and, more recently, the versatile Grade I winner Paddy O’Prado. 

            His emphatic two-length win over Grade I winner Morning Line in the Donn underscored Giant Oak’s potential to be one of the names at the top of the division.  But that victory was followed by a setback in the New Orleans Handicap (GII), where he finished third to Mission Impazible and Apart, and a fifth-place run behind First Dude in the Alysheba at Churchill Downs on Kentucky Oaks Day.  Giant Oak rallied from far back in the 1 1/16-mile Alysheba and was beaten by less than a length.

            Block, a three-time stakes winner during the 2010 Fall Meet, is looking forward to the Stephen Foster and sees the race as an opportunity to reclaim Giant’s Oaks early-season moment. He believes Giant Oak had excuses in each of those defeats.           

            “I haven’t lost any confidence in him at all,” Block said.  “I thought he had a real strong excuse in New Orleans.  He’s not real fond of that course.  As a 3-year-old I saw that, but I thought he was a little different horse now, so I thought we’d take another chance and another shot at it.  But he clearly does not like that track, so I’m kind of throwing that one out.  He had a legitimate excuse there.                                                                 

            “In the race here (the Alysheba) the last time, he kind of had a rough trip up the backside.  He and Demarcation were kind of hooked up together and there was a little bumping going on up the backside.  He never got on track where he got into a rhythm until he really got clear of that horse, and then he came with his big run.”

            Bridgmohan has ridden Giant Oak in his last four races and will be aboard for the Stephen Foster, a race in which Block’s Illinois-bred star finished fourth last year to Blame, the eventual Eclipse Award winner as America’s top older horse.

            Giant Oak’s career record stands at 5-5-4 in 26 races with earnings of $1,307,001.

YOUNG HORSES GIVE VETERAN TRAINER ‘EXTRA SHOT OF LIFE’ – Everyone has a first love, and for trainer Bernie Flint, that first love was training young horses.

            “I love training 2-year-olds,” Flint said. “Training young horses was my first love and they’ll always be my favorite horses to train.”

One might think that Flint, a 71-year-old with over 3,000 career victories and numerous training titles would be ready to retire, but he just keeps going and attributes his energy level to the young horses in his barn. “An untried 2-year-old gives you an extra shot of life,” Flint said. “There’s just something about the young horses that keeps me going.”

            Flint, who has won at an 18-percent clip in 2-year-old races throughout his career, has won with three of his first 11 2-year-old starters this year and he’s confident more wins are on the way.         “The owners - especially Jim Stone, Ed Wright, Miles Childers, and Dr. Naveed Chowhan - really stepped up and we were able to purchase some nice young horses,” Flint said. “I have the best group of 2-year-olds here (at Churchill Downs). Just watch how they run.”

            The New Orleans-native, who is known for having a high winning percentage with 2-year-olds, won with 15 of his 71 (21%) two-year-old starters in 2006; however, his winning percentage declined over the next few years and last year he trained just two juvenile winners from 22 starters (9%).

            “I got away from focusing on 2-year-olds and started trying to win claiming races with older horses,” Flint said. “This year we’ve gotten back to the 2-year-olds and I won’t be participating in the claiming game very much.”

            Flint, who began training full-time in 1976 after retiring from the New Orleans Police Department, still enjoys his job and hopes to be on the backstretch for a few more years.

            “I don’t know if I’ll still be around at (trainer D. Wayne) Lukas’ age (75),” Flint said. “But who knows, if a couple of these 2-year-olds develop into stakes winners then I could be around for a little while longer to see how they turn out.”

            Flint has 429 wins beneath the Twin Spires, which is fourth all-time behind Bill Mott (641), Dale Romans (525) and Lukas (482). L.T.B., Inc.’s One Sky will be Flint’s lone starter Saturday at Churchill Downs.      

BARN TALK – Jockey Julien Leparoux recorded his 466^th career Churchill Downs win and passed Patrick A. Johnson for 10^th all-time when he rode Legendary Heart to victory in the 11^th race Friday for trainer Steve Asmussen. Leparoux, who has 1,407 career victories overall, had his biggest day beneath the Twin Spires on May 2, 2009, when he rode Informed Decision to win the Humana Distaff (GI) and Einstein to win the Woodford Reserve Turf Classic (GI) on the Kentucky Derby Day undercard.  

Afleeting Lady, a 4-year-old half-sister to Preakness Stakes winner Shackleford, will attempt to break her maiden in Saturday’s eighth race at Churchill Downs for owners Michael Lauffer and Bill Cubbedge and trainer Dale Romans. Post time for the eighth race is 4:29 p.m. EST. …

Two apprentice riders – Constantino Roman and Marcelino Pedroza Jr. – are both ranked in the top 10 in wins in the jockey standings at Churchill Downs. Each rider has seven wins, which is good enough to be tied for ninth with Manny Cruz. …

The “Who’s the Champ?” Handicapping Contest returns Sunday. It continues each Sunday through June 12 in the Champions Club Lounge with $4,000 in prize money, including a $1,500 first prize and a coveted VIP trip to compete in the Horseplayer World Series at The Orleans Resort & Casino in Las Vegas. The entry fee is $25 (or 25,000 Twin Spires Club points). Also on Sunday, simulcast action is highlighted by Woodbine’s stakes tripleheader, including the $500,000 Woodbine Oaks Presented by Budweiser and the $150,000 Plate Trial. …

 WHO’S HOT – The hottest jockeys over the last five racing days (May 27- June 3) are Corey Lanerie (10-for-33) and Shaun Bridgmohan (8-for-32). Steve Asmussen (5-for-12), Bernie Flint (3-for-6) and Brad Cox (3-for-7) are the hottest trainers over the same period. The hottest owners are Midwest Thoroughbreds Inc. (3-for-7) Stoneway Farm (2-for-3) and Vinery Stables, LLC (2-for-2).

 

WEATHER – Saturday: mostly sunny, 93; Sunday: mostly sunny with a 40% chance of showers and thunderstorms, 90; Monday: mostly sunny with a 20% chance of showers and thunderstorms, 92; Tuesday: mostly sunny and hot, 95; Wednesday: mostly sunny and hot, 96; Thursday: mostly sunny and hot with a 20% chance of showers and thunderstorms, 95; Friday: partly sunny with a 20% chance of showers and thunderstorms, 95.

 

KENTUCKY JOCKEY CLUB WINNER SANTIVA FLORIDA-BOUND MONDAY – Things were quiet at the Eddie Kenneally barn on Sunday morning and assistant Brendan Walsh reported all was well with Kentucky Jockey Club (GII) winner Santiva.

“He is doing well this morning and he will leave for Florida tomorrow,” Walsh said of the son of Giant’s Causeway, who is owned by Tom Walters. “That was a nice way to end the meet.”

Santiva broke his maiden with Saturday’s victory and in his first start for Kenneally.

“We got him in about mid-October after he had run in the Breeders’ Futurity at Keeneland,” Walsh said. “He’s a nice colt.”

Also heading to Florida on Monday will be Linda Shanhan’s Missyoulikecrazy, who finished second for Kenneally in the Golden Rod (GII).

“She ran a nice race,” Walsh said of the Missyoulikecrazy, who had run third in the opening-day Pocahontas (GIII) and prior to the Breeders’ Cup had served as a workmate for Filly & Mare Sprint runner My Jen. “They are both nice fillies and we have a lot to look forward to next year.”

Also heading to South Florida this week will be third-place Kentucky Jockey Club finisher Major Gain, who came out of the race in good order according to Lisa Sloan, assistant to trainer Wayne Catalano. Gary and Mary West’s son of More Than Ready made his dirt track debut Saturday.

KATHMANBLU EXITS GOLDEN ROD ROMP IN GOOD ORDER – Apparently the 8 ½-length romp in Saturday’s Golden Rod Stakes (GII) did not take much out of the victorious Kathmanblu.

“She got back to the barn and dove right in to her feed tub,” said Philip Bauer, Churchill Downs assistant to trainer Ken McPeek. “She is doing great this morning and will head to Florida on Wednesday.

The margin of victory was the largest since Silverbulletday, winner of the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies (GI) and 2-year-old filly champion, won the 1998 Golden Rod by 10 lengths.

Owned by Five D Thoroughbreds and Wind River Stables, Kathmanblu was making her second start on dirt after compiling a record of 2-1-1 in four starts on the grass that included a victory in the Jessamine at Keeneland and a third-place finish in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (GII).

“The first time she ran, it was at 4 ½ furlongs and that was too short for her,” Bauer said. “The only reason Kenny put her on the grass was to get two turns for her.”

Bauer does not envision a return to the grass any time soon for Kathmanblu.

“It is nice to have the versatility,” Bauer said. “This way you can prep for bigger things on either surface."

Kathmanblu is one of three McPeek-trained 2-year-olds that competed in Breeders’ Cup races three weeks ago at Churchill Downs.  Rogue Romance ran third in the Juvenile (GI) and the Harlan’s Ruby finished eighth in the Juvenile Fillies (GI).

They are both turned out and getting some time off,” Bauer said. “They will probably rejoin the barn in Florida in mid-December.”

LOPRESTI LOOKS FORWARD WITH SUCCESSFUL DAN AFTER CLARK ‘CAP DISAPPOINTMENT – The hours following Friday’s $500,000 Clark Handicap Presented by Norton Healthcare (Grade I) were a swirl of emotions for trainer Charles Lopresti, who was overjoyed when it appeared that his Successful Dan had scored his first Grade I victory, but his happiness turned to dismay when the stewards demoted the 4-year-old colt to third for interference with a rival.

But Successful Dan was fine on the day after the rough and tumble 136th running of the Clark, a mile and an eighth race for older horses that – like the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (GI) and the Kentucky Oaks (GI), dates to Churchill Downs’ very first race meet in May of 1875.

“He came out good,” Lopresti said when he returned to Churchill Downs Saturday afternoon.  “He doesn’t know that he got beat.  He thinks he won – I mean, he did win.”

The stewards awarded the Virginia Tarra Trust’s Giant Oak the top spot in the Clark and dropped Morton Fink’s stable star to third for interfering with Redding Colliery, the original third-place finisher, for interference when the horses collided in upper stretch. Redding Colliery was elevated to the runner-up spot after Successful Dan and jockey Julien Leparoux veered to their right in traffic and slammed into that rival.  Just to their inside, Demarcation and Dubious Miss, both trained by Paul McGee, became entangled and Dubious Miss faded after that mishap to finish last in the field of 11.  But the stewards disqualified Demcarcation from his original fourth-place finish and dropped him all the way to last because of that incident.

Leparoux and fellow rider Kent Desormeaux, who was aboard Demarcation, received three-day suspensions from the stewards on Saturday for their roles in the Clark’s chaotic stretch run.

In the emotional moments after the race, Lopresti had branded the stewards’ decision to disqualify Successful Dan from what would have been the biggest victory of his budding star’s career as a “bad call.”  But after a few hours of consideration, a little sleep and several looks at video replays of the race, Lopresti confessed to a change of heart regarding the stewards’ Clark call.

“He (Successful Dan) did come out on that horse (Redding Colliery) – there’s no doubt that he bumped him,” Lopresti said.  “I don’t think that horse was going to win the race.  I don’t think it was going to change the outcome of the race.”

While he better understood the stewards’ decision, Lopresti was remained puzzled as to why the stewards did not take a closer look at some contact deeper in the stretch run between his horse and Giant Oak.

“The horse they put up for first was all over us down the lane, then they didn’t take him down,” he said.  “Why did we go to third?  That’s what I don’t understand.”

Most important to Lopresti was the performance of Successful Dan, who was coming off a win in the Fayette (GII) over the synthetic Polytrack surface at Keeneland and turned in a winning performance in the Clark, although the official results will show that he finished third.  Last year, a Clark victory by Adele Dilschneider and Claiborne Farm’s Blame stamped him as horse to watch and the colt followed that victory with stellar 2010 campaign that reached its climax in a narrow victory over previously unbeaten Zenyatta in the $5 million Breeders’ Cup Classic (GI) at Churchill Downs.

Lopresti believes the Clark run by the 4-year-old son of Successful Appeal has positioned his star for big things in 2011, a year in which the Breeders’ Cup will return to Churchill Downs.

“He was tons the best,” Lopresti said of the colt’s Clark performance.  “He could have been in one of the Breeders’ Cup races.  He really could, and he would have been competitive in one of those races.  I don’t know which one of ‘em, but he would have been competitive.

“I know we’ve got a really good horse.  I think we’ll just give him the winter off and be ready for the spring races.  We might go to Florida with him.  We’ll see how he comes out.”

Successful Dan is not the only reason for Lopresti’s optimism.  On Thanksgiving Day he watched Fink’s 3-year-old Wise Dan, winner of Keeneland’s Phoenix (GIII), rebound from a sixth-place finish behind Big Drama in the $2 million Sentient Jet Breeders’ Cup Sprint (GI) to win a one-mile allowance race over a sloppy Churchill Downs track.

“I think he’ll go further – that’s been my deal (with Wise Dan) all along,” Lopresti said.  “I put him in the Breeders’ Cup because he won the Phoenix. We took a shot at the Phoenix because he was training so good over that track and I knew he was going to be fresh, and he won that race.  But my ideal thinking was to run in that and then stretch him out.  But we got tossed into the Breeders’ Cup Sprint and he didn’t run that bad – he only got beat two lengths, a neck and a nose for all of it.”

And then there’s Brandon and Marianne Chase’s Here Comes Ben, who provided Lopresti with his first career Grade I win in Saratoga’s Forego.  He finished 11th in the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile (GI) after a rugged start that left the son of Street Cry with some cuts, but no significant injury.  Lopresti expects that Here Comes Ben will remain in his shedrow for a 2011 campaign as a 5-year-old.

In fact, all of Lopresti’s horses were doing considerably better on Saturday than their trainer.   Lopresti walked with a noticeable limp, the result of a injury suffered in the paddock as he wheeled to head to the track after watching Successful Dan’s Clark run on the large tote board video screen.

“I came out of there and something popped, I guess it was a ligament or something,” Lopresti said.  “But I’m OK.”

BARN TALK – Julien Leparoux increased his meet-leading victory total to 26 with a victory Saturday in the Golden Rod on Kathmanblu and will take a three-win advantage into today’s final day of the 21-day Fall Meet. Robby Albarado was blanked Saturday, but Shaun Bridgmohan had his second consecutive three-win day to move into a tie for second with 23 victories. Leparoux has nine mounts today, Albarado eight and Bridgmohan six. Leparoux has won or shared the leading rider title for the past three Fall Meets and also won three Spring Meet titles. Bridgmohan shared the 2006 Fall Meet title with Calvin Borel for his only riding crown here. Albarado, who won the 2008 Spring Meet title, never has won a Fall Meet title. …

The victory by Tapizar in Saturday’s final race gave trainer Steve Asmussen his 14th winner of the meet and secured leading trainer honors at the meet. The title is the ninth overall for Asmussen – five in the fall and four in the spring. …

WinStar Farm’s Brethren, the half-brother to 2010 Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (GI) winner Super Saver, ran his record to two-for-two on Saturday with a 1 ¾-length victory in the 10th race going a mile. Horacio De Paz, assistant to trainer Todd Pletcher, said the colt came out of the race fine and would head to South Florida on Tuesday with the rest of the Pletcher horses at Churchill Downs. Brethren had one work here prior to his Saturday’s win and his regular morning partner was exercise rider Kevin Willey, who served in the same capacity this spring with Super Saver.

CLARK WINNER GIANT OAK HEADING TO FLORIDA ON SUNDAY – Drew Coontz, assistant to trainer Chris Block, was all smiles Saturday morning a day after Giant Oak brought the month of November to a successful close for the barn.

“I’m on Cloud Nine,” Coontz said. “It’s like winning the (Kentucky) Oaks and (Kentucky) Derby.”

Giant Oak’s victory in the Clark Handicap Presented by Norton Healthcare (GI) via disqualification of Successful Dan came on the heels of a victory the day before in the Falls City Handicap (GII) by the Block-trained Dundalk Dust.

“He is doing great this morning and he will leave for Ocala tomorrow morning for some time off,” Coontz said of Giant Oak, who gave the Illinois-based Block stable its third stakes victory of the meet. Askbut I Won’ttell had won the Cardinal (GIII) on Nov. 7.

“When I came here with Giant Oak (in early November before the Breeders’ Cup), I had two horses waiting for me,” Coontz said. “One was Askbut I Won’ttell and the other horse (Wulfgar) ran on the Friday night (Nov. 19) program and got claimed.”

The only Block runner that shipped in for a stake and did not take home a major check was Mister Marti Gras, who finished fifth in the Commonwealth Turf (GIII) on Nov. 13.

The Block runners shared the west end of Barn 48 with trainer Tony Reinstedler’s stable.

This was the spot to be in,” Coontz said. “We did great and Tony had four winners and two seconds from six starters. This was the right barn.”

While Coontz and Company were floating on Cloud Nine, a few barns away trainer David Fawkes was getting ready to drive Duke of Mischief back to South Florida after the colt was elevated to fifth on the disqualification of Demarcation.

Duke of Mischief pressed the pressed from the outside No. 11 post position and was with the leaders until things got tight in the upper stretch.

“I thought he was maybe a little too close early, but then I saw :49 (:48.92) for the half-mile and I thought we might be all right,” Fawkes said. “But then he got in tight in the stretch and he just doesn’t like to be in a spot like that.”

Fawkes said Duke of Mischief came out of the race fine and would get some time off before possibly pointing to the Sunshine Millions at the end of January or possibly a return to the grass.

Finishing right behind Duke of Mischief was Brass Hat, who was trying to become the fifth 9-year-old to win a Grade I race.

“That was just a tough field yesterday,” trainer Buff Bradley said. “He had a safe trip and came back fine. He will take a couple of months off for a vacation and if he stays healthy we would look at the Elkhorn at Keeneland in late April to start him back.”

Meanwhile, trainer Paul McGee was wondering what might have after seeing both Demarcation and Dubious Miss with the leaders in upper stretch only to have the roof cave in when Demarcation caused the inference that led to his being placed last by the stewards.

“I really don’t know what they were doing playing bumper cars at the three-sixteenths pole,” McGee said.

Jockey) Robby (Albarado) said he felt Dubious Miss was getting ready to explode and he was getting ready to set him down and then he gets walloped … walloped by the home team.”

McGee said both horses came out of the race in good order.

“I might give Demarcation some time off in Ocala,” McGee said, “but he will eventually go to the Fair Grounds, where Dubious Miss will be.”

TODAY’S POTENTIAL STARS FOLLOWING IN SOME FANCY FOOTSTEPS -- Today’s sixth annual “Stars of Tomorrow II” program is entirely devoted to rising 2-year-old stars who have aspirations of trail-blazing their way to next year’s Kentucky Derby and Kentucky Oaks

In just five years of existence, Stars of Tomorrow has been the launching pad for 17 Grade I winners, including Super Saver ($1,899,766), who would use a win in last year’s Grade II Kentucky Jockey Club as a springboard to Kentucky Derby 136 glory, plus millionaires Rachel Alexandra ($3,506,730), Lawyer Ron ($2,790,008), Court Vision ($2,591,521), Pure Clan ($1,987,498), Macho Again ($1,825,767), Swift Temper ($1,296,688) and Any Given Saturday ($1,083,533).

In addition to Super Saver, last year’s “Stars of Tomorrow” program featured future stars Fly Down ($1,167,070) and First Dude ($860,160), who finished one-two in a 1 1/16-mile maiden race; Stately Victor ($613,612), who would go on to win the Grade I Toyota Blue Grass; Thiskyhasnolimit ($547,532), the runner-up in the Iowa (GIII) and Indiana (GII) Derbies; and No Such Word ($503,213), who has won five of her nine 2010 starts going into today’s Gazelle (GI at Aqueduct), including the Monmouth Oaks (GIII).

MINE THAT BIRD TO GET CHURCHILL DOWNS SENDOFF SUNDAY – Sunday will be a day of celebration as Churchill Downs will honor 2009 Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (GI) winner Mine That Bird, who will be leaving on Monday on a journey home to New Mexico.

Owned by the Double Eagle Ranch of Mark Allen and Dr. Leonard Blach’s Buena Suerte Equine, Mine That Bird will walk over with horses for Sunday’s seventh race (post time 3:41 p.m. ET). The 4-year-old gelding will remain in the paddock during the race and then walk to the winner’s circle for his farewell ceremony before returning to Barn 44.

Before Mine That Bird makes his walk to the paddock wearing a winner’s blanket with the Kentucky Derby 135 logo, there will be other festivities.

Following the second race (1:08 p.m. post time) in the winner’s circle, Allen and Dr. Blach will be interviewed in the winner’s circle by Churchill Downs Vice President of Communications John Asher. After the third race (1:38 p.m. post time) Asher will interview former trainer Chip Woolley.

There will be a table in the paddock with a farewell poster for guests to sign along with 1,000 Mine That Bird buttons that will be handed out.

Mine That Bird, who paid $103.20 for the second-highest Kentucky Derby payoff in the race’s 136 years, was retired from racing following a 10th-place finish in the $1 million Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile (GI) on Nov. 6 at Churchill Downs. He completed his racing career with a record of 5-2-2 in 18 races with earnings of $2,228,637.

BARN TALK – Not so fast on handing the Fall Meet’s leading rider title to Julien Leparoux. Robby Albarado rode three winners on Friday to move within two victories of Leparoux with two racing days left in the meet. Leparoux’s margin stands at 25-23 with Leparoux slated to ride 11 races and Albarado all 12. Both riders have 10 mounts Sunday. Also moving into contention with three wins Friday was Shaun Bridgmohan, who now has 20 victories. He has nine mounts today and seven on Sunday. …

Steve Asmussen maintains a comfortable five-victory lead in his bid for a fourth consecutive leading trainer title. This would be Asmussen’s fifth Fall Meet title and ninth overall. …

Ken and Sarah Ramsey also maintain a nice cushion as they pursue their fourth consecutive Fall Meet leading owner title. The Ramseys have sent out six winners, three more than closest pursuer Penny Lauer. The Ramseys have won 16 leading owner titles (eight fall, eight spring) with 15 of them being outright crowns.

WORK TAB – Due Date, sixth in the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint (GII), worked six furlongs in 1:16.20 for trainer Steve Margolis.