Jeff Talley

Texas Toyco, LLC’s Victory Notion collared Holy Anthem in deep stretch to win Saturday’s featured $49,995 Le Cou Cou Purse for 3-year-olds and up by a head at Churchill Downs.

            Trained by Jeff Talley and ridden by Jon Court, Victory Notion trailed the field of eight through much of the 1 1/16-mile allowance test. Court began to pick off horses approaching the far turn with a five-wide move and had clear sailing in the stretch to eventually wear down Holy Anthem.

            A 4-year-old Kentucky-bred son of Victory Gallop, Victory Notion covered the distance on a Matt Winn Turf Course rated as “good” in 1:43.62 in winning for the second time in nine starts. The victory was worth $30,580 and increased Victory Notion’s career earnings to $80,777.

            Victory Notion returned mutuels of $17.80, $6.60 and $4.80. Holy Anthem, with Robby Albarado up, paid his backers $4.60 and $3.80 in finishing two lengths ahead of Torini, who paid $10.60 to show with Joe Johnson up.

Racing resumes Sunday with a 10-race Father’s Day program beginning with a 12:45 p.m. EDT post time.

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(May 21, 2008) – Faith’s Magic, a 15-1 longshot trained by Jeff Talley and ridden by Shaun Bridgmohan, collected his third win in his last four starts with a neck victory over A.P. Xcellent in Wednesday’s $44,575 allowance feature at Churchill Downs.

Faith’s Magic ran one mile over a “firm” turf course in 1:36.25 and earned the $29,727 first prize for owners Terry Raymond, Jana Wagner and Gus Goldsmith. Overall, the 4-year-old gelding has won four races and $139,048 in a dozen starts.

The Kentucky-bred son of Langfuhr was rated behind the leaders in the early stages of the race before making his winning move on the turf for home. Faith’s Magic collared A.P. Xcellent, the 7-2 third betting choice, with a furlong to run and proved best under Bridgmohan’s urging.

Faith’s Magic returned $32, $11.40 and $5.40. A.P. Xcellent, ridden by Larry Melancon, paid $5.80 and $4. Dominican finished another 1 ¼ lengths back in third under Miguel Mena and returned $4.40.

Wicked Style, the 2-1 favorite in the field of eight 3-year-olds and up, finished fifth. It was the Grade I Breeders’ Futurity winner’s first start since a 10th place finish in last year’s Bessemer Trust Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (GI) on Oct. 27 at Monmouth Park.

Also on Wednesday’s program at Churchill Downs, Koolmen Racing Stable’s A to the Croft returned to the winner’s circle in her first start for trainer Ken McPeek since a seventh-place finish in the Grade I Kentucky Oaks on May 2. The runner-up in the Grade I Spinaway and Grade I Alcibiades rolled to a 1 ¾-length score in 1:43.84 for 1 1/16 miles on turf under Robby Albarado, who notched his 698th career victory under the Twin Spires. A to the Croft paid $3.20 to win.

Live racing resumes Thursday at Churchill Downs with a nine-race program that commences at 1:15 p.m. ET.

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LOUISVILLE, Ky. (May 16, 2008) – Talley Racing’s 11-1 longshot Initforthekandy led every step of the way under jockey John McKee and held off a late charge by 8-5 favorite Aspiring and 5-2 second choice Day of Victory to win Friday’s $45,200 allowance feature at Churchill Downs by a half-length.

The 6-year-old mare, conditioned by Jeff Talley, ran seven furlongs over a surface rated “fast” in 1:23.49 for her first victory in more than two years. It was her second triumph in three starts at seven-eighths of a mile on the main track.

Initforthekandy, a Kentucky-bred daughter of Kandaly, broke alertly and clicked off fractions of :22.96 for the first quarter mile and :46.01 for the half. At the head of the stretch, she was challenged by three rivals but kicked on gamely for her third victory in 26 lifetime starts. The victory was worth $28,348 and jumped her career earnings to $162,952.

Initforthekandy returned $25.20, $8.20 and $3.60. Aspiring paid $3.80 and $2.40. Undercover Angel was another neck back in third and paid $2.80.

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