Wicked Style

McGEE DOUBLES UP ON CLARK HANDICAP CHANCES – Trainer Paul McGee was all set to send Dubious Miss on a solo mission for his barn in Friday’s 135th running of the $400,000-added Clark Handicap Presented by Norton Healthcare (Grade II).

But when entries were taken Tuesday, McGee had doubled up with the Amerman Racing Stables’ Demarcation, winner of the Ack Ack Handicap (GIII) here on Nov. 6.

It was a joint decision (with owner John Amerman),” McGee said. “There is nothing to lose and everything to gain. He ran so well in the Ack Ack it makes sense to give it a try. If you are going to try the big boys, it may as well be now.”

The Ack Ack victory was Demarcation’s first start on the dirt since Feb. 17, 2008, at the Fair Grounds. His previous victory prior to the Ack Ack had come in last fall’s River City Handicap, a race many observers thought Demarcation would run in Friday.

Jesus Castanon, who was aboard for the Ack Ack and River City victories, has the call Friday and will break from post position four.

    Dubious Miss, owned by David Holloway Racing, Inc., comes into the Clark off an easy allowance victory on Oct. 31 at Keeneland. Dubious Miss will break from post position 13 in the Clark under Calvin Borel.

“From the 13 hole, it is going to be all about the trip,” McGee said. “I feel like I have the right pilot to get us a good trip.”

Borel has ridden Dubious Miss seven times and won six of those starts. The lone loss was in the Kentucky Cup Classic (GII) at Turfway Park when Furthest Land prevailed by a neck. Furthest Land went on to win the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile (GI) in his next start.

“Calvin’s got a great record on him,” McGee said. “Why? It’s just one of those things that you can’t put your finger on.”

The Clark has long been a special race for McGee, a Louisville native who scored one of his first significant victories as a trainer in the 1988 renewal with James Shields’ Balthazar B.  He narrowly missed another Clark victory in 2005 when he saddled runner-up Suave, who lost by a head to Elisabeth Alexander’s Magna Graduate.

Demarcation would be just the second horse to sweep the Ack Ack (GIII) and the Clark, the track’s major Fall Meet races for older horses.  John Franks’ Littlebitlively won both races in 1999.

KARELIAN MAKES QUICK TURNAROUND INTO RIVER CITY – A week ago, Jack Bohannan discounted the chances of Karelian coming back to defend his title in the River City Handicap (GIII) on Friday.”

“He’s not going to run; we’ve already got Wicked Style in there,” said Bohannan, assistant to trainer Rusty Arnold.

Turns out, both Arnold runners will be in the River City.

“He came out of the Breeders’ Cup (Mile) well and he worked super on Saturday at Keeneland,” Bohannan said of Karelian, who worked a bullet five-eighths in 1:00 over the main track at the Lexington oval.

Karelian, owned by Green Lantern Stables, dead-heated with Demarcation in last year’s River City and then did not run again until the Shadwell Turf Mile (GI) at Keeneland on Oct. 10 in which he finished second, beaten a nose by Court Vision.

“He had a minor injury in behind after last year’s race,” Bohannan said of the 7-year-old gelding. “He has had a lot of problems; suspensory, sesamoids. It is amazing that Rusty has been able to hold him together. We get three or four races out of him and then something happens.”

Rajiv Maragh will ride Karelian in the River City and make up the bulk of the top weight of 122 pounds. Wicked Style, owned by Ashbrook Farm, will be ridden by Robby Albarado and carry 116 pounds.

Wicked Style returns to the turf after three races on Polytrack, the most recent a third-place finish behind Clark Handicap contender Blame in the Fayette (GII) on Oct. 31 at Keeneland.

RICH PEARL BRINGS TODD BACK TO THE DOWNS – Jerry Todd’s eyes gleam as he stands in the viewing stand on the backstretch gazing upon the Twin Spires of Churchill Downs,

"I was a groom with Gene Cleveland and we brought Ga Hai to the Kentucky Derby,” Todd said. “That was big … going to the Derby, to Churchill Downs, the Mecca.”

Ga Hai ran 14th in the 100th Derby in 1974 behind Cannonade. Now, more than 35 years later, Todd has returned to run a horse that he owns and trains, Rich Pearl, in Saturday’s Caressing overnight stakes for 2-year-old fillies going a mile on the grass.

Rich Pearl, winner of the Donnie Wilhite Memorial at a mile on the Louisiana Downs turf on Aug. 15, comes into the Caressing off a two-month layoff after being eased in the Sept. 19 Happy Ticket at Louisiana Downs.

“That race came off the grass and she was running second when the whole field came over on her,” the 65-year-old Todd said. “She got hit and quickly dropped 4-5 lengths back and the rider (Sidney LeJeune) just protected her when he saw he had no chance.”

Todd, who is based at Lone Star Park in suburban Dallas, said the filly was not injured in the race.
“There are just no races down there for her going long on the grass,” said Todd, whose filly turned in two bullet works at Lone Star before shipping here.

On Tuesday, Rich Pearl worked a half-mile in company around the “dogs” over the Matt Winn Turf Course in :49.80 with Francisco Torres up. Torres will have the riding assignment on Saturday.

BARN TALK – Clarence Scharbauer’s Indygo Mountain, who emerged from last fall’s meet as a prime candidate on many Kentucky Derby watch lists, returns to the races Friday for the first time since the Risen Star (GIII) on Feb. 7 at Fair Grounds. Trained by Bret Calhoun, Indygo Mountain came out of the Risen Star with a chipped knee and his return to the races was further delayed by a throat issue according to Calhoun assistant Dennis “Peaches” Geier. Indygo Mountain is entered in Friday’s 10th race, a seven-furlong main track allowance test with regular rider Jamie Theriot named to ride. …

Trainer Tom Bush was not here to see Get Stormy win the Commonwealth Turf (GIII)    on Nov. 15 and he won’t be here Friday to see Banrock run in the River City Handicap. “I came in with the horse on Monday and I am flying back to New York today,” Bush said Wednesday morning. “I have three horses entered Friday and the races were all extras and they all went.” Banrock has won three consecutive races at the River City distance of nine furlongs and in his career has won eight New York state-bred races. “He got beat a nose by Presious Passion at Monmouth in June and that’s pretty good form right there.” …

Julien Leparoux became the 15th rider in Churchill Downs history to reach 400 victories when he won Tuesday’s sixth race on Countus in Mon. The victory was one of four for Leparoux on the day and moved him ahead of Calvin Borel for leading rider at the meet 22-21. Leparoux is named on eight mounts and Borel five on Wednesday’s card. … Steve Asmussen maintains a three-win edge (14-11) on Dale Romans in the race for leading trainer. Both trainers have three horses entered on the Wednesday card. The 21-day meet ends Saturday.

WORK TAB – A.C. and Clare Asbury’s Gleam of Hope, fourth in the Iroquois (GIII) on Nov. 1, worked a half-mile in :48.80 over a fast track in preparation for an expected run in Saturday’s Kentucky Jockey Club (GII) for trainer Tony Reinstedler.

Ashbrook Farm’s Wicked Style, winner of the Lane’s End Breeders’ Futurity (Grade I) at Keeneland and one of the top 2-year-olds of 2007, is set to make his anticipated debut at three in a one-mile allowance race on turf on Wednesday at Churchill Downs.

The chestnut son of Macho Uno ran off a three-race winning streak to start his career that included his Breeders’ Futurity victory and a win in the $200,000-added Arlington-Washington Futurity (GIII) at Arlington Park, before he suffered his only career loss over a sloppy track in the $2 million Bessemer Trust Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (GI) at Monmouth Park on Oct. 27. He broke from an outside post that day and faded to finish 10th in the field of 11, beaten 41 lengths by champion War Pass.

Arnold had pointed Wicked Style toward a run in the $250,000-added Kentucky Jockey Club (GII) at Churchill Downs in late November, but was forced to the sidelines by an injury. Wicked Style has been training steadily for Arnold over the Polytrack surface at Keeneland in preparation for his debut on the grass.

Wicked Style has drawn the rail post in a field of 10 horses entered for Wednesday’s eighth race. He will be ridden by Robby Albarado, who has been aboard for all of the colt’s races. The field for Wednesday’s race includes a pair of horses entered for the main track only.

Arnold’s colt will be joined in the starting gate by another Grade I winner that is making his debut on turf.

Silverton Hill LLC’s Dominican, winner of the 2007 renewal of the $750,000-added Toyota Blue Grass Stakes (GI), will break alongside Wicked Style from post two. The 4-year-old son of El Corredor will try to snap a four-race losing streak that started with an 11th-place finish behind Street Sense in the 2007 Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (GI).

The Darrin Miller-trained Dominican has raced only once this year. He finished second to Self Made Man in a 1 1/16-mile allowance race over Polytrack at Keeneland on April 18. It was the first race for the chestnut gelding since his sixth-place run behind Zanjero in the $750,000 West Virginia Derby (GII) at Mountaineer Park on Aug. 4.

KENTUCKY OAKS FILLIES ENTERED IN WEDNESDAY ALLOWANCE RACES – Two 3-year-old fillies that competed in the $500,000-added Kentucky Oaks (GI) won by Brereton C. Jones’ homebred Proud Spell are set to make their first post-Oaks starts in Wednesday allowance races at Churchill Downs.

Koolmen Racing Stable’s A to the Croft, seventh in the Kentucky Oaks, is set to make her debut on turf in a 1 1/16-mile allowance race that will be run as the day’s fourth race. The seventh race on Wednesday is a 1 1/8-mile allowance race that will mark the return of Lloyd DeBruycker’s Rasierra, who finished eighth in the Kentucky Oaks.

Both Kentucky Oaks fillies will face older rivals for the first time in their careers in Wednesday’s races.

Robby Albarado will ride the Ken McPeek-trained A to the Croft, who is winless in three races in 2008 after a juvenile campaign that saw her finish second to Irish Smoke in the Spinaway (GI) at Saratoga and Country Star in the Darley Alcibiades (GI) at Keeneland. She has a career record of 1-3-2 in eight races and has earned $236,158.

Rasierra, who is now trained by Cody Autrey after being saddled by Ray Tracy Jr. in the Kentucky Oaks, has a record of 1-4-1 in eight races and has earned $86,149. The daughter of Kafwain was second in last year’s Arlington-Washington Lassie (GIII) at Arlington Park and was the runner-up to Euphony last month in the $75,000 Instant Racing Stakes at Oaklawn Park. She was a supplemental entry to the Kentucky Oaks at a cost of $25,000.

VETERAN BRASS HAT TOPS WEIGHT ASSIGNMENTS FOR 71ST RUNNING OF THE LOUISVILLE HANDICAP – Veteran star Brass Hat has never won in four races on the turf, but his overall accomplishments are so significant that he looms as the starting high weight in Saturday’s 71st running of the $150,000-added Louisville Handicap (GIII) on the Matt Winn Turf Course at Churchill Downs.

Churchill Downs Racing Secretary Ben Huffman has assigned Brass Hat 117 pounds for the 1 ½-mile turf race. The 7-year-old gelding finished third to Dancing Forever in the $200,000 Elkhorn (GII) at Keeneland in his most recent start. Trainer William “Buff” Bradley’s veteran star has won eight of 24 races and earned $1,753,819.

Reigning “Horse of the Year” Curlin was among the 24 older turf stars nominated to the Louisville and was assigned high weight of 126 pounds, but he will not compete in the race. Trainer Steve Asmussen is pointing the 4-year-old son of Smart Strike toward a possible run in the $750,000-added Stephen Foster Handicap (GI) at Churchill Downs on June 14.

Bushwood Stable’s Better Talk Now, winner of the John Deere Breeders’ Cup Turf (GI) in 2004, was also nominated and was assigned 121 pounds, but trainer Graham Motion does not plan to send his veteran star to Churchill Downs for the Louisville.

Other horses considered likely for the Louisville Handicap (with assigned weights) include Yate’s Black Cat (116), three-time Louisville Handicap winner Silverfoot (115), Lattice (114), Lord Carmen (114), Transduction Gold (114) and Save Big Money (113).

Chrysalis Stables LLC’s Silverfoot won three consecutive runnings of the Louisville Handicap from 2004-06, but did not race in 2007. He is winless for trainer Dallas Stewart in three starts this year, including a fifth-place finish in the Elkhorn.

BARN TALK – Trainer Steve Asmussen said “Horse of the Year” Curlin was scheduled to work at Churchill Downs on Monday in preparation for a possible start in the Stephen Foster Handicap (GI) on June 14. Curlin, who won the $6 million Dubai World Cup (GI) at Nad Al Sheba in his most recent start on March 29, has worked twice at Churchill Downs since that race. He breezed a half-mile in :52.20 over a “fast” track on May 5 and followed that with a slow five furlongs over a “muddy” surface in 1:06 on May 12. … New Orleans Handicap (GII) winner Circular Quay breezed a half-mile at Churchill Downs on Sunday for trainer Todd Pletcher. The 4-year-old son of Thunder Gulch covered the distance in :49.20 over a “good” surface. … Midnight Cry Stable’s Einstein, winner of the Woodford Reserve Turf Classic (GI) on Kentucky Derby Day, breezed four furlongs over a “muddy” track in :51.60 on Sunday for trainer Helen Pitts.

WORK TAB (Track: MUDDY, improved to GOOD) – La Troienne (GIII) winner Game Face breezed four furlongs in :49 over a “good” track…Fairbanks breezed four furlongs in :48.80 over a “muddy” track. … Sam P., ninth in last year’s Kentucky Derby, breezed a sharp five furlongs over a “muddy” track in :59.80 for trainer Todd Pletcher. The move was the fastest of 29 at the distance. … Change Up, a candidate for the $100,000 Winning Colors (GIII) on May 26, breezed five furlongs on a “good” surface in 1:01.40. … Jonesboro breezed four furlongs over a “muddy” surface for trainer Randy Morse in :48. … Louisville Handicap candidate Save Big Money breezed a “muddy” five furlongs 1:02.60.