Mine that Bird

The curtain dropped on the Churchill Downs Fall Meet on Sunday, Nov. 28 with a farewell salute to 2009 Kentucky Derby winner Mine That Bird, who is heading home to New Mexico after retiring from his career on the track.  Fittingly, the meet’s last race was run in the glow of the historic track’s new permanent lights after a 21-day meet highlighted by the return of the Breeders’ Cup and its unforgettable under-the-lights Classic showdown between Blame and Zenyatta, a host of spectacular performances by equine and human athletes and the introduction of “Downs After Dark” night racing for the first time during a Fall Meet at the legendary home of the Kentucky Derby.

Co-owners Dr. Leonard Blach and Mark Allen were joined by trainer Chip Woolley and exercise rider Charlie Figueroa, who traveled from New Mexico for a ceremony in the regular winner’s circle following Sunday’s seventh race in which fans provided warm applause and affection for Mine That Bird, the tiny gelding who shocked the sports world when he won Derby 135 under jockey Calvin Borel at odds of 50-1 – the second-biggest upset in the history of America’s greatest race.  Churchill Downs presented Mine That Bird with a special blanket bearing the official event logo of his Kentucky Derby, and track President Kevin Flanery presented the Derby winner a basket filled with apples, peppermints and equine treats and toys for his van ride back to New Mexico and a post-racetrack life in retirement at Allen’s Double Eagle Ranch.

The visit by the Breeders’ Cup World Championships was the record seventh to Churchill Downs, but its first as a two-day affair on Nov. 5 and 6.  The result, in keeping with Breeders’ Cup tradition at Churchill Downs, resulted in record figures for both attendance and wagering for the Championships.  The attendance over the two days was 114,353 – an increase of 18.5% over the previous year’s attendance at Santa Anita.  The Championship Friday program, which included the first Breeders’ Cup races run under lights, attracted a crowd of 41,614 – an increase of nearly 11 percent over 2009.  Saturday’s 11-race card attracted 72,739 fans.  Two-day common-pool wagering on the Breeders’ Cup at Churchill Downs totaled $163,619,784, an increase of 13% over the $144,599,205 wagered in 2009.

Along with the race for the ages in the Classic in which Blame edged  previously unbeaten Zenyatta, the Breeders’ Cup also featured brilliant performance by French superstar Goldikova (IRE), who won her third consecutive running of the Breeders’ Cup Mile (GI), and a dominant victory in the Juvenile (GI) by Uncle Mo, who became the likely favorite for Kentucky Derby 137 with that win, and unbeaten Awesome Feather, who became an early contender for the 2011 Kentucky Oaks (GI) with her emphatic victory in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies (GI).

But the heroics in the Breeders’ Cup had to share the Fall Meet spotlight with a memorable running of the $500,000-added Clark Handicap Presented by Norton Healthcare (GI) on Friday, Nov. 26 in which Morton Fink’s favored Successful Dan finished first by a head, but was disqualified to third as stewards awarded the win to the Virginia Tarra Trust’s Giant Oak.  The roughly run 136th renewal of the Clark, a race that is as old as the Kentucky Derby and Kentucky Oaks, resulted in three-day suspensions for jockeys Julien Leparoux, who rode Successful Dan, and Kent Desormeaux, who was aboard Demarcation, who was disqualified from fourth to 11th because of another incident in the race.  Third-place finisher Redding Colliery was elevated to the runner-up spot.

Other dazzling equine performances included dominant performances by 2-year-old fillies. John C. Oxley’s unbeaten Dancinginherdreams, trained by Kentucky Derby and Oaks winner John Ward Jr., overcame traffic problems to win the $150,000-added Pocahontas (GII) by 5 ¼ lengths on the meet’s opening day on Oct. 31, and the Ken McPeek-trained Kathmanblu, a troubled third in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (GII), won the $150,000-added Golden Rod (GII) by a resounding 8 ½ lengths.  Her margin of victory was the largest since Silverbulletday capped a season that earned her an Eclipse Award as 2-year-old filly champion with a 10-length Golden Rod romp in 1998.

Tom Walters’ Santiva emerged as an early contender for the 2011 Kentucky Derby with a gritty victory in the $150,000-added Kentucky Jockey Club as the Eddie Kenneally trainee turned back challenges from Iroquois (GIII) winner Astrology and Major Gain.  The Kentucky Jockey Club was co-featured with the Golden Rod on the “Stars of Tomorrow II” racing program on Saturday, Nov. 27. That day also featured an impressive victory by WinStar Farm’s Brethren, a half-brother WinStar’s 2010 Kentucky Derby winner Super Saver, in a one-mile allowance race.  Super Saver used a victory in the Kentucky Jockey Club on the “Stars of Tomorrow II” session a year earlier as a springboard to his success at Churchill Downs in this spring’s “Run for the Roses.”

The Fall Meet’s human races saw familiar faces atop the standings as the meet wound to a close on Sunday.

Julien Leparoux won his fourth consecutive Fall Meet riding title, completing the 21-day season with 28 victories. It marked the seventh leading rider title for Leparoux, who now has 450 victories at Churchill Downs, 12th best all time.

Marcelino Pedroza Jr., a 17-year-old native of Panama City, Panama, was the meet’s leading apprentice with nine victories.

Steve Asmussen won his fourth consecutive leading trainer title. Asmussen, fifth all time in victories at Churchill Downs with 394, saddled 16 winners during the meet. It was Asmussen’s fifth Fall Meet title and ninth overall.

Ken and Sarah Ramsey notched their fourth consecutive Fall Meet leading owner title by sending out six winners. The Ramseys, who topped the 300-victory mark all time during the meet, have won 17 leading owner titles (nine Fall, eight Spring) with 16 of them being outright crowns.

Chicago-based trainer Chris Block enjoyed a notable achievement during the meet as he won three stakes races – including a sweep of the Thanksgiving Weekend Clark Handicap with Giant Oak and Falls City Handicap with the 3-year-old filly Dundalk Dust – and each winner was bred in Illinois.  Block also saddled Askbut I Won’ttell to win the Cardinal Handicap (GIII).

Racing throughout the 21-day session was marked by strong competitive fields, with overflow entries for many of the always popular Fall Meet races for 2-year-olds.  Average field size for the meet’s races stood at 9.91 horses-per-race, which was flat when compared with the average from the 2009 Fall Meet.

Night racing at Churchill Downs, a resounding success during the Spring Meet in each of the past two years, made its debut on a chilly Friday evening on Nov. 19 before 15,583 fans – many of whom were clad in outfits in keeping with the evening’s “Mad About Plaid” theme.  Continuing the pattern displayed by sessions of racing under the lights in the spring, attendance at the first Fall Meet “Downs After Dark” racing session reflected a 191 percent increase compared to the 5,363 fans who had been on hand for an afternoon program on the same day a year earlier.

"Our fans had many reasons to smile during our brief 21-day Fall Meet, thanks to memorable performances on the track and memorable moments during the return of Breeders’ Cup, our first look at ‘Downs After Dark’ night racing in the fall and longstanding traditions like our Thanksgiving Day celebration,” said Flanery.  “We were generally pleased with our racing product and solid field sizes during this compact 21-day meet, but we remain very concerned about the prospects for Churchill Downs and Kentucky racing in 2011 and beyond.  We’re facing growing pressure from race purses fed by slot machine revenues at tracks in neighboring states, especially Indiana.  Pennsylvania’s success with slots-fed purses continues to lure Kentucky horses and horsemen, and the anticipated introduction of slot revenues to purses at New York tracks sometime in 2011 looms as a major competitive threat.  So, while we’re pleased that horsemen found attractive races at Churchill Downs during this Fall Meet and that our purses could be increased briefly because of solid business levels, our concerns for the future of our track and Kentucky racing are in no way diminished because of those successes.  The coming year could be one of the most challenging ever for Churchill Downs and Kentucky racing.”

Racing returns to Churchill Downs on Saturday, April 30, 2011, the opening day of the Spring Meet and the week leading up to the 137th of the Kentucky Derby and Kentucky Oaks.  The April 30 session, highlighted by the $200,000-added The Cliff’s Edge Derby Trial (GIII) – the final prep race for the Kentucky Derby – will be the first conducted under the lights as a “Downs After Dark” event.

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.

FAREWELL CELEBRATION FOR MINE THAT BIRD SET FOR SUNDAY, NOV. 28 – Churchill Downs fans will have an opportunity to bid farewell for the longshot winner of the 2009 Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (Grade I) on Sunday, Nov. 28, when Mine That Bird makes a final appearance on the site of one of the biggest upsets in American racing history.

Owned by Double Eagle Ranch and Buena Suerte Equine, Mine That Bird will make a paddock appearance and parade before the fans on the closing day of the 21-day Fall Meet.  The schedule for salute has yet to be finalized, but the event will highlight the unusual Sunday finale for the fall racing session at Churchill Downs, which has concluded on the Saturday after Thanksgiving in recent years.

The team that sent Mine That Bird, to victory at odds of 50-1 Kentucky Derby 135 – the second-biggest upset in the history of America’s greatest race – is scheduled to be on hand to honor their Derby winner.  Double Eagle’s Mark Allen, Buena Suerte Equine’s Dr. Leonard Blach and trainer Chip Woolley will travel from New Mexico to take part in the festivities.  Also expected to participate is jockey Calvin Borel, who scored the second of his three Kentucky Derby victories aboard the gelded son of Birdstone.

Mine That Bird was retired from racing following a 10th-place finish in the $1 million Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile (GI) on Nov. 6 at Churchill Downs.  It was the ninth consecutive loss for Mine That Bird, a string that included a runner-up finish to eventual Horse of the Year Rachel Alexandra in the Preakness (GI) and a third-place run behind eventual 3-year-old champion Summer Bird in the Belmont Stakes (GI).

The 2009 Kentucky Derby winner is scheduled to return to New Mexico following the closing day-farewell at Churchill Downs.

Mine That Bird remains at Churchill Downs in the care of D. Wayne Lukas, the Hall of Fame trainer who conditioned him during a disappointing 4-year-old season in which he failed to finish better than fifth in four races.

He completed his racing career with a record of 5-2-2 in 18 races with earnings of $2,228,637.

BREEDERS’ CUP DIRT MILE WINNER DAKOTA PHONE DRAWS TOP WEIGHT FOR CLARK HANDICAP – John Carver, Halo Farms, George Todaro and Jerry Hollendorfer’s Dakota Phone, winner of the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile (GI) here on Nov. 6, has been assigned the high weight of 124 pounds by racing secretary Ben Huffman for the 136th running of the $500,000-added Clark Handicap Presented by Norton Healthcare (GI) on Friday, Nov. 26.

Dakota Phone is not expected to make the trip back to Kentucky from California for the Clark, a 1 1/8th-mile race for 3-year-olds and up on the main track. The 2009 Clark was won by Blame, who returned this year to win the Stephen Foster Handicap (GI) and $5 million Breeders’ Cup Classic (GI).

Sharing the next high weight of 121 pounds is Godolphin Racing’s Etched and Morton Fink’s Successful Dan, the latter of which is expected to be among the horses entered Tuesday for the Clark.

Trained by Charles Lopresti, Successful Dan is two-for-two at Churchill Downs and has won five of seven career starts. In his most recent outing, Successful Dan was a three-length winner of the Fayette (GII) at Keeneland on Oct. 30.

Weight assignments for other horses considered as possible Clark starters include Apart (118), Redding Colliery (117), Brass Hat (116), Demarcation (116), Duke of Mischief (116), Stately Victor (116), Win Willy (116) and Giant Oak (115).

SUNNY MOON ASSIGNED HIGH WEIGHT FOR FALLS CITY – Mrs. C. Wilson McNeely III’s Funny Moon, winner of the Shuvee (GII) this spring and the 2009 Coaching Club of America Oaks (GI), has been assigned the top weight of 121 pounds by racing secretary Ben Huffman for the 95th running of the $150,000-added Falls City Handicap (GII) for fillies and mares.

The Falls City, won last year by Serenading, is scheduled for Thanksgiving Day and is run at 1 1/8 miles on the main track.

Trained by Christophe Clement, Funny Moon ran second in her most recent start, the Turnback The Alarm Handicap (GIII) at Belmont Park. In her lone trip to Kentucky in her 13-race career, Funny oon ran fifth in last month’s Spinster (GI) at Keeneland.

Distinctive Dixie, winner of the Nov. 6 Chilukki (GII) here, is the next high weight at 120 pounds. Trained by Wally Dollase, Distinctive Dixie ran second to 2009 Horse of the Year Rachel Alexandra in this June’s Fleur De Lis (GII) and has a 6-3-1-0 record at Churchill Downs.

Other horses considered as possible to run in the Falls City and their weight assignments are Third Dawn (118), Striking Dancer (117), Acronym (116) and Ravi’s Song (114). Entries for the Falls City will be taken Sunday.

SNOW TOP MOUNTAIN FOLLOWS WELL IN KEERTANA’S FOOTSTEPS – The past two years, the Barbara Hunter owned and bred fillies Keertana and Snow Top Mountain have done their mother, Motokiks, proud.

On Saturday, Snow Top Mountain will try to bring more glory to the family when she runs in the 20th edition of the $175,000-added Mrs. Revere (GII) for 3-year-olds going 1 1/16 miles on the Matt Winn Turf Course.

The fillies are the sixth and seventh foals of the 15-year-old Motokiks and the first stakes winners the mare has produced.

Keertana, a 4-year-old daughter of Johar, raised the local bar high here two weeks ago when she finished third, beaten two necks, in the $2 million Emirates Airline Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf (GI). Keertana’s Churchill Downs record is 3-2-2 in eight races, including a victory in the 2009 Regret (GIII) and a runner-up finish in last year’s Mrs. Revere.

Snow Top Mountain, a daughter of Najran who is 1-1-0 in two outings over the Matt Winn Turf Course, ran second in this year’s Regret. Snow Top Mountain also finished second in the Grade I Garden City at Belmont Park, a race Keertana ran third in last year.

“She is just a little thing and is really an overachiever,” trainer Tom Proctor said of Snow Top Mountain. “She probably should have won a stakes by now.”

Snow Top Mountain was awarded the victory via disqualification in the Arlington Park Oaks (GIII) and also had runner-up finishes in two ungraded stakes at Saratoga. In her most recent start, she ran fifth in the Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup (GI) at Keeneland.

“She is looking for more ground,” Proctor said. “I wish this race was a mile and an eighth or a mile and three-eighths. Her sister loves that.”

Garrett Gomez has been named to ride on Saturday, but the jockey may not be able to ride after suffering a bruised right shoulder in a spill during the first week of the meet. If Gomez cannot ride, Proctor said Rosemary Homeister Jr. will get the mount on Snow Top Mountain, who will break from post position seven.

“She’s ridden for me before and won a $100,000 and a $250 (thousand) for me,” Proctor said.

Proctor, who has won seven stakes at Churchill Downs, will have a second runner in the Mrs. Revere in the Rosemont Stud Syndicate’s Wild Mia. A winner of her past two starts by a combined nine lengths, Wild Mia will break from post position two under Freddie Lenclud.

BARN TALK – It has been two weeks since trainer Michelle Nihei saw $90,000 slip away from Prince Will I Am’s bank account following a disqualification for interference from second to 10th place in the Breeders’ Cup Marathon (GIII). “I feel a little bit like the straight A student that gets an F on their transcript for taking the wrong test,” Nihei said. “He is doing great. He came out of the race well and the most logical spot for him next is the McKnight.” That would be the W.L. McKnight Handicap (GII) at Calder on Dec. 18 at 1 ½ miles on the turf. …

Apprentice Amanda Tamburello’s first victory of the meet lit up the tote board with the largest win payoff of the meet. Tamburello rode 57-1 shot G Areyoukidding to victory in the seventh race for a $117.40 payoff for $2, surpassing the $94.00 that Shared Account returned to her backers in winning the Emirates Airline Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf on Nov. 5. The $40.40 payoff to place also was the highest of the meet, topping the $39.40 mutuel by Mis Pardner Rules in the first race on Nov. 4. …

Tommy Turner’s victory in Thursday’s third race on Bell Got Even, was his second all time at Churchill Downs. The initial score came in 1993 in the Stephen Foster Handicap aboard Root Boy. Turner is a 44-year-old native of Indiana.

WORK TAB – Two Clark Handicap hopefuls and five nominees to next Thursday’s Falls City Handicap topped a busy work tab Friday morning at Churchill Downs. Fred Bradley’s Brass Hat, who ran second in the 2007 Clark, worked five furlongs under Calvin Borel in 1:02 over a track labeled as fast after the renovation break for the 11th fastest of 37 at the distance. Moments later, the Amerman Racing Stables’ Demarcation, who finished eighth behind Blame in last year’s Clark, covered the same distance in 1:03.40. …

Juddmonte Farms’ Acronym was the only Falls City nominee to work before the break when the track was labeled as good. Acronym worked five furlongs in 1:02, 11th best of 37. The bullet for the distance was provided by Dundalk 5, LLC’s Dundalk Dust, who covered the distance in 1:00.

Other Falls City workers were Stevestan Stables’ Striking Dancer (1:00.80 for five furlongs, third fastest), the Bob and Beverly Lewis Trust’s Distinctive Dixie (1:02.40 for five furlongs, 14th fastest) and Mrs. Yoshio Fujita’s Ravi’s Song (:49.60 for four furlongs, 17th fastest of 33 at the distance).

Returning to the work tab for the first time since running in the Breeders’ Cup were two Steve Margolis trainees who breezed after the break. Due Date, who finished sixth in the Turf Sprint (GII), worked a half-mile in :48.60 (sixth best of 33) and Cash Refund, who finished eighth in the Sentient Jet Sprint (GI), covered the same distance in :49.40 (14th best of 33).   

QUALITY ROAD, UNCLE MO HEAD SUNDAY WORKERS FROM PLETCHER CAMP – Edward P. Evans’ Quality Road, winner of the Woodward (Grade I) in his most recent outing and a major contender for Saturday’s $5 million Breeders’ Cup Classic (GI), and Repole Stable’s Uncle Mo, the likely favorite for the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (GI), headed a group of five horses from the powerful stable of trainer Todd Pletcher that turned in their final works for the two-day Championships on Sunday.

The versatile Quality Road, who also earned Grade I wins this year in the Donn Handicap at Gulfstream Park and Belmont’s Metropolitan Handicap, worked four furlongs in :48.60 in company with Dogwood Stable’s Aikenite, who will run in the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile.  Exercise rider Patty Krotenko was in the saddle as Quality Road covered the distance over a fast track in fractional splits of :12, :24.20 and :36 and galloped out five furlongs in 1:02

Quality Road, running on the outside, finished about length in front of Aikenite, who was timed in :48.40 for his half-mile under veteran exercise rider Kevin Willey.

“I thought both horses worked very well,” said Pletcher. “Quality Road is obviously an exceptionally talented horse and does things very easily.  I thought it was a good progressive work.  He picked it up down the lane, galloped out well and seemed to get over the ground extremely well.”

Uncle Mo finished his preparations for the Juvenile by working four furlongs in company with his Repole stablemate Stay Thirsty and the colts finished together in :50.60.  Uncle Mo, a son of Indian Charlie and a sizzling winner of the Champagne (GI) in his most recent start, worked on the outside of that duo under Horacio De Paz, while Krotenko was aboard Stay Thirsty as the pair worked in fractional times of :12.60, :25.40 and :37.40 and galloped out five furlongs in 1:03.60.

“I don’t believe we’ve ever worked them together, although they have both worked in company quite a bit,” Pletcher said.  “We were not looking for a whole lot from either one.  Stay Thirsty had a lot of his conditioning done at Belmont, and Uncle Mo obviously is running back 28 days, and ran a mile in 1:34-and-change 22 days ago (in the Champagne).

“I kind of let them get a little feel for the track.  I thought it was a little slower than I wanted it to be, but it was the right kind of slow.  They went each eighth a little faster than the previous one.  I thought Uncle Mo galloped out particularly well.  He was all the way back to the half-mile pole before he actually pulled up.”
The only other Pletcher trainee to work was Paul Pompa Jr.’s Rose Catherine, a 3-year-old filly who will take on males in the Turf Sprint.  The daughter of Speightstown breezed four furlongs around the dogs on firm turf under De Paz in :49.60.  She was very eager as she broke off for the move, covered her opening quarter in :26.40 and galloped out five furlongs in 1:04.40.

“She’s a superior work horse and would work as fast as a horse could possibly work if you allowed her to,” Pletcher said.  “But when you’re going five-eighths on the grass, they need to be ready to roll and that’s her game.  I thought she worked very well.  Sometimes you have to be a little careful with her or she will do way too much, but we had a nice, quiet turf course. No one else was out there and she handled it real well.”

Pletcher had worked five horses on Saturday: Life At Ten (Ladies’ Classic), Malibu Prayer (Ladies’ Classic), R Heat Lightning (Juvenile Fillies), More Than Real (Juvenile Fillies Turf), and Pluck (Juvenile Turf).  He said all came out of their works well and appear ready for their Breeders’ Cup races on Friday..

"I thought for preparing 10 horses here for the Breeders’ Cup, all 10 works were right within the range of what we were looking for,” he said.  “When you have horses that are fit and ready to go, you just want to keep them happy in their last breezes.  I think we accomplished that.”

ESPOIR CITY WORKS FROM WIRE TO HALF-MILE POLE FOR CLASSIC – The Breeders’ Cup Classic hope from Japan, Espoir City (JPN), worked a half-mile after the renovation break in :49.60 with exercise rider Toshiyuki Abematsu up.

What made the work unusual was the 5-year-old horse worked from the wire to the half-mile pole.

"“That is how they usually do it with him in Japan and they wanted to keep him in his routine,” said Mikki Tsuge, West Coast Representative for the Japan Racing Association who has been serving as the connections’ liaison at Churchill Downs. “Toshiyuki said the work went very well and he handled the track fine.”

Fractions for the work were :13, :25.40, :37.60 and out five furlongs in 1:05.

Espoir City had worked a leisurely six furlongs in 1:18.20 last Sunday under jockey Tetsuzo Sato. Sato and trainer Akio Adachi are scheduled to return to Louisville from Japan on Monday afternoon.

MINE THAT BIRD GETS SHARPENER FROM GATE FOR DIRT MILE – Double Eagle Ranch and Buena Suerte Equine’s Mine That Bird, winner of the 2009 Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (GI) had his final tuneup for Saturday’s Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile (GI) by working three furlongs out of the gate in :37.40.

With Michael Baze up and starting on the inside of Derivative, Mine That Bird stepped the first quarter in :25 and galloped out a half-mile in :50.40.

“I just wanted to sharpen him up, and I think it worked,” trainer D. Wayne Lukas said. “Fitness-wise, he is dead fit. But I still don’t know if I have him quick enough.”

Mine That Bird has been in Lukas’ care for five months but the lack of results have been frustrating to Lukas.

“Yes, it has been frustrating because he has been doing well physically,” Lukas said of the 4-year-old gelding who has not hit the board in three starts around two turns during the summer. “I think it is pretty much mental and I don’t know if his heart is in racing.”

Lukas, who won the 1999 Breeders’ Cup Classic at Gulfstream Park with Cat Thief, was asked if he had handicapped this year’s Classic field. “It’s easy,” Lukas said. “Bet on the filly (Zenyatta) and go to the bank.”

BARN TALK – Turtle Bird Stable’s Haynesfield (Classic) worked a half-mile after the break in :50 under Ceasar Garcia. Fractions were :13, :25.80, :38 and out five-eighths in 1:02.40. The move was the 27th fastest of 60 at the half-mile distance. Toby Sheets, the Steve Asmussen assistant who has been with Haynesfield “since Day One”, was happy with the work, the colt’s third at Churchill Downs since his wire-to-wire victory in the Jockey Club Gold Cup (GI) at Belmont Park. …

Helen Alexander and Helen Groves’ Acoma (Ladies’ Classic) worked a half-mile before the renovation break in :50 under jockey Robby Albarado. Splits for the move, which has the 27th fastest of 60 at the distance, were :12.80, :25.40, :37.80 and out five furlongs in 1:04. Albarado has ridden Acoma three times in her 18-race career including a victory in the 2008 Dogwood (GIII) here. “She worked really well,” Albarado said. “This was just a maintenance move and she felt as good today as she did the last time I was on her (in the Locust Grove in July).” Acoma earned her spot in the Ladies’ Classic with a victory in the Juddmonte Spinster (GI) at Keeneland on Oct. 10. “She really turned around after her breeze on the Polytrack at Keeneland before the Spinster,” trainer David Carroll said. “She has been a different filly since that work. The key thing with her is how she is doing and she is doing very well.” …

Other works involving Breeders’ Cup horses were a trio from the barn of trainer Wesley Ward. Classic pre-entrant Pleasant Prince worked five furlongs on the main track in 1:01.60 in company with Aegean under jockey Jamie Theriot. Fractions were :12.60, :24.40, :36.40, :48.80 and out six furlongs in 1:15.80. Working on the turf around the “dogs” in company were Nina Fever (Juvenile Fillies Turf) and Madman Diaries (Juvenile Turf). Nina Fever was on the inside and started a length in front of Madman Diaries with the duo finishing on even terms. Madman Diaries was clocked in 1:03.40 and Nina Fever in 1:03.60. Splits were :25.40, :39.40 and out six furlongs in 1:18.60. …

Also working on the turf was Keertana (Filly & Mare Turf) for trainer Tom Proctor. Keertana worked five furlongs in 1:01.40 with splits of :12.20, :25.20, :38.40 and out six furlongs in 1:18.
Going before the renovation break was Atoned (Marathon) for trainer Neil Howard. Atoned worked a half-mile in :49.60 with splits of :12, :24.20, :37 and out five-eighths in 1:03.20. Working after the break was Riveting Reason (Juvenile) under Joe Deegan. Riveting Reason covered five furlongs in 1:01.80 with splits of :12.20, :24, :35.80 and :49, and Jordy Y (Juvenile Fillies/Juvenile Fillies Turf) worked five furlongs in 1:02.20 for trainer Wayne Catalano. …

Three horses that arrived early Saturday afternoon from Europe are scheduled to clear quarantine Monday morning and go to the track at 10 a.m. The trio consists of Arlington Million (GI) winner Debussy (IRE) (Turf) for trainer John Gosden, the undefeated Biondetti (Juvenile or Juvenile Turf) for trainer Mahmood Al Zarooni and Delegator (GB) (Mile) for trainer Saeed bin Suroor.

Two 2-year-olds who have done their running at Woodbine in Canada, got a sampling of Churchill Downs dirt on Monday morning for trainer Mark Casse.

WinStar Farm’s Blue Laser and John Oxley’s Delightful Mary worked together after the renovation break with Calvin Borel on Blue Laser and Shaun Bridgmohan on Delightful Mary. Delightful Mary, racing on the outside and breaking off in front, covered five furlongs in 1:00 and finished a length in front of Blue Laser, who was clocked in 1:00.20.

Fractions for the work were :11.80, :24, :36 and :47.40 with Delightful Mary galloping out six furlongs in 1:13.80 and Blue Laser in 1:14.40.

“I thought the works were excellent,” said Casse, who was the leading trainer at Churchill Downs in the spring 1988 meet with 29 winners. “Neither of them had worked on dirt before. Blue Laser is not as good a workhorse as she is, but he is a fighter. He got passed and came back to win twice.”

While Delightful Mary, a winner of two of three starts on Polytrack, will be pre-entered in the $2 million Grey Goose Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies (GI) with Bridgmohan to ride. Blue Laser may wait until the Delta Jackpot (GIII) at Delta Downs (La.) on Nov. 20.

“We (Casse and WinStar general manager Elliott Walden) are going to talk about it later today, but I think we will probably pass the Breeders’ Cup (Juvenile) and go to the Delta Jackpot,” said Casse, who shared the 2007 Jackpot victory with dead-heat winner Turf War.

“One of the factors is timing,” said Walden, who celebrated victories this spring by Super Saver in the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (GI) and Drosselmeyer in the Belmont Stakes (GI). “He just ran three weeks ago and ran really hard and our program is geared to the 3-year-old season.”

WinStar won the Delta Jackpot last year with Rule, who is in training at Churchill Downs.

DESORMEAUX WORKS UNRIVALED BELLE FOR LADIES’ CLASSIC – Gary Seidler and Peter Vegso’s Unrivaled Belle, winner of the La Troienne (GII) here this spring over 2009 Horse of the Year Rachel Alexandra, tuned up for a run in the $2 million Breeders’ Cup Ladies’ Classic (GI) on Nov. 5 by working five furlongs in 1:00.60 under jockey Kent Desormeaux.

Starting off 2-3 lengths behind her workmate, Unrivaled Belle clicked off fractions of :23.60, :35.40, :47.20 and galloped out six furlongs in 1:14.80. Unrivaled Belle was 8-9 lengths in front of her workmate at the wire in the fourth-fastest time for the distance of the morning.

“She worked fantastic; she’s a happy lady,” Desormeaux said of the 4-year-old filly, who is trained by Bill Mott. “She has no lack of desire. She wants to run; she likes to run.”

Desormeaux has ridden Unrivaled Belle nine times, seven of those occasions on dirt with three victories and four seconds. Unrivaled Belle ran second in her most recent start, the Grade I Beldame, which came after a two-month layoff.

The Ladies’ Classic formerly was known as the Breeders’ Cup Distaff and Mott won the race at Churchill Downs in 1998 with Escena.

MINE THAT BIRD WORKS BULLET; PRE-ENTERED IN BC DIRT MILE – Double Eagle Ranch and Buena Suerte Equine’s Mine That Bird, winner of the 2009 Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (GI), worked five-eighths of a mile in company in 1:00 after the renovation break with exercise rider Arielle Witkowski up.

Working with graded-stakes winner Be Fair, Mine That Bird began on even terms with his companion, opened a clear advantage at the head of the stretch and finished four lengths in front in producing the best time of 32 at the distance for the morning. Fractions were :12, :23.40, :35, :47 and out six furlongs in 1:15.80.

Trainer D. Wayne Lukas said that Mine That Bird was pre-entered in the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile (GI) to be run Nov. 6. Mine That Bird also is nominated to the Ack Ack Handicap (GIII) to be run Nov. 5 at 1 1/16 miles on the main track, a race that looms as a possibility should he not be selected for the Dirt Mile if that race is over-subscribed.

BARN TALK – Among the other works involving possible Breeders’ Cup horses Monday morning at Churchill Downs were the Steve Asmussen-trained duo of Riley Tucker (Sprint) covering five furlongs before the renovation break in 1:01.80 (:13.20, :25.20, :37.20, :49.40 and out six furlongs in 1:15) and Thiskyhasnolimit (Dirt Mile) working six furlongs in company with Tone It Down in 1:12.80 (:13.20, :25, :36.60, :48, 1:00.80 and out seven furlongs in 1:26.20). Central City (Turf Sprint) worked a half-mile under jockey Robby Albarado in :48 (:11.80, :23.20, :35.20 and out five furlongs in 1:02.60) for trainer Ronny Werner. Alcomo (BRZ) (Marathon) 1:43.80 for a mile for trainer Eduardo Caramori.

Working over a Matt Winn Turf Course labeled as “good” Monday morning at Churchill Downs was Silent Joy (Juvenile Fillies Turf) covering five furlongs in 1:04.20 around the “dogs” under trainer Michelle Nihei. Fractions were :12, :24.80, :38 and :50.80. Also working five furlongs was Keertana, who is a possibility for the Emirates Airline Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf (GI) or the Cardinal Handicap (GIII) on Nov. 7, covering the distance in 1:04 in fractions of :27.20, :40.60, :52.20 and out six furlongs in 1:17.40 and seven-eighths in 1:32.20. …

Two Breeders’ Cup winners for trainer Jonathan Sheppard worked Monday morning at Keeneland. Informed Decision, winner of the 2009 Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Sprint (GI), worked five furlongs in :59.40 under Julien Leparoux in preparation for a repeat World Championships run. Fractions on the work on the main track were :12.40, :24.20, :36.20, :48 and out six furlongs in 1:11.80. Forever Together, the 2008 Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf (GI) winner, worked in company with Filly & Mare Turf candidate Fantasia (GB), covering five furlongs on the main track in :59.40 under Leparoux. Fantasia, with Barry Wiseman in the saddle, began four lengths in front with Forever Together cutting the deficit in half at the wire in fractions of :13.40, :25.40, :37.40 and :49.20. All three distaffers are owned by Augustin Stable. … Also working at Keeneland over a turf course rated as “good” was Darrell and Evelyn Yates’ Jordy Y for trainer Wayne Catalano. With retired jockey Larry Melancon up, Jordy Y covered five furlongs in 1:01.40 with fractions of :12, :23.80 and :37.40 around the “dogs.” Jordy Y, third in the Darley Alcibiades (GI) in her most recent start, is being pre-entered in the Juvenile Fillies and the Juvenile Fillies Turf (GII). …

Scheduled to work Tuesday morning at Churchill Downs are defending Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint champion California Flag and Filly & Mare Sprint hopeful Sweet August Moon for trainer Brian Koriner. California Flag will work on the grass unless turf works are rained out. Scheduled to work Wednesday is Secret Gypsy (Filly & Mare Sprint). …

A planeload of horses trained by Todd Pletcher is scheduled to arrive at Churchill Downs on Tuesday and will be housed in Barn 34. Also scheduled to arrive Tuesday is Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf candidate Arch Support for trainer Gary Contessa. Arch Support will be housed in Barn 43, Stall 12. Also due to arrive Tuesday from Belmont Park is Red Desire (JPN), who will go into Barn 42 in the quarantine area …

The Amerman Racing Stables’ Demarcation, winner of the 2008 River City Handicap (GIII) and the 2009 Ack Ack Handicap (GIII), will defend his title in the Ack Ack on Nov. 5 according to trainer Paul McGee.

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WARRIOR’S REWARD WORKS HALF-MILE IN :48.80 – A. Stevens Miles Jr.’s Warrior’s Reward, winner of the Carter Handicap (GI) and runner-up in the Churchill Downs (GII), worked a half-mile before the renovation break in :48.80 over a fast track Wednesday morning at Churchill Downs in preparation for the $2 million Sentient Jet Breeders’ Cup Sprint (GI) to be run Nov. 6.

Working solo and with exercise rider Tracey Wilkes up, Warrior’s Reward posted fractions of :25.60 and :37 with a five-furlong gallop-out time of 1:01.80 and 1:16.20 for six furlongs.

“I got the last eighth in 11 and 3. This was fine,” trainer Ian Wilkes said of Warrior’s Reward, who will be ridden in the Breeders’ Cup by Julien Leparoux.

Warrior’s Reward, who has posted a 4-1-3-0 mark at Churchill Downs, enters the Breeders’ Cup off a third-place finish over Polytrack at Keeneland in the Oct. 8 Phoenix (GIII). Prior to the Phoenix, Warrior’s Reward returned from a three-month layoff in the Forego (GI) at Saratoga.

“I messed up (running him in the May 31 Metropolitan Handicap) and made a bad decision to run there,” Wilkes said. “We gave him a break and freshened him with this (the Breeders’ Cup) in mind.”

Wilkes had a choice between the Sprint and the Dirt Mile (GI) for the 4-year-old son of Medaglia d’Oro.
“I just think the Sprint is a better race for him,” Wilkes said. “It is just my gut feeling.”

LUKAS HOPING MINE THAT BIRD GETS BREEDERS’ CUP CHANCE – Trainer D. Wayne Lukas has won more Breeders’ Cup races (18) than any other conditioner and his six World Championships victories at Churchill Downs are the most at one venue, a mark he shares with Richard Mandella’s six triumphs at Santa Anita.

The Hall of Fame trainer hopes he gets a chance to add to those numbers with Double Eagle Ranch and Buena Suerte Equine’s Mine That Bird, winner of the 2009 Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (GI).
“I don’t think he will get in,” Lukas said of the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile (GI), “but he has done very well since he got back here from Saratoga.”

Lukas said Mike Smith would have the mount on Mine That Bird.

Mine That Bird has been with Lukas for five months and had three starts in 2010, a comeback race on the turf in the Firecracker Handicap (GII) here in July and two off-the-board finishes at Saratoga in the Whitney (GI) and Woodward (GI), both at 1 1/8 miles.

Since returning to Churchill Downs, where he is 1-for-1 on the main track, he has had five works, two of them bullets. Lukas said if Mine That Bird does not get in the Dirt Mile the $100,000-added Ack Ack Handicap (GIII) at 1 1/16 miles on the main track on Nov. 5 is a possibility.

“It is up to them,” Lukas said of owners Mark Allen of Double Eagle Ranch and Dr. Leonard Blach of Buena Suerte Equine.

Lukas has two other possible Breeders’ Cup horses but acknowledges they are on the bubble to get in: Westrock Stables’ Tidal Pool for the Sentient Jet Filly & Mare Sprint (GI) and Westrock Stables and Barry Butzow’s Hamazing Destiny for the Sentient Jet Sprint (GI). Smith would have the mount on Tidal Pool and Terry Thompson would ride Hamazing Destiny.

ATONED GETS MARATHON TEST DRIVE FROM ALBARADO – Dogwood Stable’s Atoned worked a mile in 1:44 before the renovation break Wednesday morning under jockey Robby Albarado in preparation for a bid for the 1 ¾-mile Breeders’ Cup Marathon (GIII).

Fractions for the work were :13, :26, :39, 1:18 and 1:30.80 with a gallop-out time for 1:58.40 for 1 1/8 miles and 2:13.60 for the mile and a quarter.

“I wanted to put a jock on him this morning because we were doing something a bit more significant,” trainer Neil Howard said. “I was extremely happy with the work.”

Howard has had Atoned for only his past three races, the most recent being a third-place finish in the Turfway Park Fall Championship (GIII) on Sept. 11.

“He is doing good,” Howard said. “He is one of those horses that can get the distance and horses like that are in the minority, so we figured we’d take a shot.”

Atoned is one of five confirmed Breeders’ Cup mounts for Albarado, according to his agent, Lenny Pike. Other Albarado mounts are First Dude (Classic), Acoma (Ladies’ Classic), Central City (Turf Sprint) and Court Vision (TVG Mile).

BARN TALK – Trainer Dale Romans said a decision on where four-time graded stakes winner Paddy O’Prado would run next would be announced Friday. “All of us are having a conference call tomorrow and we hope to come to a decision as to where we will run next by sometime on Thursday,” Romans said of the colt who is owned by Donegal Racing, which is headed by Jerry Crawford. “We will let everyone know Friday morning where we are running.” Under consideration for Paddy O’Prado are the Emirates Airline Breeders’ Cup Turf (GI), the Breeders’ Cup Classic (GI) to be run Nov. 6 and the Nov. 28 Japan Cup (GI). …

Ron Anderson, agent for nine-time Breeders’ Cup-winning rider Garrett Gomez, has four definite rides lined up for this year’s World Championships, headlined by Claiborne Farm and Adele Dilschneider’s Blame in the $5 million Breeders’ Cup Classic (GI). Other confirmed Gomez mounts include Alcomo (BRZ) in the Marathon (GIII), More Than Real in the Juvenile Fillies Turf (GII) and Jessica Is Back for the Sentient Jet Filly & Mare Sprint (GI). …

Trainers Clark Hanna (A.U. Miner) and Tom Amoss (Falling Knife) reported that their runners came out of Tuesday works at Churchill Downs in good order in preparation for the Breeders’ Cup Marathon. …

Defending Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint winner California Flag, owned by Hi Card Ranch, is scheduled to arrive at Churchill Downs on Thursday. Trained by Brian Koriner, California Flag has been at Keeneland since running 11th in the Woodford (GIII) on Oct. 9. Another Koriner trainee, Legacy Ranch and Shirley MacPherson’s Sweet August Moon, also is coming from Keeneland after a fifth-place finish in the Thoroughbred Club of America (GII) on Oct. 9. Sweet August Moon is being pointed to the Sentient Jet Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Sprint (GI) on Nov. 5. The Koriner duo will be stabled in Barn 17. …

Scheduled for a Friday arrival from California is Alan Klein and Philip Lebherz’s Smiling Tiger for the Sentient Jet Breeders’ Cup Sprint (GI). Trained by Jeff Bonde, the 3-year-old Smiling Tiger won the Bing Crosby (GI) at Del Mar in August and in his most recent start won the Grade I Ancient Title on Oct. 9 at Hollywood Park.

Mine That Bird, winner of the 2009 Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (Grade I), and Haynesfield, upset winner of the Jockey Club Gold Cup (GI) last time out, tuned up for runs in the Breeders’ Cup World Championships with workouts on Sunday at Churchill Downs.

Double Eagle Ranch and Buena Serte Equine’s Mine That Bird breezed five furlongs in 1:01.20 for Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas.  The move by the 4-year-old Birdstone gelding was the sixth-fastest of 25 at the distance over a “fast” track.  Lukas is pointing Mine That Bird, who has failed to win eight races since his victory at odds of 50-1 in Kentucky Derby 135, toward a possible run in the $1 million Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile (GI) on Saturday, Nov. 6.

Haynesfield, a winner of three of four races in 2010 and bound for the $5 million Breeders’ Cup Classic (GI) for Turtle Bird Stable, covered five-eighths of a mile in 1:02.20.  The New York-bred son of Speightstown, who also won the Suburban (GII) at Belmont Park for trainer Steve Asmussen, finished well as Churchill Downs clockers recorded his final quarter-mile in :23.80.  The move by Haynesfield ranked as the 13th fastest of 25 works at the distance.

Other Breeders’ Cup contenders that turned in Sunday training moves at Churchill Downs included $1 million Filly and Mare Sprint (GI) hopes Secret Gypsy, owned by Richland Hills Stable and John Kuehl, and C R K Stable’s Switch.  The seven-furlong Filly and Mare Sprint will be run at Churchill Downs on Friday, Nov. 5.

The John Sadler-trained Switch sizzled in a “bullet” half-mile work in :47 that was the fastest of 40 moves at the distance.  Switch covered the distance in fractional times of :11:80, :23 and :34.80 and galloped out five furlongs in 1:00.60.  Switch was runner-up to unbeaten defending Breeders’ Cup Classic winner Zenyatta in the recent Lady’s Secret (GI) and defeated Kentucky Oaks (GI) winner Blind Luck in the Hollywood Oaks (GII).

Trainer Ronny Werner’s Secret Gypsy breezed four furlongs in :47.80, which was the third-fastest move at the distance.  The winner of Saratoga’s Honorable Milss (GII) and the Endine (GIII) at Delaware Park covered her first quarter in :24.30 and galloped out five furlongs in 1:01.60.

Team Valor’s Pluck, who earned a spot in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf (GI) with a victory in the Summer Stakes (GIII) at Canada’s Woodbine, worked five furlongs in 1:02.20.

Saturday workers at Churchill Downs included Oak Leaf (GI) runner-up and Del Mar Debutante (GI) winner Tell A Kelly, who breezed four furlongs in :48.60 under jockey Calvin Borel.  Owned by and trained by Sadler, the daughter of Tapit is a contender for the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies (GI).

Other horses of note on the Sunday, Oct. 17 work tab included Hurricane Ike, winner of The Cliff’s Edge Derby Trial (GIII), who breezed five furlongs in :59 – the fastest of 25 moves at the distance; WinStar Farm’s Rule, who breezed three furlongs in :37.20; Exhi, who breezed five furlongs in 1:0l; Dubious Miss, who breezed six furlongs in a “bullet” 1:14.80.

Michael Cooper and Pamela Ziebarth’s Tizdejavu took the lead out of the gate and was never headed to win the 20th running of the $205,625 Firecracker Handicap (Grade II) by 1 ½ lengths over Public Speaker on Sunday to close out the 42-day Spring Meet at Churchill Downs and ruin the return of 2009 Kentucky Derby winner Mine That Bird who finished eighth in his turf debut.

Trained by Greg Fox and ridden by Jesus Castanon, Tizdejavu ran the mile on a firm Matt Winn Turf Course in 1:35.98, the fastest time of the meet at the distance. It was Tizdejavu’s fifth victory in six starts over the Matt Winn Turf Course with the only setback coming in a fifth-place finish in last year’s Firecracker.

Tizdejavu, now three-for-three in 2010, opened a daylight advantage the first time past the wire and led the field through uncontested fractions of :23.20, :45.94 and 1:09.73. At the head of the stretch, Tizdejavu kicked clear by 2 ½ lengths and was three lengths on top at the eighth pole and had more than enough left in the tank to hold off Public Speaker.

The victory was worth $116,016 and increased Tizdejavu’s earnings to $693,153 with a record of 16-8-3-2. The Firecracker was the fourth stakes victory at Churchill Downs for Tizdejavu, who won the American Turf (GIII) and Jefferson Cup (GII) in 2008 and took the Opening Verse earlier this meet.

Tizdejavu is a 5-year-old homebred son of Tiznow out of the Dixie Brass mare Remember When.

Mine That Bird became the first Kentucky Derby winner to return to race at Churchill Downs since 2005 Derby victor Giacomo finished fourth in the 2006 Breeders’ Cup Classic (GI). Mine That Bird, ridden by Calvin Borel and carrying top weight of 122 pounds, trailed the field of 14 through the first half-mile and had only one horse beat turning for home before passing four rivals in the stretch to finish less than eight lengths behind Tizdejavu.

Tizdejavu, carrying second high weight of 119 pounds, returned $10.20, $5 and $3.60 as the second choice. Public Speaker, ridden by Robby Albarado, paid $4.60 and $3.80 and finished a nose in front of Inca King, who paid $4.20 to show under Victor Lebron.

Veiled Prophet finished fourth another 1 ¼ lengths back and was followed in order by Unbridle’s Dream, Skipadate, Wise River, Mine That Bird, Pop Tarrt, Attempted Humor, Driving Snow (GB), Baryshnikov, Euroears and Orthodox.

Borel, who rode three winners on closing day, won his first Spring Meet riding title with 52 victories with Corey Lanerie a distant second with 39 triumphs. Steve Asmussen took leading trainer honors by a 24-19 margin over Dale Romans and Maggi Moss won the leading owner title by sending out nine winners this meet, two more than Ken and Sarah Ramsey.

Racing returns to Churchill Downs on Sunday, Oct. 31 for a 20-day Fall Meet that will be highlighted by the returning of the Breeders’ Cup World Championships to the track on Nov. 5 and 6. Simulcast wagering at Churchill Downs will continue through Monday and shift to Trackside Louisville at 4520 Poplar Level Road starting Wednesday, July 7 through Wednesday, Aug. 4 so track officials can prepare the 147-acre facility for the inaugural HullabaLOU Music Festival on July 23-25.

FIRECRACKER HANDICAP QUOTES

JESUS CASTANON (jockey, TIZDEJAVU, winner): “I made him run his own race. I knew there was going to be a lot of pace at the beginning. He was running the race pretty easily. When I asked him to pick it up he just drew away. I knew my horse has a lot of speed so I let him break and tried to get the lead and be clear through the first turn. He’s a very nice horse. I knew through the first turn I was in great shape. He really improves every time he comes to the races; he really has improved a lot. This time he just felt a 110 percent better than last time. Against this type of horses and with his speed he really gives me his best and I know he has plenty still left.”

GREG FOX (trainer, TIZDEJAVU, winner): “This race has been our goal, I mean hypothetically. We ended his season last year on a down note, but the beautiful thing is this is a very, very special horse. Giving him a break, and bringing him back steadily, you saw what he did today. He really threw the gauntlet down on a good group of horses. He’s won from the front on the hedge on (Kentucky) Oaks Day, and the Jefferson Cup. He loves this track and he loves the turns. Every horsemen’s dream (is to go to the Breeders’ Cup). This was a key race for the (Breeders’ Cup) Mile race. We had a great post position. Some of the other speed horses seemed hurt by the big field. (Jockey) Jesus (Castanon) is an incredibly astute rider and took advantage of our post position and of course the horse did the rest. I don’t think we are going to put him on the road this summer.”

ROBBY ALBARADO (jockey, PUBLIC SPEAKER, second): “I had a great trip. Just a nice horse beat me today. He ran hard.”

CALVIN BOREL (jockey, MINE THAT BIRD, eighth): “He was struggling so much. He kept moving back and forth, back and forth, switching leads. We will see a different horse after this, a totally different horse. He came back real good, jogging good. He was perfect, the horse is doing good. I’m telling you get him on the dirt and you’ll see a different horse.” 

D. WAYNE LUKAS (trainer, MINE THAT BIRD, eighth): “His first start back wasn’t a successful one, but I thought he would handle the turf a lot better than what he did. He didn’t handle it that well. I thought the first time by the grandstand he was climbing a little bit, and to have him back that far back … He was training too forwardly to have him that far back, but he finished up and got a little more comfortable the last three-eighths. I think it put us in a position to do something better. I was hoping to have a little better result for the owners, but I’m not discouraged that I can get him where I want him. I don’t think we are going to the Arlington Million. The Whitney (Handicap at Saratoga on Aug. 7) is our goal. If we could have gotten that allowance race to go, I think it would have been a different story. I didn’t want to ship and we took a shot. It is what it is. I feel very comfortable in the mornings with what I see and we’ll show up in the Whitney.”

CONNECTIONS OF ESPOIR CITY MAKE BREEDERS’ CUP SCOUTING TRIP – There is no time limit on advance planning, and so it was on Saturday morning, four months before the Breeders’ Cup World Championships return to Churchill Downs, that the trainer and jockey of Japanese star Espoir City (JPN) did a little scouting at the home of the Kentucky Derby.

Trainer Akio Adachi and jockey Tetsuzo Sato, accompanied by International Racing Bureau representative Mikki Tsuge and Takashi Toriumi, president and CEO of horse transporter U.S. Equine who served as interpreters, came to Churchill Downs with two horses from trainer Akiko Gothard’s barn at the Thoroughbred Training Center in Lexington.

Sato, who sported a jacket with the inscription “strongest dart hose in Japan, Espoir City, Japan Cup Dart GI, Kashiwa Kinen jpn.I, Mile Champion Nambu Hai jpn.I, jogged one horse before the break and after the break took the second horse to the starting gate before galloping once around.

“It was good to get a feel for things,” said Sato, 39, who visited the jocks’ room and paddock on Friday in his first trip to Churchill Downs and who has room on the jacket to add more victories for Espoir City. 

Adachi, who with Sato flew in to New York on Tuesday and toured Belmont Park before coming to Louisville, recorded most of the morning activity to take back to Japan so the 5-year-old horse’s connections could have an idea of what to expect in the fall.

Espoir City has won six consecutive races and owns a career mark of 19-11-3-1 for earnings of $5,837,885. His first seven races were on turf with only moderate success.

“Tetsuzo started riding him in the morning and observed he was much better on dirt than on grass so we made the switch,” Adachi said.

Since the switch, Espoir City has compiled a record of 12-10-1-0 and at 1 1/8 miles his record is 5-4-1-0. He has yet to race at the Breeders’ Cup Classic distance of 1 ¼ miles.

Adachi says the distance is not a concern nor is the setup of any races as Espoir City has won from on the lead, stalking the pace or from far back.

“He is able to handle all situations and he adjusts to the race,” Adachi said.

Espoir City’s most recent race was the $1,080,000 Kashiwa Kinen on May 5, which he won for the second consecutive year. The tentative plan is for Espoir City to follow the same schedule as last year and run next in the Oct. 10 Mile Champion Nambu Hai and then ship to Churchill Downs the middle of October and have two to three weeks to acclimate before the Breeders’ Cup.

EUROEARS FINDS RIGHT SPOT IN SUNDAY’S FIRECRACKER – Trainer Bret Calhoun hopes to finish the 42-day Spring Meet with a bang this weekend, beginning Saturday with Speed Demon in the Bashford Manor (GIII) Presented by Fasig-Tipton and concluding with Euroears in the Firecracker Handicap (GII) Presented by Thorntons.

Euroears, owned by James and Marilyn Helzer, will be attempting two turns on the turf for the first time in his career in Sunday’s one-mile Firecracker on the Matt Winn Turf Course.

There were no good spots for him,” Calhoun said of the 6-year-old son of Langfuhr. “I was going to run him in Iowa (in the Iowa Sprint Handicap) but that came up too tough for the $125,000 they were running for. The next day was the Arlington Sprint Handicap, but we had Chamberlain Bridge for that, which he won.”
That left the Firecracker, which drew an overflow field of 15 that includes 2009 Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (GI) winner Mine That Bird.

"At first, it didn’t look like the race was coming up with a lot of horses, but it filled up fast,” Calhoun said. Euroears will break from post position 11 and carry 115 pounds under Jamie Theriot, who has been aboard for Euroears’ past six starts.

The past two starts have been the first two-turn races of Euroears’ career. He finished second in the Texas Mile (GIII) and third in the Lone Star Park Handicap (GIII) at a mile and a sixteenth.

"I think a mile is about it for him,” Calhoun said. “In the Texas Mile, I feel he could have won with a mile race under his belt and the second time, the Kiaran McLaughlin horse that beat him (Redding Colliery) is a nice horse.”

Euroears has race three times on turf, winning two turf sprints on firm ground at Fair Grounds and finishing eighth on yielding turf at Penn National.

“He handles the turf well,” Calhoun said. “The race in Pennsylvania on the yielding, he couldn’t stand up on it.”

BARN TALK – Ken and Sarah Ramsey, winners of the past five meet-leading owner titles and a record 16 overall (eight Spring and eight Fall), closed the gap on meet leader Maggi Moss when their Grand Stage won Friday’s seventh race. The victory was the sixth of the meet for the Ramseys, who have three horses entered Saturday and six on Sunday.  Moss, who has eight winners at the meet, has an entry in Saturday’s opener for her final starters of the meet. …

Calvin Borel and Steve Asmussen maintained comfortable leads in their bids for leading rider and trainer titles. Borel holds a 47-38 lead over Corey Lanerie after each rider recorded one victory each Friday night. Borel is named on nine mounts Saturday and 10 on Sunday. Lanerie is named on 10 mounts Saturday and eight on Sunday. Asmussen has a 23-18 edge on Dale Romans although Romans trimmed the deficit by one with a double Friday night while Asmussen saddled one winner. Asmussen has two horses entered Saturday and five on Sunday. Romans has three entrants Saturday and seven on Sunday. …

Trainer D. Wayne Lukas is traveling a road with Mine That Bird that he did with six years ago with Azeri. The 2009 Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (GI) winner is scheduled to make his 2010 debut in Sunday’s Firecracker Handicap Presented by Thorntons (GII) off an eight-month layoff.  “We did the same thing with Azeri. We trained her up to the Apple Blossom (in 2004),” Lukas said of Azeri, who was coming off a little more than a six-month layoff prior to her third Apple Blossom victory, which was her only one under Lukas’ care. “The anticipation level with this horse and Azeri are the same,” Lukas said of having stars make their debuts in his signature white bridles. “You get to work with Grade I quality horses.” …
Robby Albarado rode two winners on Friday night’s card to boost his career total to 885 and into fifth place all time at Churchill Downs, passing Jim McKnight (883). Sitting immediately ahead of Albarado on the all-time victory list is Don Brumfield with 925. …

Shaun Bridgmohan rode two winners Friday night to increase his career Churchill Downs total to 297. Bridgmohan is named on five mounts Saturday and six Sunday in his bid to become the 19th rider to reach 300 victories at Churchill Downs. …

Lewis Lakin’s Pure Clan jogged a mile early Saturday morning in her first appearance at the track since May 6 when she refused to train. The 5-year-old earner of nearly $2 million returned to trainer Bob Holthus’ barn this week after recovering from a bruised left front foot.

WORK TAB – Colonial Turf Cup (GII) winner Paddy O’Prado, third in the Kentucky Derby, worked five furlongs in 1:01.80 before the renovation break over a fast track. After the break, stablemate First Dude, the Preakness (GI) runner-up and third-place finisher in the Belmont Stakes (GI), worked five furlongs in 1:01.60. … Two Eddie Kenneally fillies fired bullets: Eight Belles (GIII) winner Buckleupbuttercup worked a half-mile in :47, best of 45 at the distance, and Inside Information (GII) winner Warbling worked five furlongs in 1:00.20, best of 16 at the distance. …Demarcation, winner of the 2009 Ack Ack Handicap (GIII), worked five furlongs in 1:02.20.

Churchill Downs will kick-start an action-packed Fourth of July holiday weekend in style as the legendary home of the Kentucky Derby winds down its 42-day spring meet with the final “Downs After Dark Presented by Budweiser Select” on Friday at 6 p.m. (all times Eastern).

Only three racing dates will be left at the track’s 136th Spring Meet after the conclusion of Thursday’s nine-race card. Eleven-race programs are scheduled for Friday, Saturday and closing day Sunday, which doubles as the Fourth of July and Fan Appreciation Day.

Free Admission, $1 Beer & Hot Dogs, $500 Thorntons Gas Card Giveaway on Closing Day Sunday

As a special “thank you” to its fans for continued support of Churchill Downs, track officials have announced that general admission will be free for all patrons on Sunday, and beer and hot dogs will be sold for $1 all day (note: beer sales will begin at 1 p.m. on Sunday). Also, Churchill Downs and Thorntons have teamed to give away 11 $500 gas cards through prize drawings after each race.

2009 Kentucky Derby Winner Mine That Bird Entered in Sunday’s Firecracker Handicap

As a closing day bonus, Mine That Bird could become the first Kentucky Derby winner to race at Churchill Downs since 2005 champ Giacomo finished fourth in the ’06 Breeders’ Cup Classic beneath the Twin Spires. After two failed attempts to get into a dirt allowance race, the connections of the upset 2009 Kentucky Derby champ decided to enter the 4-year-old gelding in Sunday’s featured Grade II, $175,000-added Firecracker Handicap Presented by Thorntons at one mile on turf for his 2010 debut. Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas, who assumed training duties in May, has said that the Aug. 7 Whitney Handicap on dirt at Saratoga is Mine That Bird’s immediate goal.

“Downs After Dark” Kicks Off Fourth of July Weekend with Boots, Brew & BBQ Theme

The closing weekend extravaganza will begin in earnest Friday night with the fourth installment of the popular Downs After Dark series. Each of this year’s nighttime events is themed, and the Spring Meet finale will be “An American Party: Boots, Brew & BBQ” complete with a patriotic and Americana street party atmosphere. Attendees are encouraged to wear blue jeans and boots (traditional dress codes in premium seat areas will be relaxed).

The Churchill Downs facility will be adorned by patriotic red, white and blue bunting, and there will be two stages for live music from 4-8:30 p.m. Rising Nashville-based country artist Artie Dean Harris will perform on the paddock stage (with line dancing instruction at the top of every hour until 8 p.m.), while Raising Einstein will entertain next to a beer garden in the north paddock area adjacent to the Paddock Pavilion.

The new beer garden will showcase a selection of Anheuser-Busch microbrews and brand favorites such as Budweiser, Bud Light and Budweiser Select. Also, Smokey Joe’s Barbecue will be on hand with a giant pig on a spit to serve holiday favorites such as pulled pork, baby-back ribs, roasted corn on the cob and thick-sliced cold watermelon. Also, Woodford Reserve will be on hand with a variety of specialty bourbon drinks to whet the appetite.

The party will be elevated to new levels around the 9 o’clock hour when darkness falls and popular VJ 2ndNature mixes the sounds of modern rock, pop and hip-hop on his turntable in the paddock area until midnight.

Other “Downs After Dark” Fourth of July-themed Events & Offerings

 In addition to the traditional Downs After Dark ancillary entertainment, Churchill Downs will help celebrate America’s Independence with patriotic-themed events and offerings such as:

• A moving display of more than 1,000 U.S. flags inside the Gate 10 Jockey Garden in conjunction with Flags4Vets, whose primary goal is to place flags on every one of the graves of U.S. veterans buried in the 151 U.S. military cemeteries located in 11 countries;

• A giant 20 x 30 foot U.S. flag to be displayed for Gate 17 arrivals and an 8 x 12 foot U.S. flag to be viewed from the paddock;

• Prerace patriotic hymns by bugler Steve Buttleman; and

• Special seating in Sky Terrace 5 for members of military families through Operation Homefront, the nonprofit organization that provides support for the families of military service members deployed throughout the world (note: Operation Homefront will have an information tent located inside the Gate 10 entrance).

General Information: Gates Open at 4 p.m., First Race is 6 p.m.

The first of 11 live races Friday is 6 p.m. ET, and the featured 10th race is the $66,500-added Roxelana, an overnight seven-furlong stakes race for fillies and mares. Between races 4, 5, 8 and 9, the popular sweepstakes promotion “Bet or No Bet” will return to ask randomly drawn fans to take $100 in cash or place a free $1,000 win bet on a horse in the upcoming race. The final live race will be around 11:20 p.m.

Friday’s admission gates will open at 4 p.m. and Happy Hours will take place in the paddock area from 4-7 p.m. featuring $2 Anheuser Busch products and other discounted food and drink offerings.

“Date Night” dining packages in Millionaires Row and Skye Terrace remain available for $59.90 and include a scrumptious buffet dinner, live entertainment from 4-7 p.m., a reserved seat and an official program. Meanwhile, the outdoor third-floor box seats in sections 314-322 are nearly sold out. They are on sale for $20 and include general admission, a box seat in the third-floor clubhouse and an official program.

Cover charge (general admission) to all Downs After Dark events is $10. Holders of shareholders passes or horsemen licenses, as well as select Twin Spires Club members (Platinum, Gold, Silver and Bronze members only) and children age 12 and under (when accompanied by an adult) will be admitted free of charge.

All reserved ticket packages are available for purchase online at tickets.churchilldowns.com – Churchill Downs’ new and convenient online box office platform. Customers also can call the Churchill Downs switchboard at (502) 636-4400.

As usual, Churchill Downs will be open early for simulcast wagering on the second floor of the clubhouse on Friday. General admission will be its regular price of $3 from 11:30 a.m. until 4 p.m. at Gate 17.

Free Parking, Shuttles at Papa John’s Cardinal Stadium

Those attending Friday’s Downs After Dark are encouraged to arrive early to secure on-site parking and avoid traffic delays. All on-property parking lots will open at 3 p.m. and space is available on a first-come, first-served basis (free in the Longfield Avenue lot). Last year, all lots were filled to capacity by post time for the second race.
 
Churchill Downs will offer free parking and shuttle service from Papa John’s Cardinal Stadium starting at 4 p.m. There will be free round-trip shuttle service throughout the evening with drop off and pick up at Gate 1.

Ideal Weather Conditions

After recording the hottest June in Louisville history including a lengthy stretch in the 90s, Friday’s National Weather Service area forecast calls for sunny skies with a high near 86 degrees and a low around 62.

Downs After Dark Lures Large Crowds

Downs After Dark, the perfect blend of an upscale night on the town with the excitement of thoroughbred racing, has showcased ancillary entertainment such as food, fashion, music and parties. So far, more than 76,000 horseplayers and entertainment-seekers have attended Downs After Dark in 2010, including an event-high 26,330 for last week’s festivities. One year ago this week, a modern day track record of 33,481 attended Downs After Dark on Thursday, July 2, which was the largest crowd for a Churchill Downs racing program other than a Kentucky Derby, Kentucky Oaks or Breeders’ Cup. As a point of reference, a typical crowd for Friday afternoon racing at Churchill Downs is 7,500.

Stakes Doubleheader on Saturday: Locust Grove Handicap & Bashford Manor

While the first live race on Friday begins at 6 p.m., the 11-race Saturday and Sunday programs will begin at their usual start time of 12:45 p.m. Saturday’s card is highlighted by a Grade III, $100,000 stakes doubleheader. The Locust Grove Handicap for fillies and mares at one mile on the Matt Winn Turf Course will be run as Race 9 at approximately 4:54 p.m., and will be immediately followed by the Bashford Manor Presented by Fasig-Tipton, a six-furlong sprint for 2-year-olds at 5:26 p.m.

Prior to the start of Saturday’s racing action, Fasig-Tipton’s vice president of recruiting and selections Bill Graves and director of client services Max Hodge will be racing analyst Jill Byrne’s special guests during the free “Get in the Game” seminar in the paddock area at 11:45 a.m.

For more information, call (502) 636-4400 or log onto www.churchilldowns.com.

Churchill Downs, the world’s most legendary racetrack, has conducted Thoroughbred racing and presented America’s greatest race, the Kentucky Derby, continuously since 1875. Located in Louisville, the flagship racetrack of Churchill Downs Incorporated (NASDAQ Global Select Market: CHDN) also operates Trackside at Churchill Downs, which offers year-round simulcast wagering at the historic track. Churchill Downs will host the 137th running of the Kentucky Derby on Saturday, May 7, 2011 and the Kentucky Oaks on Friday, May 6, 2011. The track’s 2010 Spring Meet continues through Sunday, July 4. Churchill Downs is scheduled to host the Breeders’ Cup World Championships for a record seventh time on Nov. 5 and 6, 2010. Churchill Downs tickets are available at Tickets.ChurchillDowns.com or by calling (502) 636-4400. Additional information about Churchill Downs can be found on the Internet at ChurchillDowns.com.

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