Mr. Sidney

THERIOT TO WORK MINE THAT BIRD ON MONDAY MORNING – Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (Grade I) winner Mine That Bird is scheduled to work a half-mile after the renovation break on Monday morning with jockey Jamie Theriot in the saddle.    Trainer Chip Woolley secured the services of Hall of Famer Mike Smith to ride Mine That Bird in the Aug. 1 West Virginia Derby (Grade II) at Mountaineer and the Aug. 29 Shadwell Travers (Grade I) at Saratoga. Woolley did not get a commitment for the Nov. 7 Breeders’ Cup Classic (Grade I) at Santa Anita.

    “I am tickled that this is over with,” Woolley said of landing Smith to replace Calvin Borel, who was aboard for the gelding’s upset victory in the Kentucky Derby and third-place run in the Belmont Stakes (GI), but could not give a commitment to the West Virginia Derby. “We’ve got a rider that we are comfortable with and that is more important than the three-race commitment. We can get through the first two at least.”

    Smith rode Mine That Bird to a runner-up finish behind Rachel Alexandra in the Preakness (Grade I) when Borel honored a commitment to ride the filly.

    “Calvin’s in a tough spot with three horses in the same category,” Woolley said referring to Rachel Alexandra and Warrior’s Reward, who Borel is committed to ride in the Aug. 1 Jim Dandy (Grade II) at Saratoga. “It is a tough spot, but he is fortunate in that not many get that opportunity.

“Hopefully we’ll have Calvin for a backup, you never know. With Rachel Alexandra, the Travers is one of the races they are talking about with her, so we wouldn’t get him for that one. There is just too much drama mixed in.”

    On Sunday morning, Mine That Bird backtracked to the paddock runway and galloped 1 ½ miles under exercise rider Rudy Gallegos.

MR. SIDNEY HAS PROFITABLE STAY AT CHURCHILL DOWNS – Mr. Sidney made only a brief visit to Churchill Downs, but he was here long enough to pick up his second graded stakes score with a triumph in Saturday’s Firecracker Handicap (GII).

    “He arrived here Monday and he probably will be heading back to New York before too long,” said Kenny McCarthy, assistant to trainer Bill Mott. “He looked good this morning.”

    The Firecracker victory added $101,896 to Mr. Sidney’s bankroll and gave him two graded stakes wins in 2009, the other coming in the Maker’s Mark Mile (GI) in April at Keeneland.

    Mr. Sidney had finished 11th in his start before the Firecracker on the dirt in the Metropolitan Mile (GI) at Belmont Park.

    “The key to him is to keep him nice and quiet,” McCarthy said. “He did not like that detention barn at Belmont the last time. That was the Storm Cat in him.”

    Mr. Sidney’s victory was the 11th of the meet for the Mott barn, the most in a spring meet here since 2004 when 12 wins were recorded. From 54 starters, there also have been 10 seconds and 10 thirds for a 57 percent in-the-money rate. Mott is the all-time leader at Churchill Downs in wins (622) and stakes victories (75).

    “It has been a nice meet,” McCarthy said. “We will keep 30 horses here this summer, send some up to Saratoga and get some back from New York.”

RAVI’S SONG FIRST WINNER FOR MILLIONAIRE LU RAVI – If one wants to elicit a huge smile from trainer Carl Bowman, just mention Lu Ravi.

    On Sunday morning, Bowman was grinning from ear to ear after the performance of Ravi’s Song on Saturday when she became Lu Ravi’s first winner.

    In the 1 1/16-mile race, Ravi’s Song was bottled up on the inside until the eighth pole. She trailed by four lengths at the time, but finally found racing room at the sixteenth pole and drew off to win by a length.

    “I liked the way she won yesterday going a route. It was very impressive the way she did it,” Bowman said. “She probably should have won the first time she ran here, but then she wouldn’t have had that chance yesterday. But I am really proud for Lu Ravi.”

    Ravi’s Song, a daughter of Unbridled’s Song, is Lu Ravi’s third foal. Superb in Roses never made it to the races and Ravi’s Lovin was winless in two starts. Lu Ravi now has a yearling filly by Ghostzapper.

    Under Bowman’s care, Lu Ravi compiled a record of 26-11-8-3 for earnings of $1,819,781. She won eight stakes, five of them graded, and in 2000 beat future Hall of Famer Silverbulletday twice.

    “I trained her mother, At the Half, too,” Bowman said of the four-time stakes winner and earner of $338,393. “She was one of the top three or four fillies as a 2-year-old in the country (in 1993). It is always enjoyable to win with a number of horses from the same family.”

    Ravi’s Song did not make her racing debut until this March at Fair Grounds.

    “She has got some issues,” said Bowman, who intends to keep Ravi’s Song on the dirt. “I’d like to look for an allowance going long and then make a decision.”

BARN TALK – Trainer Ian Wilkes reported that Warrior’s Reward came out of his third-place finish in Saturday’s Dwyer (Grade II) at Belmont Park “with a few little cuts but otherwise looked fine.” Warrior’s Reward stumbled badly at the start and trailed the field most of the way before rallying for third. “Obviously the race did not develop the way we hoped,” Wilkes said. “To rally from that far back to get third, I was really proud of him. We are going to go on to the Jim Dandy as long as he comes back OK. We are going to bring him back here on Tuesday.”

    Helen Alexander and Helen Groves’ Selva is scheduled to return to trainer David Carroll’s barn on Monday afternoon after her fourth-place finish in the Prioress (Grade I) at Belmont Park on Saturday. “I was really proud of her,” Carroll said of Selva’s first start since April 8. “She ran her butt off. If she comes out of it all right we will point to the Victory Ride (Grade III) at Saratoga (on Aug. 29).”

Trainer Jim Baker, who has enjoyed a banner spring meet with nine winners from 25 starters (36 percent), will be sending two of his stable standouts east in the coming weeks. Tom Walters’ Pretty Prolific, who won her 2009 debut with an allowance win on May 30, is being pointed to the $70,000 Dearly Precious Stakes at six furlongs on July 18 at Monmouth Park. Patton’s Creek Farm’s War Eagle Lady, one of three three-time winners this meet, is scheduled to be at Delaware Park on July 19 for the $75,000 Light Hearted Stakes at 7 ½ furlongs on the turf.

Calvin Borel entered the final day of the 2009 Spring Meet with a chance to catch meet-long leader Julien Leparoux in the race for leading jockey.  Borel trailed Leparoux 62-58 heading into the meet finale and Leparoux is riding out of town.

WORK TAB – Decelerator, winner of the Debutante Stakes (Grade III) on June 27, worked a half-mile in :51 over a track rated as “sloppy” before the renovation break.

Circle E Racing’s Mr Sidney pulled away from Inca King in the final sixteenth of a mile to win the 19th running of the $167,700 Firecracker Handicap (Grade II) by 1 ½ lengths on Saturday afternoon at Churchill Downs.

            Trained by Bill Mott and ridden by Kent Desormeaux, Mr. Sidney covered the mile on a Matt Winn Turf Course rated as “yielding” in 1:37.28 in defeating six rivals. The victory was worth $101,896 and increased Mr. Sidney’s earnings to $407,275 with five wins in 10 starts.

            Thorn Song, seeking to become the first repeat Firecracker winner, quickly assumed command  out of the gate and led the field through fractions of :23.79 and :47.28. On the far turn, Thorn Song was joined at the front by Inca King, who slipped through along the hedge, Wise River and Tizdejavu with Desormeaux beginning to move from sixth on Mr. Sidney.

            As the field straightened for home, Inca King took over, but was joined by Mr. Sidney just past the eighth pole. Desormeaux, winning the Firecracker for the second year in a row, steadily drew clear to give Mr. Sidney his second graded stakes win to go with a Grade I score in the Maker’s Mark Mile this spring at Keeneland, also over yielding turf.

            Mr. Sidney carried the second high weight of 120 pounds, three fewer than Thorn Song. It was the second Firecracker victory for Mott, who also won the race in 1993 with Cleone. Mott now has a record 75 career stakes wins at Churchill Downs.

            A 5-year-old Kentucky-bred son of Storm Cat, Mr. Sidney returned $6.40, $4 and $2.80. Inca King paid $7.80 and $4.20 with Seaspeak finishing another 3 ¾ lengths back in third under Robby Albarado and paying $3 to show. Completing the field in order were Thorn Song, Tizdejavu, Wise River and Passager.

            The 2009 Spring Meet concludes Sunday with an 11-race program that begins at 12:45 p.m. (all times EDT). The closing-day feature is the 28th running of the $100,000-added Locust Grove Handicap (Grade III) for older fillies and mares going a mile on the Matt Winn Turf Course. The Locust Grove goes as Race 10 with a 5:29 p.m. post time.

POST-RACE QUOTES – THE FIRECRACKER HANDICAP

KENNY McCARTHY, assistant trainer of MR. SIDNEY (winner)

“Obviously he proved at Keeneland that he likes this kind of course with a little give in the ground. The weather didn’t bother us in the least. It set up good with the speed in there. I thought actually they’d go even a little quicker that what they did, but you know it set up nicely for us to come. He was right on today.”

KENT DESORMEAUX, jockey of MR. SIDNEY (winner)

            “Today we were hoping for Mother Nature to play our card and it really did. He is a playful horse but today he was totally professional. He really gave me a lovely ride. He was always in hand and attentive to my needs. He really gave me a great ride.”

SHAUN BRIDGMOHAN, jockey on INCA KING (runner-up)

“He handled everything good.  The horse likes this turf course.  I thought he ran very hard.

            “He tried for me the whole time.  He’s got an affinity for this turf course and he did run his race.  He didn’t give up – he kept trying the whole way.”

ROBBY ALBARADO, jockey on SEASPEAK (third)

“I think he would have appreciated it if it was a little firmer.  Having said that, I can’t take anything away from the top two – they ran great.  He was steady.  He didn’t diminish or anything, and he didn’t accelerate with them.  He was steady the whole way.”

Q: Did you think at any point you had a chance to win it?

“Up the backside he was fine, but when the running started he just started showing some signs that he wasn’t getting hold of it as well as you’d hope he would.”

DALE ROMANS, trainer of defending winner THORN SONG (fourth)

“I don’t know why he’s changed.  He hasn’t run good on soft turf this year.  Last year he won a couple of races on it, but this year he hasn’t like it at all.   Mike (Smith) was just trying to find a spot (on the course) that he would like.  But it looked like he came back good and we live to fight another day.”

MIKE SMITH, jockey on THORN SONG (fourth)

“He really struggled.  You could probably physically see it with him.  I was telling Dale (Romans) he just got his head so high up and he just didn’t get hold of nothing.  I was searching for some ground (that he’d like) and I just never hit anything.  I was happy at least with the way he fought back for fourth and that he didn’t just completely give up, as bad as he was handling it.”

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Zayat Stables’ Thorn Song will attempt to become the first repeat winner of the $150,000-added Firecracker Handicap when he takes on seven rivals in the Grade II, one-mile turf race on Saturday’s Independence Day program at Churchill Downs.

The Firecracker will go as the 10th race on the 11-race holiday card that opens with a first post of 12:45 p.m. (all times EDT). Post time for the Firecracker is 5:29 p.m.

Trained by Dale Romans, Thorn Song went wire to wire on a yielding Matt Winn Turf Course last year in defeating multiple Grade I winner Einstein and three others. The victory was the second in the Firecracker for Romans, who took the race in 2005 with Kitten’s Joy, the Louisville-born trainer’s Eclipse Award turf champion of 2004.

Carrying top weight of 123 pounds, Thorn Song will be ridden by Mike Smith and break from post position four in the 19th running of the Firecracker.  Thorn Song will be conceding from 3-9 pounds to his seven rivals.

Thorn Song has posted a record of 8-2-2 in 20 races with earnings of $1,093,711 since moving to the turf in the summer of 2007. He has won a pair of Grade I turf events since his upset over Einstein in last year’s Firecracker.  He took the Shadwell Turf Mile at Keeneland last fall and won the Shoemaker Mile at Hollywood Park in his most recent start on May 25.  Smith, who won by the Kentucky Derby (GI) at Churchill Downs aboard Giacomo in 2005, rode Thorn Song for the first time in the Shoemaker.

The second starting high weights at 120 pounds are Circle E Racing’s Mr. Sidney, trained by Hall of Famer Bill Mott, and Michael Cooper and Pamela Ziebarth’s Tizdejavu, who is unbeaten on the Churchill Downs grass course for trainer Greg Fox.

In his most recent turf outing, Mr. Sidney won the Maker’s Mark Mile (Grade I) at Keeneland under Kent Desormeaux, who will ride Saturday.  Mott, the all-time leader in stakes victories at Churchill Downs, won the Firecracker in 1993 with Cleone. 

Tizdejavu returned from a nine-month layoff to win an optional claiming turf test on May 17 and run his record over the Matt Winn Turf Course to 3-for-3. Jon Court has the riding assignment on Tizdejavu who won the American Turf (Grade III) and Jefferson Cup (Grade II) here last spring.  The Tiznow colt also won the American Derby (GII) at Arlington Park and was third to Winchester in the Secretariat (GI) at the Chicago track.

The field for the Firecracker, from the hedge out, is as follows: Inca King (Shaun Bridgmohan, 115 pounds), Seaspeak (Robby Albarado, 118), Wise River (Jamie Theriot, 118), Thorn Song (Mike Smith, 123), Mr. Sidney (Kent Desormeaux, 120), Passager (FR) (Jono Jones, 118), Tizdejavu (Jon Court, 120) and Artic Cry (Corey Lanerie, 114).

LUKAS HALFWAY HOME TO DEBUTANTE-BASHFORD MANOR DOUBLE – Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas has now won the Debutante Stakes (GIII) a record seven times and also holds the Bashford Manor (GIII) record with five wins, but he has never swept Churchill Downs’ marquee Spring Meet juvenile events in the same year.

Lukas took the first step toward that double on Saturday when Westrock Stables’ Decelerator posted a gritty neck victory over Wild Forest Cat in the Debutante.

“They are both good this morning,” Lukas said on Sunday, referring to Decelerator and Tidal Pool, who ran fourth in the Debutante in the Westrock silks. “They will both be going to Saratoga.”

Lukas has won five 2-year-old races with four horses this spring. In addition to the two Debutante fillies, Lukas has won races with Westrock runners Soundman and Westrock Gold.  Both colts are being aimed toward Friday’s 108th Bashford Manor.

“They are both doing great and will run,” Lukas said. “Soundman worked Saturday (1:01.80 for five furlongs) and Westrock Gold worked today (half-mile in :48.80).”

Lukas also said that “nothing is on the horizon” for Robert Baker and William Mack’s Flying Private. Sixth in the Belmont Stakes (Grade I) in his most recent start, Flying Private and Kentucky Derby (GI) winner Mine That Bird were the only two horses to run in all three legs of the Triple Crown this spring.

CAPT. CANDYMAN CAN GEARS UP FOR SARATOGA – Away from the hustle and bustle of the Churchill Downs backstretch, Capt. Candyman Can has begun preparations for the second half of 2009 that will open with the $150,000 Amsterdam (Grade II) at 6 ½ furlongs at Saratoga on Aug. 3.

    Owned by Joseph Rauch and David Zell, Capt. Candyman Can worked a half-mile in :51.40 over the synthetic Pro-Ride surface on Wednesday at the Skylight Training Center in nearby Goshen.  It was the Candy Ride gelding’s first work since winning the May 16 Matt Winn Stakes at Churchill Downs.

    “I just wanted to freshen him up and out there I can turn him out in a paddock for a couple of hours a day,” trainer Ian Wilkes said. “I will probably let him stay out there unless I see a reason to change. He is doing very well out there, but then he does good here too.”

    In addition to the Matt Winn, Capt. Candyman Can won the Iroquois (Grade III) here last fall. This year he has won the Hutcheson (Grade II) at Gulfstream Park and the Bay Shore (Grade III) at Aqueduct. Wilkes plans to ship Capt. Candyman Can to Saratoga on July 19 or 20.

    Also headed to Saratoga that day will be Fleur de Lis (Grade II) winner Miss Isella, who is being pointed to the $300,000 Go For Wand Handicap (Grade I) on Aug. 2.

    Closer on the radar for Wilkes is Saturday’s $200,000 Dwyer (Grade II) at Belmont Park for Warrior’s Reward, runner-up in the Northern Dancer (Grade III) here on June 13. Warrior’s Reward had his first work since the Northern Dancer last Tuesday, a half-mile in :49.

    “He’s doing fine and will work tomorrow morning and fly to Belmont on Tuesday,” Wilkes said of Warrior’s Reward, who also could show up in major Saratoga races in August. “Right now we are just taking it one step at a time.”

DERBY WINNER MINE THAT BIRD SET FOR MONDAY WORK -- Kentucky Derby (GI) winner Mine That Bird is scheduled to work a half-mile Monday morning after the renovation break with jockey Calvin Borel up.

The work will be the first for Mine That Bird since he finished third in the Belmont Stakes (Grade I) on June 6. Trainer Chip Woolley plans to ship Mine That Bird to Mountaineer the third weekend of July in time to get in two breezes over the track in preparation for the Aug. 1 West Virginia Derby (Grade II).

Mine That Bird went twice around the main track Sunday with exercise rider Rudy Gallegos up.
    
DEFENDING CHAMPION THORN SONG ASSIGNED TOP WEIGHT FOR FIRECRACKER – Zayat Stables’ Thorn Song, winner of the Grade I Shoemaker Mile at Hollywood Park in his most recent start, was assigned top weight of 123 pounds by Racing Secretary Ben Huffman for Saturday’s 19th running of the $150,000-added Firecracker Handicap (GII) at a mile on the Matt Winn Turf Course.

    Trained by Dale Romans, Thorn Song won last year’s Firecracker under 118 pounds in defeating four rivals that included the favored Einstein.

    Sharing the second high weight of 120 pounds are Michael Cooper and Pamela Ziebarth’s Tizdejavu and Circle E Racing’s Mr. Sidney. Tizdejavu won the American Turf (Grade III) and the Jefferson Cup (Grade II) at Churchill Downs last spring and Mr. Sidney won this spring’s Maker’s Mark Mile (Grade I) at Keeneland. Both runners are considered as possible starters by the Churchill Downs racing office.

    Others considered as probable for the Firecracker are Seaspeak (118), Wise River (118), Wicked Style (115), Artic Cry (114) and Veiled Prophet (113).

    Entries for the Firecracker will be taken Wednesday.

ACOMA ASSIGNED HIGH WEIGHT OF 122 POUNDS FOR CLOSING-DAY LOCUST GROVE HANDICAP – Helen Alexander and Helen Groves’ Acoma, winner of the Early Times Mint Julep Handicap (Grade III) in her most recent start, was assigned high weight of 122 pounds for the 28th running of the $100,000-added Locust Grove Handicap (Grade III) to be run on the closing day of the Spring Meet, July 5.

    Trainer David Carroll said Acoma is not expected to run in the Locust Grove.

As of Sunday, Churchill Downs racing officials had five horses considered as probable for the one-mile test on the Matt Winn Turf Course.

Among the probables, the top weights at 116 pounds go Kim and John Glenney’s Gloria Goodbody and James Spence’s Tensas Yucatan. Other probables with their weight assignments are Closeout (115), Flaming Slew (114) and Stealin’ Kisses (112).

    Entries for the Locust Grove will be taken Thursday.

BARN TALK – Trainer William “Buff” Bradley said Sunday morning that Brass Hat, owned by his father Fred, would run in Saturday’s $750,000 United Nations Handicap (Grade I) at 1 3/8 miles at Monmouth Park. “He is leaving Tuesday and Stewart Elliott will ride him,” Buff Bradley said. An earner of more than $1.8 million, Brass Hat won the Louisville Handicap (Grade III) in his most recent start on May 23.

     A new face in the barn area is apprentice rider Stephanie Slinger. Agent Steve Elzey has lined up three mounts for Slinger when she makes her Churchill Downs debut on the “Downs After Dark” night racing program on Thursday, July 2.  Slinger will target  Ellis Park and Indiana Downs this summer. “I watched the Kentucky Derby in 1995 with D. Wayne Lukas, Gary Stevens and Thunder Gulch and I decided I wanted to be a jockey,” said Slinger, who was an 8-year-old at the time and living in Detroit. Slinger has galloped horses for trainers such as Lukas, Bobby Frankel, Patrick Biancone and Mike Maker and Sunday morning got on a horse for Tom Bohannan.

     Julien Leparoux rode one winner on Saturday’s card to increase his lead over Calvin Borel in the race for leading rider with five days remaining in the meet to four (57-53). Leparoux is named on eight mounts Sunday and Borel seven. After Sunday, Leparoux will ride only the Thursday and Friday cards. On Saturday, he will be at Arlington Park to ride Informed Decision in the Chicago Handicap (Grade III) and on Sunday he will be at Hollywood Park to ride Magical Affair in the American Oaks (Grade I) and Rebellion in the Triple Bend Handicap (Grade I). Borel will be at Belmont Park on Saturday to ride Warrior’s Reward in the Dwyer Stakes (Grade II).

    Miguel Mena’s four-win day on Saturday boosted his meet total to 38 to move into a tie for third in the standings with Robby Albarado. Three of the victories were for trainer Dale Romans, who now has 12 wins for the meet and 469 total at Churchill Downs … two fewer than D. Wayne Lukas for second all time. Bill Mott is the career win leader at Churchill Downs with 621 victories.    

MILESTONE WATCH -- William Connelly, who has 999 career victories, failed to reach the 1,000 mark Saturday night when Bred to Win finished second in the seventh race at Indiana Downs. Connelly’s next shot at the milestone will come Wednesday night when he sends out Brilliant Bid in the fifth race at Indiana Downs.

WORK TAB (Track: FAST) – Helen Alexander’s Selva, prepping for a run in Saturday’s Grade I Prioress at Belmont Park, worked a half-mile in :49 over a fast track Sunday morning. Team Valor International’s King of the Roxy, away from the races since April 2008, worked a half-mile in :48.20. Mark Stanley’s Swift Temper, runner-up in the Fleur de Lis (Grade II) on June 13, worked a half-mile in :49.40. Don Benge’s Wise River, prepping for Saturday’s Firecracker Handicap, worked a half-mile in :50.60.

LIFELONG RACETRACKER FOLEY ON CUSP OF CHURCHILL MILESTONE – The question brought a chuckle from trainer Greg Foley.

“The first time my dad brought me to the race track? I guess I was 3 or 4,” the 51-year-old Foley said. “When I was 5 or 6, I was walking hots.”

The son of trainer Dravo Foley, Greg Foley enters Thursday’s card with 299 career victories beneath the Twin Spires and he has two horses entered on Thursday’s card in his bid to become the 12th trainer to achieve 300 victories at Churchill Downs.

Foley was 23 when he won his first race at Churchill Downs during the 1981 Spring Meet and he won his only training title here in the 1991 Spring Meet when he saddled 17 winners. All of his early hands-on experience was learned in his father’s barn.    “Take care of the horse first. He drilled that in me from the word ‘go,’ ” Foley said of the best advice he received from his father. “There are no shortcuts when it comes to taking care of horses. Have them fit before they run and keep them happy.”

The best horse Foley had was Champali, who accounted for three of the four stakes Foley has accrued at Churchill Downs. Champali won the 2002 Iroquois (Grade III), 2003 Northern Dancer and the 2004 Aristides (GIII), the latter in a 4-year-old campaign that took Foley to the Breeders’ Cup Sprint (GI) at Lone Star Park.  Champali finished seventh in that race.

In his barn today, Foley cares for six offspring of Champali.

“I have three 2-year-olds and three 3-year-olds by Champali.” Foley said. “They are all sound horses and I have won some races with them. He was like that and a very easy horse to train.”

Foley’s first shot at 300 will come in the fifth race with Izzy Ali, a 3-year-old son of Champali. He also will send out Lil’ Moor Dixie in the seventh.

“I hadn’t really thought much about it (300 wins), but not a lot of guys have done that and it would be pretty neat,” Foley said. “This has been our home track, so it would be special.”

Foley could become the fourth trainer to reach the 300-win milestone this meet, joining Tom Amoss, Lynn Whiting and David Vance.

DEFENDING CHAMPION THORN SONG TOPS LIST OF FIRECRACKER NOMINATIONS – Zayat Stables’ Thorn Song, winner of the 2008 Firecracker Handicap (Grade II), headlines a list of 43 nominees for the 19th running of the $150,000-added one-mile test scheduled for July 4 over the Matt Winn Turf Course.

    Trained by Dale Romans, who also won the Firecracker in 2005 with Kitten’s Joy, Thorn Song showed a return to top form by getting his second Grade I victory in his most recent start, the Shoemaker Mile at Hollywood Park on May 25. In addition to the Firecracker, Thorn Song also won the Shadwell Turf Mile (Grade I) last fall at Keeneland.

    Thorn Song worked five furlongs on the firm turf Thursday morning in 1:01.40 around the “dogs.”
The only other Grade I winner among the nominees is Circle E Racing’s Mr. Sidney, who captured the Maker’s Mark Mile this spring at Keeneland for trainer Bill Mott.

    Also included among the nominees are three horses who have enjoyed considerable success over the Matt Winn Turf Course.

    Heiligbrodt Racing Stable’s Inca King has won three stakes on the grass here, the Opening Verse in 2008, the Commonwealth Turf and the Grade II Jefferson Cup in 2007; Chrysalis Stables’ Silverfoot, a three-time Louisville Handicap (Grade III) winner who is 5-for-7 over the Matt Winn Turf Course; and, Michael Cooper and Pamela Ziebarth’s Tizdejavu, 3-for-3 on the course including victories in the American Turf (Grade III) and Jefferson Cup in 2008.

    Weights for the Firecracker will be released on Saturday.

CLOSING-DAY LOCUST GROVE ATTRACTS 33 NOMINATIONS – Helen Alexander and Helen Groves’ Acoma, winner of the Early Times Mint Julep (Grade III) on June 6, tops a list of 33 nominations for the 28th running of the $100,000-added Locust Grove Handicap (Grade III).

    The Locust Grove, for fillies and mares 3-years-old and up going a mile on the Matt Winn Turf Course, serves as the centerpiece of the closing-day program on July 5.

    Trained by David Carroll, Acoma added the Mint Julep score to her victory in last fall’s Grade II Mrs. Revere on the turf. Acoma is 4-for-4 overall at Churchill Downs and undefeated in six starts in the state of Kentucky.

    Two of the fillies who chased Acoma in the Mint Julep are included in the Locust Grove nominees.
 Darley Stable’s Tizaqueena finished third to Acoma, but earlier in the meet won the Grade II Distaff Turf Mile here. Glen Hill Farm’s Closeout was fifth in the Mint Julep in her 2009 debut off a nearly eight-month layoff.

James Barry’s Genuine Devotion (IRE) won the 2008 Locust Grove in the first running of the race at the mile distance on the turf.

Weights for the Locust Grove will be announced Sunday.

TWENTY 2-YEAR-OLDS NOMINATED TO BASHFORD MANOR – Fillies have won the $100,000-added Bashford Manor (Grade III) three times and two 2-year-old fillies have been nominated to this year’s edition, which will be run on July 3.

    Fiesty Ex and Kinsolving, both from the Heiligbrodt Racing Stable, are among the four nominees for trainer Steve Asmussen to the six-furlong event at on the main track. Asmussen, who has won the Bashford Manor twice, also nominated Grand Slam Andre and Western Smoke, both owned by J. Kirk Robison.

    Fiesty Ex broke her maiden at first asking on April 30 and Kinsolving finished sixth the same day in the Kentucky Juvenile (Grade III) after winning her April 17 debut at Keeneland.  Kinsolving is entered in Saturday’s Debutante (Grade III) for fillies.

Western Smoke was fourth in the Kentucky Juvenile and recently finished second to fellow Bashford Manor nominee Brassy Boy in a June 11 allowance race here. Grand Slam Andre broke his maiden in his second try in winning by 7 ¾ lengths on June 4.

    Other first-time maiden special weight winners nominated to the Bashford Manor are Gold Mark Farm’s Backtalk, a half-brother to graded stakes winner Bsharpsonata, and Ken and Sarah Ramsey’s Satisfied Mind, who is trained by Wesley Ward.

Ward saddled the 1-2 finishers, Aegean and Jealous Again, in the Kentucky Juvenile. He took those fillies to England last week and each scored victories in stakes races at the famed Royal Ascot meet.
    Fillies to win the Bashford Manor are Miss Patience (1933), Royal Pam (1938) and Miss Ra He Ra (1993). The race was open to fillies from 1932-38 and reopened to both sexes in 1989.

BARN TALK – Woodford Racing LLC’s Manners became the first offspring of Rock Hard Ten to reach the races when the 2-year-old filly ran 10th in Sunday’s eighth race. Rock Hard Ten, who retired from racing in 2005 with a record of 11-7-1-1 with earnings of $1,870,380, did not have enough graded stakes earnings to make the 2004 Kentucky Derby, a race won by Smarty Jones. Rock Hard Ten ran second to Smarty Jones in the Preakness and concluded his career with five graded stakes victories including Grade I scores in the Malibu and Santa Anita Handicap.

    Entering the final eight days of the meet, Julien Leparoux has a 55-51 advantage on Calvin Borel in the chase for leading rider. Leparoux has five mounts and Borel six on Thursday’s card. Leparoux has won four riding titles at Churchill Downs and Borel two. Both riders will be out of town for part of the weekend and miss one program: Leparoux rides Friday night at Prairie Meadows on Nursery Rhyme in the Saylorville Stakes and Moonport in the Iowa Derby, both for trainer Ian Wilkes. Borel, who is named on 10 mounts Friday night, will be at Belmont Park on Saturday to ride Kentucky Oaks (Grade I) and Preakness (Grade I) winner Rachel Alexandra in the Grade I Mother Goose. Other Churchill Downs regulars riding Friday night at Prairie Meadows are Robby Albarado, Miguel Mena and Shaun Bridgmohan. Leparoux and Albarado will return to Iowa on Saturday night for stakes engagements after riding at Churchill Downs that afternoon.

MILESTONE WATCH – Churchill Downs-based trainer William Connelly moved closer to the 1,000-victory plateau on Monday night when Just Memories gave him win No. 999. Just Memories, a 3-year-old filly, broke her maiden in a five-furlong turf sprint in the second race at Indiana Downs. Connelly can hit the milestone on Thursday’s card when he sends out Hungry Tigress in the eighth race.