Mike Stidham

RULER ON ICE BREEZES HALF-MILE IN PREP FOR CLARK HANDICAP – Ruler On Ice, winner of the Belmont Stakes (Grade I), has joined the roster of horses that will compete in the 137^th running of the $500,000-added Clark Handicap Presented by Norton Healthcare (GI) on Friday, Nov. 25 at Churchill Downs.

Ruler On Ice breezed five furlongs on Friday in :48.60 for trainer Kelly Breen  over a fast main track at Churchill Downs.  It was his first breeze since the Classic and his only major training move prior to the Clark.

Starting two lengths behind stablemate Nacho Friend and finishing even with his workmate at the wire, the Kelly Breen-trained Ruler On Ice recorded fractions of :24.60 and :36.60 and galloped out five furlongs in 1:02. The four-furlong time was the 12^th fastest of 47 at the distance.

“It was excellent,” Breen said. “It was a textbook work and he seems to really like this track.”

George and Lori Hall’s will be entered in the Clark off a third-place finish behind Drosselmeyer and Game On Dude in the $5 million Breeders’ Cup Classic (GI) at Churchill Downs on Nov. 5. It was the first start against older horses for the 3-year-old son of Roman Ruler.

“I’m very happy to report that he came out of the race in good order and he’s currently in great shape,” Breen said. “He’s eating well and training well. He’s a lean, mean fighting machine.”

Breen said Ruler On Ice came out of his Classic run in great condition, and the gelding's well-being and the uncertain nature of this year’s Eclipse Awards races were the major factors in the decision to run in the Clark.

“We’re thinking that if he wins this race then he is in the running for champion 3-year-old,” Breen said. “That would give us two Grade I wins and he would be beating older horses (in the Clark).”

Other horses working at Churchill Downs on Friday morning included Clark Handicap candidates General Quarters and Equestrio.

Tom McCarthy’s General Quarters, a multiple Grade I-winner with over $1.2 million in earnings, breezed five furlongs on the main track in 1:01.80.  He covered the distance in fractional splits of :12.60, :25, :37.20 and galloped out six furlongs in 1:15.40.  The work was the 11^th fastest of 41 at the distance.

Thoroughbred Legends Racing Stable’s Equestrio, third by a head to First Dude in the Alysheba (GIII) on Kentucky Oaks Day, breezed a “bullet” four furlongs in :47 for trainer Nick Zito. A 4-year-old son of Elusive Quality, Equestrio recorded fractions of :12.20 and :24 and galloped out five furlongs in 1:00.60.

STIDHAM HOPES GLEAM OF HOPE MAINTAINS FOCUS IN RIVER CITY – Gleam of Hope hasn’t been the most consistent or focused horse since he joined Mike Stidham’s barn earlier this year, but the 53-year-old trainer hopes that will change in Saturday’s 34^th running of the $100,000-added River City Handicap (GIII) at 1 1/8 miles on the Matt Winn Turf Course.

“He came under our care this summer and we gelded him shortly after his win in the allowance at Arlington Park,” Stidham said. “He ran well as a first-time gelding (a runner-up finish to Princeville Condo in the Robert F. Carey Memorial at Hawthorne) and we’re hoping that gelding him will keep him focused and make him a more consistent horse.”

Gleam of Hope, a 4-year-old son of City Zip who won last year’s Jefferson Cup (GIII) at Churchill Downs, will break from post three under jockey Corey Lanerie as he returns to familiar surroundings at the Louisville track.

“I looked at the race and it is a very competitive field,” Stidham said. “There doesn’t appear to be any standouts.”

Since his runner-up effort in the Robert F. Carey Memorial, Gleam of Hope has worked twice over the Polytrack at Keeneland. In his most recent work on Nov. 12, he went five furlongs handily in :59, which was the fastest work of 30 at the distance.

“Both of his works since his last race have been very good,” Stidham said. “I know our horse is doing well and training well and I think he has a good shot.”

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

ASMUSSEN EYES 6,000^TH WIN ON 46^TH BIRTHDAY – Trainer Steve Asmussen has the chance to give himself a rare birthday present on Friday: a 6,000^th career training victory.

Asmussen, who turns 46 on Friday, recorded his first victory at age 20 at New Mexico’s Ruidoso Downs.  He entered Friday’s racing with 5,998 career wins and had 10 horses entered throughout the day at two racetracks: Churchill Downs and Remington Park. Below is a chronological listing of the 10 horses entered for Asmussen on Friday. All times listed are Eastern.

• Churchill Downs, Race 1, 4:30 p.m., #3 Banded (5-2 morning line)
• Churchill Downs, Race 3, 5:27 p.m., #3 Grinning Gang (3-1)
• Churchill Downs, Race 6, 7:00 p.m., #2 Beer Garden (5-1) and #9 Quiet Command (12-1)
• Remington Park, Race 1, 7:30 p.m., #1 Lucky Gold Coin (8-1) and #9 Basalt (10-1)
• Remington Park, Race 4, 8:54 p.m., #13 La Belle Bear (also-eligible, 7-2)
• Remington Park, Race 5, 9:22 p.m., #4 Letsgetitonmon (7-2)
• Remington Park, Race 8, 10:46 p.m., #3 Pleasantly Blessed (6-5) and #6 Acanella (5-1)

Asmussen, who has won 10 leading-trainer titles at Churchill Downs and is currently second in the trainer standings behind Mike Maker with nine wins at the Fall Meet, would be just the fifth trainer to reach the 6,000 victory milestone. A two-time Eclipse Award winner for Outstanding Trainer, he recorded his 5,000^th victory with Passion Rules at Woodbine on Sept. 11, 2009.

BARN TALK – Preston Stables LLC’s Clark Handicap-hopeful Flat Out is scheduled to breeze at Churchill Downs between 6-7 a.m. Saturday morning for trainer Scooter Dickey. Greta Kuntzweiler will be in the irons for the work, but Alex Solis will have the mount in the Clark. …

Summer Tremor, a half-sister to 2005 2-year-old champion colt Stevie Wonderboy, will make her second start in Saturday’s fifth race at Churchill Downs. Trained by Rusty Arnold, Summer Tremor is the 9-5 morning-line favorite in the field of 10. …

It is “Pony Up for Charity” weekend beneath the Twin Spires. Patrons attending Churchill Downs during the weekend’s races will have the opportunity at all food and beverage points of sale to add $1 or more to their tab to benefit the day’s designated charitable organization. Proceeds from Friday will be donated to the New Vocations Racehorse Adoption Program, Saturday’s proceeds will be donated to The Lord’s Kitchen and Sunday’s donations will benefit Horses and Hope.  

WHO’S HOT – The hottest jockey over the last five racing days (Nov. 11-17) is Julien Leparoux (9-for-31). Dale Romans (4-for-11) and Mike Maker (4-for-12) are the hottest trainers over the same period and Ken and Sarah Ramsey (4-for-10) are the hottest owners.

WORKTAB – Bobby Flay’s Super Espresso, seventh in the Breeders’ Cup Ladies Classic (Grade I) in her most recent start, breezed four furlongs in company with Giant Sensation on a fast main track at Churchill Downs on Friday morning in :47.80 for trainer Todd Pletcher. Super Espresso recorded fractions of :12.20,, :24.20, :35.80 and galloped out five furlongs in 1:00.60 and six furlongs in 1:14.20.  She is nominated to the $175,000-added Falls City Handicap for fillies and mares at 1 1/8 miles on the main track on Thanksgiving Day. …

Wayne Sanders and Larry Hirsch’s Gran Lioness breezed four furlongs on the main track in :49.80 for trainer Bret Calhoun. The work was the 28^th fastest of 47 at the distance. Gran Lioness has not raced since finishing third to Salty Strike in the Dogwood (GIII) at Churchill Downs in June.

SUPER SAVER MAKES TWO-TURN DEBUT IN KENTUCKY JOCKEY CLUB – The field for Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes (Grade II) is now assembled at Churchill Downs, with WinStar Farm’s Super Saver being the last to arrive.

Michael Dilger, who oversees trainer Todd Pletcher’s string at Churchill Downs, hopes the Belmont Park shipper can be the first to finish in Saturday’s “Stars of Tomorrow II” co-feature and add a bright ending to a frustrating Fall Meet.

“I’d like to leave here with more than two wins,” Dilger said of a meet that also has featured seven runner-up finishes from 28 starters. “Five would be real nice.”

Super Saver arrived at Churchill Downs on Monday. It was Dilger’s first time working with Super Saver.

“He didn’t make the Delaware Park cut,” Dilger said with a laugh referring to where he kept a Pletcher string this summer and fall. “This will get him a chance to go two turns and he’s by Maria’s Mon and he’s already had a (Kentucky) Derby winner (Monarchos in 2001).”

Calvin Borel, who rode John C. Oxley’s Beethoven to victory in last year’s Kentucky Jockey Club, has the mount on Super Saver on Saturday. Super Saver is listed as the 5-2 second choice on the morning line.

  Super Saver, fourth in his stakes debut in the Champagne (GI) at Belmont Park on Oct. 10, is not the only promising 2-year-old under Dilger’s care in Pletcher’s Churchill Downs barn.  One of those is Rule, a homebred son of Roman Ruler also owned by WinStar.  While the rest of the barn begins to ship to Florida early next week, Dilger will remain at Churchill Downs with Rule.

“He’s going to the Delta Jackpot (GIII), the $750,000 race at Delta Downs next Friday,” Dilger said. “I will stay here with the one horse until Wednesday. He’ll train that morning and then leave about 8 a.m. for Louisiana.”

Rule won the ungraded Jean Lafitte by nine lengths on Nov. 6 at Delta Downs in track-record time of 1:37.45 for the mile.  He has a career record of 2-1-1 in four races.

In addition to Super Saver, the Pletcher barn has four other juveniles entered in races on Saturday’s racing card.

Dilger said on Friday morning that Team Valor International’s Unbridled Belle came out of her third-place finish in Thursday’s Falls City Handicap (GII) in good order.   The Falls City was the final race for the Grade I-winning daughter of Broken Vow. “She left this morning for Hill ‘N’ Dale Farm, which was a little ironic,” Dilger said. John Sikura, who is president of Hill ‘N” Dale, is co-owner of Falls City winner Serenading.

UPPERLINE READY FOR TEST RUN AT CHURCHILL DOWNS – Upperline could have stayed in Louisiana to make her initial start on a dirt after launching her career with three outings on Polytrack. Instead, she traveled to Churchill Downs for Saturday’s 66th running of the Golden Rod Stakes (GII).

  “There is not a lot for 2-year-old fillies down there right now,” said Joe Sharp, assistant to trainer and part owner Mike Stidham.

But what about the $500,000 Delta Princess (GIII) next Friday at Delta Downs?

“She was nominated here and, based on her works at the Fair Grounds and the way she handled the dirt, we came here,” Sharp said of Upperline, who turned in a trio of solid works on Fair Grounds’ dirt course. “If it turns out she handles the dirt fine here and runs well, you will know where you are when you come in next spring.”

Upperline, whose ownership team also includes Stone Farm, John Adger and Oak Crest Farm, debuted at Arlington Park with a victory at seven furlongs. She came back in August to run second in Arlington’s Top Flight to She Be Wild, who went on to win the Grey Goose Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies (GI) at Santa Anita.

Stidham, who is scheduled to be here Saturday, took Upperline to Keeneland from Chicago and the daughter of Maria’s Mon scored a two-turn allowance win as the favorite defeating Golden Rod rival Vivid Colors.

E.T. Baird, who was aboard for the Keeneland victory, has the mount Saturday.

THANKSGIVING WINNER MOON TOWN BOUND FOR MALIBU AT SANTA ANITA – Thanksgiving Day turned out to be a banner day for the Melnyk Racing Stable of Eugene Melnyk and trainer Ken McPeek as they combined to send out two eye-catching winners in the 2-year-old Carrington Village and 3-year-old Moon Town.

“Moon Town is headed to the Malibu,” said Billy Wright, assistant to McPeek on Friday morning in reference to the $300,000 Grade I race for 3-year-olds over Santa Anita’s synthetic Pro-Ride surface on Dec. 26. “He is flying out Tuesday morning along with Dream Empress, Best Lass and Indianapolis.”

The 3-year-old, an easy winner in one-mile allowance race on turf, will be one of 13 horses that McPeek will have in training in Southern California.

Moon Town, a homebred son of Speightstown, had posted two impressive victories over the Polytrack at Keeneland prior to Thursday’s win in the 10th race.

“The only time he had been on grass before yesterday was in the pasture,” Wright said. “We expected him to be on the lead yesterday, but a bunch of them went out there and Kent (Desormeaux) just waited and kept him in the clear.”

Moon Town won by 5 ¼ lengths in an effort that was nearly a carbon copy of the debut of Carrington Village, another Melnyk homebred, under Desormeaux two races earlier on the holiday card.

Carrington Village, a gelded son of El Corredor, broke last in the field of 12 and was 22 lengths off the lead at the first call of the race. He was still next to last with a quarter-mile to go in the six-furlong test, but Carrington Village shot by the field to win by a comfortable 3 ¼ lengths.

“We have no plan yet for him,” Wright said. “We will look at him today. Maybe he will go to Gulfstream Park with me.”

The two victories allowed McPeek to reach a Churchill Downs milestone. With Moon Town’s score, McPeek reached 250 victories at the track.  He is the 18th trainer to have reached that level.    

BARN TALK – Kentucky Oaks (GI) winner and “Horse of the Year” contender Rachel Alexandra left Churchill Downs at 5:30 on Friday morning headed to the Fair Grounds in New Orleans according to Scott Blasi, assistant to leading trainer Steve Asmussen. Undefeated in eight starts in 2009, Rachel Alexandra returned to light training on Monday after having seven weeks off after returning from Saratoga where she defeated older males in the Woodward (GI) in her most recent start on Sept. 5.

    Joseph Sutton’s Warbling, who overcame a bad start to improve her record to 2-for-2 on Thursday with a head victory, proved she can handle dirt as well as Polytrack. “She lost her footing coming out of the gate sideways,” trainer Eddie Kenneally said of Warbling, a 3-year-old daughter of Unbridled’s Song who won her debut by 7 ½ lengths at Keeneland on Oct. 30. “She’ll go to Florida and you’ll probably see her go in a stake soon. She’s a nice filly.”

It has been said that “good things come to those who wait,” and the adage was never more true than Thursday when Walking the Beach won the 12th race in his debut by 1 ½ lengths. “That was kind of the reason we stayed here, to run him and Indygo Mountain,” said Dennis “Peaches” Geier, assistant to trainer Bret Calhoun. “We thought he was pretty special the whole time and he ran like we thought he would.” Cobra Cooper Racing (Ted Cooper) owns Walking the Beach, a son of Medaglia d’Oro for whom he paid $325,000. “The owner is a great guy and he usually buys one horse a year for $200,000 or $300,000,” Geier said. “He hasn’t had a lot of luck, but I told him yesterday that he’d be getting a lot of calls (about selling the colt) and he said not to worry, he’s not selling.” Walking the Beach will spend the winter in New Orleans at the Fair Grounds along with Indygo Mountain, who was scheduled to make his return to the races from a February injury in Friday’s 10th race. “He acts like he’s ready,” Geier said.

Julian Leparoux concluded his stay at Churchill Downs for the Fall Meet with three victories Thursday, including a win aboard Serenading in the Falls City Handicap (GII). Leparoux, who will be riding this weekend in the Japan Cup in Tokyo, completed the meet with 27 victories and increased his career total at the track to 405. His Thanksgiving Day performance moved his past Earlie Fires (403) and into 14th place all time beneath the Twin Spires. Calvin Borel rode one winner to boost his meet total to 23. Borel is named on nine mounts Friday and 12 on Saturday,

Borel is looking for a fast finish to allow him to claim his third Churchill Downs riding crown after a pair of previous Fall Meet championships.  Should Leparoux hang on to his lead despite missing 24 races on Friday and Saturday, he would increase his collection of riding crowns at the home of the Kentucky Derby to six.  He has earned two consecutive Fall Meet titles and three of the past four Spring Meet titles.

WORK TAB – Tom McCarthy’s Toyota Blue Grass (GI) winner General Quarters, gearing up for a 4-year-old campaign after missing the last half of 2009 recovering from injury, worked five furlongs in 1:04.80 over a fast track.  General Quarters finished 10th in the Kentucky Derby (GI) and ninth in the Preakness (GI).

Jerry Romans’ Sassy Image, the stylish two-length winner of the Pocahontas (Grade III) at Churchill Downs on Nov. 1, heads a field of seven 2-year-old fillies entered for Saturday’s 66th running of the $150,000 Golden Rod Stakes (GII) at 1 1/16 miles on the main track.

The Golden Rod, which serves as the co-feature on the closing-day “Stars of Tomorrow II” card exclusively for 2-year-olds, will go as the ninth race on the 12-race card with an approximate post time of 3:28 p.m. (all times ET). First post time Saturday is 11:30 a.m.

Trained by Dale Romans, Sassy Image broke her maiden in her second start this summer at Churchill Downs. She finished second in the Adirondack (GII) and fourth in the Spinaway (GI) at Saratoga before an eighth-place finish over the Polytrack at Keeneland in the Grade I Darley Alcibiades.  She returned to form with her impressive victory in the one-mile Pocahontas in her return to traditional dirt.

Robby Albarado has the call Saturday in the Golden Rod aboard Sassy Image, who is the 2-1 favorite in oddsmaker Mike Battaglia’s morning line odds for the race.  The rivals for Sassy Image include three of the fillies that finished right behind in the Pocahontas in Decelerator, All Due Respect and Vivid Colors.

But it is a newcomer – Stone Farm, John Adger, Oak Crest Farm and Michael Stidham’s Upperline – who is the 5-2 second choice in the Golden Rod morning line.  The Stidham-trained daughter of Maria’s Mon ran second to Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies (GI) winner She Be Wild in the $50,000 Top Flight at Arlington Park and edged Golden Rod rival Vivid Colors by a head in her next start in a Keeneland allowance race.

  All of Upperline’s previous three starts have come on synthetic Polytrack surfaces.  She will be ridden from post three by jockey E.T. Baird.

The field for the Golden Rod, from the rail out, is as follows: Sassy Image (R. Albarado, 119 pounds), All Due Respect (B. Hernandez Jr., 119), Upperline (E. Baird, 119), Vivid Colors (C. Borel, 119), Decelerator (T. Thompson, 119), Canadian Storm (J. Castanon, 119), Quiet Temper (F. Torres, 119).

Rachel Alexandra, the 2009 winner of the Kentucky Oaks (GI) and a contender for “Horse of the Year” honors, won the 2008 Golden Rod for owner-breeder Dolphus Morrison, trainer Hal Wiggins and jockey Calvin Borel.

The Caressing, a $60,000-added overnight stake at a mile on the grass, will be run immediately after the Golden Rod with a field of 12 juvenile fillies. Approximate post time is 3:58 p.m.

Heading the field is Koolman Racing Stable’s Orchestrator, the 5-2 morning line favorite, and Ken and Sarah Ramsey’s Lisa Kitten, the 7-2 second choice.

The former is a daughter of Bernstein who seeks her third consecutive win for trainer Ken McPeek following a victory over soft turf in a one-mile Keeneland allowance race on Oct. 29.  Robby Albarado will ride Orchestrator, who carries 118 pounds and will break from the inside post.  

Lisa’s Kitten, a homebred daughter of Kitten’s Joy, won the La Senorita at Retama Park on Oct. 24 and most recently finished 10th to Tapitsfly in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf at Santa Anita. Trained by Mike Maker, Lisa’s Kitten will be ridden by Miguel Mena and break from post position 10.

The field for the Caressing, from the hedge out, is as follows: Orchestrator (R. Albarado, 116 pounds, 5-2), Rich Pearl (F. Torres, 122, 20-1), Tidal Pool (T. Thompson, 116, 10-1), Greeley’s Rocket (J. Theriot, 116, 8-1), Sheer Beauty (C. Borel, 116, 10-1), Zippy Larry (J. McKee, 116, 30-1), Martita Sangrita (J. Castanon, 116, 12-1), Jody Slew (J. Court, 116, 15-1), Check the Label (G. Saez, 116, 5-1), Lisa’s Kitten (M. Mena, 122, 7-2), Cactus Cadillac (L. Goncalves, 116, 15-1) and Sparky’s Dream (F. Arguello Jr., 116, 15-1).

Darley Stable’s Tizaqueena, winner of the Churchill Distaff Turf Mile (Grade II) on Kentucky Derby Day, will carry top weight of 118 pounds as she faces seven older fillies and mares in Sunday’s 28th running of the $100,000-added Locust Grove Handicap (Grade III).

The Locust Grove, run at a mile over the Matt Winn Turf Course, will go as the 10th race on the 11-race card that closes out Churchill Downs’ 45-day Spring Meet. The program begins with a first post time of 12:45 p.m. (all times EDT).and the Locust Grove is set for 5:29 p.m.

Trained by Michael Stidham, Tizaqueena has won four out of five starts at the mile distance and is 2-for-2 at the distance on the turf. In her most recent start, the 4-year-old daughter of Tiznow finished third behind Acoma and Pure Clan in the 1 1/16-mile Early Times Mint Julep (Grade III) on June 6.

Jamie Theriot, who has been aboard in six of Tizaquenna’s seven starts, has the riding assignment Sunday and will break from post position four. Tizaqueena will concede 2-6 pounds to her rivals.
Sharing the second high weight of 116 pounds are James Spence’s Tensas Yucatan and Kim and John Glenney’s Gloria Goodbody.

Trained by Ralph Nicks, Tensas Yucatan enters the Locust Grove on a three-race win streak. Brian Hernandez Jr. has the call on Tensas Yucatan, who will break from post position one.
John Glenney trains Gloria Goodbody, winner of a June 19 optional claimer at Churchill Downs. Jon Court, who has ridden Gloria Goodbody to three of her four victories, has the call Saturday and will break from post position seven.

The field for the Locust Grove, from the hedge out, is as follows: Tensas Yucatan (Brian Hernandez Jr., 116 pounds), Leamington (Calvin Borel, 115), Closeout (Robby Albarado, 115), Tizaqueena (Jamie Theriot, 118), Zee Zee (Miguel Mena, 114), Namaste’s Wish (Shaun Bridgmohan, 114), Gloria Goodbody (Jon Court, 116) and Stealin’ Kisses (Tony Farina, 112).