Chris Emigh

Sullimar Stables’ Get Stormy and William Stiritz’s Proceed Bee, Grade III turf winners in their most recent starts, headline a field of 10 3-year-olds entered for Sunday’s sixth running of the Grade III $100,000-added Commonwealth Turf.

The Commonwealth Turf, won last year by Nistle’s Crunch, is run at 1 1/16 miles on the Matt Winn Turf Course and will go as the ninth race on Sunday’s 10-race card at 4:37 p.m. (all times EST). First post time is 12:40 p.m.

Get Stormy, trained by Tom Bush, has won his past three starts. The winning streak started with a pair of wins at Saratoga that included an allowance race at a mile on grass at Saratoga and the $80,000 Lure, also run at a mile on turf. Get Stormy then won the Bryan Station at Keeneland by 1 ½ lengths on Oct. 18 under Javier Castellano, who has the mount Sunday. Get Stormy will break from post position one.

Proceed Bee, who has won on grass, dirt and an all-weather track in 2009, won the Hawthorne Derby on Oct. 10 in his most recent start. Trained by Scott Becker, Proceed Bee won the Honor Glide at Arlington Park on Sept. 7 and last fall here on the closing-day “Stars of Tomorrow II” card won the Grand Canyon at a mile and a sixteenth on the Matt Winn Turf Course.

Chris Emigh, who has been aboard Proceed Bee nine times in the gelding’s 14-race career including the past four starts, has the riding assignment on Sunday. Proceed Bee will break from post position 10.

The only graded-stakes winner over the Matt Winn Turf Course in the Commonwealth Turf field is Darley Stable’s Florentino (Jpn), who took the Grade II Jefferson Cup here in June. Trained by Kiaran McLaughlin, Florentino will try to join Inca King as the only horses to win the Jefferson Cup and Commonwealth Turf. Inca King achieved his double in 2007.

Miguel Mena has the call on Florentino on Sunday, breaking from post position three. Florentino, Get Stormy and Proceed Bee will carry high weight of 123 pounds each, conceding 4-6 pounds to their rivals.

   The field for the Commonwealth Turf, from the hedge out, is as follows: Get Stormy (J. Castellano, 123 pounds), Pop Tarrt (S. Gonzalez Jr., 119), Florentino (Jpn) (M. Mena, 123), Street Move (J. Bravo, 119), Major Marvel (K. Desormeaux, 117), Quite a Handful (R. Albarado, 117), Grizzled Robert (J. Castanon, 119), Perfect Bull (D. Butler, 119), Spectacular Kid (L. Goncalves, 117) amd Proceed Bee (C. Emigh, 123).

CATALANO LOOKS TO 2010 WITH BREEDERS’ CUP WINNER SHE BE WILD – Trainer Wayne Catalano was back at Churchill Downs on Thursday morning, reunited with Nancy Mazzoni’s She Be Wild, winner of last Friday’s $2 million Grey Goose Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies (Grade I) at Santa Anita.

“Everything had to go right and it did,” said Catalano, who spent a few days in Chicago before returning to Churchill Downs. “When they put that other horse (Connie and Michael) in there, I knew there would be some speed to run at.”

Now a winner of four of five career starts, She Be Wild will spend the winter in Florida. Catalano has not mapped out a 3-year-old campaign yet for She Be Wild, who has done all of her racing on all-weather tracks.

“I have no concern about her running on the dirt, because she has a dirt pedigree and she won on Polytrack,” Catalano said of the daughter of Offlee Wild out of a Seeking the Gold mare.

It was the second Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies victory for Catalano, who also saddled Dreaming of Anna to score here in the 2006 World Championships.

“She was a grass horse who won on the dirt,” Catalano said.

McPEEK EYES MORE CALIFORNIA CASH WITH BREEDERS’ CUP RUNNERS – Trainer Ken McPeek started five runners in last weekend’s Breeders’ Cup World Championships at Santa Anita and four of them brought home checks for a combined haul of $837,000.

For the time being, the quintet is remaining in California, along with Teamgeist (Arg) who ran sixth in the Grade II Las Palmas on Friday.

“The stakes program at Hollywood Park is the main reason, and some of them may stay out there through the winter,” McPeek said.

“Beautician (second in the Grey Goose Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies) needs more time than three weeks,” McPeek said of the decision to point for the Dec. 20 Hollywood Starlet over the Nov. 28 Golden Rod here.
“Noble’s Promise (third in the Grey Goose Breeders’ Cup Juvenile) will probably be 2-1 or less in the (Dec. 19) CashCall Futurity and that is $750,000.”

Bridgetown, who ran second in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf, and House of Grace, who was third in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf, most likely will resurface Thanksgiving Weekend at Hollywood Park."

Bridgetown is a one-mile max 2-year-old now and the Generous (on Nov. 28) is a mile and the race here (the Grand Canyon) is a mile and a sixteenth,” McPeek said. “With House of Grace (pointing for the Nov. 29 Miesque), it’s the same thing and those races out there are for $100,000 and the ones here are $60,000.”
Connie and Michael, who finished eighth in the Grey Goose Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies, is slated to test allowance company at Hollywood and Teamgeist is being pointed to the Bayakoa Handicap (GII) on Dec. 5.

“Connie and Michael needs the Polytrack the way she goes,” McPeek said. “With Teamgeist, why bring her back here and then turn around and ship her back out?”

EMIGH OK AFTER FALL; MAY RETURN SUNDAY – Journeyman rider Chris Emigh is expected to return to the races on Sunday after being involved in a spill in Wednesday’s sixth race.

“They released him from the (Norton Audubon) hospital last night and I dropped him off at his hotel about 9,” said Terry Miller, agent for Emigh. “He had a slight concussion and was real sore. I think he will be off all mounts for a couple of days and possibly be back Sunday.”

Emigh’s mount, Silent Candy, appeared to clip heels with Dreaminofjosephine in the far turn of the one-mile grass race causing Emigh to be unseated. Silent Candy did not go down and was caught by outriders in the upper stretch.

McGEE JUVENILES STRUT THEIR STUFF – For the second time in two racing days, trainer Paul McGee visited the winner’s circle with a stylish 2-year-old. On Sunday, it was Worldly, who fought back after being headed to win by a nose. On Wednesday, it was Pick and Pray, a 9 ¾-length winner.

Worldly, a full brother to millionaire runner Suave, won at a mile and a sixteenth in his third start rallying to edge Colizeo after that rival ran by Worldly and opened a half-length lead in the stretch. “The heart, that part you can’t teach,” McGee said.

Pick and Pray was making her dirt debut on Wednesday. “That is why we skipped Keeneland,” McGee said. “Before her first start at Arlington (on Polytrack), I told Sam (owner Samantha Siegel) that I really liked her and then she runs eighth, beaten 20 lengths,” McGee said. “Her second start was much better, but when she worked here on the dirt, she smoked it. She worked very, very well.”

Both juveniles likely will return to the races at the Fair Grounds in the winter.

Worldly is nominated to the (Nov. 28) Kentucky Jockey Club (GII), but we are leaning against that,” McGee said. “We have a filly named Rapid Racer, who won a straight maiden race at Keeneland (on Oct. 15), pointed for an allowance race closing weekend and we don’t want to run the two against each other.”
 
BARN TALK -- Jockey Julian Leparoux, winner of the past two riding titles here and five overall, will be out of town Saturday to ride in seven stakes at Calder on Florida Million Day. A winner of five races the past two racing days to move into a five-way tie for second with six victories, Leparoux has six mounts for trainer Marty Wolfson and one for trainer Tom Proctor. … Leandro Goncalves, currently the leading rider at the meet with seven victories, will ride this winter at Oaklawn Park according to agent Steve Elzey.

WORK TAB – West Point Thoroughbreds’ Macho Again, prepping for an expected run in the Nov. 27 Clark Handicap Presented by Norton Healthcare (GII), worked five furlongs in 1:00.80 over a “fast” track after the renovation break for trainer Dallas Stewart. The move was the third fastest of 28 at the distance. … Jerry Romans’ Sassy Image, winner of the Nov. 1 Pocahontas (GIII), worked a half-mile in :48, the second fastest of 36 at the distance, for trainer Dale Romans. Sassy Image is being pointed to the closing-day Golden Rod (GII). … Tom McCarthy’s General Quarters, winner of the Toyota Blue Grass Stakes (GI) and 10th in the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (GI), worked a half-mile in :49.40, 12th fastest of 36 at the distance.

Michael Langford’s Jonesboro, a two-time graded-stakes winner in 2009 and earner of $1,465,575 in his 42-race career, and Riley Tucker, a close fifth to Breeders’ Cup Sprint (GI) contender Gayego in the Ancient Title (GI) at Oak Tree at Santa Anita, headline a field of eight older horses entered for Friday’s 17th running of the $100,000-added Ack Ack Handicap (Grade III) at a mile on the main track.

The Ack Ack will go as the ninth race on Friday’s 10-race card with a 4:55 p.m. (all times EST) post time. First post on Friday is 12:40 p.m. for a program that also includes the simulcast of the first day of the 26th Breeders’ Cup World Championships from Oak Tree at Santa Anita. The Breeders’ Cup card will kick off at 3:35 p.m. with the Marathon, which will be followed by five races for fillies and mares that will culminate with the Ladies’ Classic at 6:45 p.m.

Trained by Randy Morse, Jonesboro won the Grade III Texas Mile at the Ack Ack distance in April at Lone Star Park and also won the Cornhusker Handicap (GII) at Prairie Meadows in June. The 7-year-old has compiled a lifetime record of 14-11-3 and has been installed as the 5-2 second choice in the morning line by Churchill Downs oddsmaker Mike Battaglia.

Cliff Berry, who has been aboard Jonesboro in his past five starts, has the call Friday. Jonesboro will carry top weight of 119 pounds, conceding 2-6 pounds to his seven rivals, and break from post position seven.

The morning line choice for the Ack Ack is Zayat Stables’ Riley Tucker, who seeks a breakthrough first stakes victory after battling many of the top sprinters in the U.S. throughout 2009.  Along with his Ancient Title run, the 4-year-old Steve Asmussen trainee finished second to Munnings in the Tom Fool (GII) at Belmont and a close fifth to Pyro in the Forego at Saratoga.  Battaglia has listed the son of Harlan’s Holiday as a lukewarm 2-1 choice in the morning line.

Aaron Gryder will be in the saddle aboard Riley Tucker, who has been assigned 115 pounds and will break from post position two.      Riley Tucker, who has a record of 3-4-2 in and has earned $297,624, will bid to give Asmussen his second consecutive victory in the Ack Ack.  Asmussen won the 2008 running with Magna Graduate.

A close third choice in the Ack Ack at 3-1 is the Millard R. Seldin Revocable Trust’s Greeley’s Conquest, whose lone win in six races this year came in the Remington Sprint Cup at Remington Park on Aug. 22. The Gary Thomas trainee was second to Magna Graduate in the 2008 Ack Ack and finished a close sixth to Breeders’ Cup Sprint contenders Fatal Bullet and Capt. Candyman Can in the Phoenix (GIII) at Keeneland in his most recent outing

Chris Emigh will ride the 5-year-old son of Mr. Greeley, who will carry 117 pounds from post five.

Aside from Jonesboro, the only other 2009 graded stakes winner in field is Hicklin Farms and Tom Gregerson’s Let It Rock, a 12-1 shot who captured the Grade III Razorback Handicap at Oaklawn Park in March. Trained by Judi Hicklin, Let It Rock will carry 115 pounds and break from post position four under Terry Thompson.

The field for the Ack Ack, from the rail out (with jockey, weight and morning line odds), is as follows: Glamour Guy (Leandro Goncalves, 113 pounds, 15-1), Riley Tucker, Demarcation (Jesus Castanon, 115, 10-1), Let It Rock, Greeley’s Conquest, Que Paso (Miguel Mena, 114, 10-1), Jonesboro, and Spotsgone (Jon Court, 114, 12-1).