Garrett Gomez

Preston Stables LLC’s Flat Out and George and Lori Hall’s Ruler On Ice, two major players from the $5 million Breeders’ Cup Classic (Grade I) run at Churchill Downs on Nov. 5, will be searching for Eclipse Award championship momentum when they face 11 rivals on the famed Louisville track in Friday’s 137^th running of the Grade I, $500,000-added Clark Handicap Presented by Norton Healthcare.

The 1 1/8-mile race for 3-year-olds and up is the centerpiece of the “Black Friday” racing card that in recent years has been the most heavily-attended racing program of the Fall Meet.  The Clark Handicap is scheduled as the 11^th event on a 12-race Thanksgiving Holiday weekend program that will get underway with the first race 12:40 p.m. (all times EST).  Post time for the Clark is set for 5:42 p.m.

Flat Out, fifth behind WinStar Farm’s victorious Drosselmeyer as the slight favorite in the Classic, is the 5-2 favorite for the Clark in oddsmaker Mike Battaglia’s morning line odds for the 13-horse Clark field.  Co-second choices at 4-1 are Classic winner Ruler On Ice, the upset winner of the Belmont Stakes (GI) and third in the Classic, and Morton Fink’s Wise Dan, a graded stakes winner on synthetic tracks and turf who is coming off an impressive win in Keeneland’s Fayette (GII).

Following two days of upset-laden racing in this year’s Breeders’ Cup World Championships, Eclipse Award championships in several divisions remain uncertain.  The Clark contenders with the most to gain with regard to year-end honors are Flat Out and Ruler On Ice.  The field includes four winners of Grade I stakes races and four horses with career earnings that exceed $1 million.

Flat Out, a 5-year-old son of Flatter with wins in the Jockey Club Gold Cup (GI) and Suburban Handicap (GII) at Belmont Park, could gain an edge in the race for champion older horse with a win over his home track in the Clark.  Although he trains brilliantly at Churchill Downs for veteran conditioner Charles “Scooter” Dickey, he has yet to hit the board in three career starts over the traditional dirt surface at the famed Louisville track.

Veteran jockey Alex Solis, who has been aboard the Clark favorite in his last five starts, will be back in the saddle when Flat Out breaks from post six in the field of 13 horses.  Flat Out was assigned highweight of 123 pounds and will concede from three-to-nine pounds to his rivals.  His career record stands at 5-3-0 in 13 races with earnings of 1,259,713 heading into the Clark.

A victory over a strong field of older rivals in the Clark could push Ruler On Ice, who upset Kentucky Derby winner Animal Kingdom and Preakness winner Shackleford in the Belmont Stakes, into the wide-open race for champion 3-year-old.   The Belmont victory is the only stakes win of the year for trainer Kelly Breen’s gelded son of Roman Ruler, but Ruler On Ice finished third to older rivals in the Breeders’ Cup Classic and has recorded top-four finishes in the Haskell Invitational (GI), Travers (GI) and Pennsylvania Derby (GII) since his Belmont triumph.

Ruler On Ice drew the rail post for the Clark and will have Garrett Gomez in the saddle.  He was assigned 118 pounds and brings a record of 3-3-3 in 11 races and earnings of $1,603,500 into Friday’s race.

Wise Dan will pursue his first victory in a Grade I race and owner Fink and trainer Charles Lopresti will seek a bit of redemption for last year’s Clark in which their Successful Dan was disqualified from his apparent victory.  The versatile Wise Dan has career victories on dirt, grass and synthetic courses, but has yet to win a stakes race on traditional dirt.  He has three races on the Churchill Downs dirt that include maiden and allowance wins, both over sloppy surfaces, and a solid sixth-place finisher in the 2010 Breeders’ Cup Sprint in which he was beaten by just 2 ½ lengths by the victorious Big Drama.  He won the Firecracker (GII) on the Churchill Downs grass in early July, and since then two stakes wins over synthetic surfaces: a victory over Tapeta in the Presque Isle Downs Mile and a four-length romp in his most recent start in the Fayette over Keeneland’s Polytrack surface.

John Velazquez will make his debut in the saddle aboard Wise Dan, who drew post 11 and will carry an impost of 120, the second-highest weight in the Clark.

Another 3-year-old hoping to finish 2011 in a big way is Zayat Stables LLC’s Prayer for Relief, who was entered in the Breeders’ Cup Classic but scratched by trainer Bob Baffert the following day.  The son of Jump Start ran off a three-race winning streak during the summer that included the Iowa Derby (GIII), West Virginia Derby (GII) and the Super Derby (GII).  Third to Redeemed in his most recent run in the Oklahoma Derby at Remington Park, Prayer for Relief will break from post 12 under Rafael Bejarano.  The 5-1 fourth choice will carry 117 pounds in the Clark.

Another horse that competed in the Breeders’ Cup Classic and returns for a run in the Clark is Kenneth and Sarah Ramsey’s Headache, who was last of 12 in the Classic after wins in the Hawthorne Gold Cup (GII) and the Prairie Meadows Cornhusker (GIII).  The two remaining Grade I winners in the field are Thomas McCarthy owned-and-trained General Quarters and Thomas and Jack Conway’s Stately Victor.  Both won Keeneland’s Toyota Blue Grass (GI) over Polytrack at three – General Quarters won in 2009 and Stately Victor last year, and the former also won the 2010 renewal of the Woodford Reserve Turf Classic (GI) over Churchill Downs’ Matt Winn Turf Course.

The remaining 2011 Clark Handicap contenders include Twin Creeks Racing Stables’ Mission Impazible, a narrow loser for trainer Todd Pletcher in this year’s Stephen Foster Handicap and Alysheba (GIII) at Churchill Downs and winner of Fair Grounds’ 2011 New Orleans Handicap (GII) and the 2010 Louisiana Derby (GII); Pleasant Prince, fourth to Afleet Again in the Breeders’ Cup Marathon (GII) and winner of the 2010 Oklahoma Derby and Ohio Derby (GIII); Lothenbach Stables’ Mister Marti Gras, accomplished on both turf and dirt and winner of the Ack Ack (GIII) at Churchill Downs last time out; Pattons Creek Farm’s Will’s Wildcat, winner of the Jimmy V at Churchill Downs on Nov. 4; Demarcation, winner of the 2009 Ack Ack who will compete in his third consecutive running of the Clark for trainer Paul McGee; and Pletcher’s Alma D’Oro, runner-up in the Ack Ack and winner of the Carpenter Memorial at Delaware Park in July.

The Clark Handicap was run for the first time in 1875 during the first racing meet at Churchill Downs, which was then known as the Louisville Jockey Club.  Like the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (GI) and Kentucky Oaks (GI), the Clark has been renewed annually without interruption since its first running.  Two years ago the race was won by Adele Dilschneider and Claiborne Farm’s 3-year-old Blame, who returned to the track in 2010 to win the Stephen Foster Handicap (GI) and downed previously unbeaten Zenyatta her only defeat in the Breeders’ Cup Classic.   The 2011 renewal featured a rough-and-tumble stretch run in which Successful Dan edged Giant Oak at the finish, but stewards disqualified the former and elevated the latter to the victory.

Other recent winners of note include Saint Liam, who won the 2004 Clark en route to a 2005 campaign that included a victory in the Breeders’ Cup Classic and an Eclipse Award for Horse of the Year.  Silver Charm, winner of the 2007 Kentucky Derby, returned to Churchill Downs take the Clark the following year.  And the 3-year-old filly Surfside wrapped up an Eclipse Award as the champion of her division with a victory over males in the 2000 Clark.

The field for the 137^th Clark Handicap Presented by Norton Healthcare (from the rail out with rider, weight and morning line odds) includes: Ruler On Ice, (Gomez, 118, 4-1), Alma D’Oro (Jesus Castanon, 116, 20-1) Demarcation (Corey Lanerie, 114, 15-1), Stately Victor (Victor Lebron, 115, 30-1), Mission Impazible, (Javier Castellano, 116, 12-1), Flat Out (Solis, 123, 5-2), Pleasant Prince, (Julio Garcia, 114, 20-1), Headache (Edgar Prado, 115, 12-1), Mister Marti Gras (Rajiv Maragh, 117, 12-1), Will’s Wildcat (Calvin Borel, 112, 30-1), Wise Dan (Velazquez, 120, 4-1); Prayer for Relief (Bejarano, 117, 5-1) and General Quarters (Jon Court, 116, 20-1).

Tom Walters’ Santiva outgamed favored Astrology and Major Gain in a stretch-long duel to win the 84th running of the $165,000 Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes (GII) for 2-year-olds by a half-length on Saturday afternoon at Churchill Downs.

Ridden for the first time by Shaun Bridgmohan, Santiva was content to sit just off the pace set by Prideofthechapter, who led the field of seven through fractions of  :24.29 and :49.03. Astrology, ridden by Garrett Gomez, tracked the leaders in third while Major Gain, ridden by Robby Albarado, raced in the next tier

Leaving the backstretch, Santiva took over from Prideofthechapter and was quickly joined by Astrology. At the head of the stretch, Albarado swung to the inside of Cane Garden Bay with Major Gain and cut to the rail to join the leaders.

The trio raced as a team to the wire with Santiva, a Kentucky-bred son of Giant’s Causeway out of the Smarten mare Slide, drawing away late to complete the distance on a fast main track in 1:45.31 to register his first victory in four starts. Astrology finished a head in front of Major Gain.

Now trained by Eddie Kenneally, Santiva increased his earnings to $195,254 with Saturday’s check of $100,254. Santiva had run second in his previous start, the Breeders’ Futurity (GI) at Keeneland on Oct. 9 and now has a record of 1-2-1.

Santiva returned $11.60, $4.20 and $2.80. Astrology returned $2.60 and $2.10 with Major Gain paying $2.40 to show. It was another 4 ½ lengths back to Halo’s Thunder, who was followed in order by Cane Garden Bay, Enable and Prideofthechapter.

The Fall Meet concludes Sunday with an 11-race program that begins at 12:40 p.m. (EST). Also Sunday, Churchill Downs will have a farewell ceremony for 2009 Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (GI) winner Mine That Bird, who has been retired from racing and will return to New Mexico on Monday. The ceremony will take place around the seventh race, which has a scheduled post time of 3:41 p.m. In addition, the first 5,000 fans in attendance will receive a free 2011 Churchill Downs Wall Calendar presented by Humana. There also is a five-day Pick 6 carryover of $53,359 on races 6-11. There will be a mandatory payout.

KENTUCKY JOCKEY CLUB QUOTES

Shaun Bridgmohan (jockey, Santiva, winner): “He showed effort today. I have known he is a nice little horse. He just ran a phenomenal race today. Every time I asked him for a little more, he just gave it to me. He kept grinding it out and fighting all the way to the wire. The more I asked the more he fought. It has been a very nice weekend.”

Eddie Kenneally (trainer, Santiva, winner): “He dug in and was courageous.  He ran awesome, really.  They came to him at the eighth pole and looked like they might even go by him.  They put him in a little tight, and that’s when he really fought back and he regained momentum and was drawing away from them at the wire.”

Q: Was his last race in the Breeders’ Futurity, in your eyes, even better than it might have looked …“He found himself very far back in his last race.  He didn’t break that day.  He broke sharp today.  He broke sharp today and put himself in the race early.  The jock didn’t put him in the race.  The horse wanted to run today.  He had running on his mind and got the job done.”

Q: It’s November and six months away there’s a very big race here.  Is he a legitimate  Kentucky Derby horse? “Oh sure, he’s got the pedigree.  There’s all the stamina in the world in his pedigree.  He’s got the profile for the race here in May.

Q: What was your thinking about running him on the dirt?  In his first race he was third on dirt, but was pretty soundly beaten before running back on grass and Polytrack in his next two starts.  Was there any worry about bringing him back to dirt?  “We knew going long that he’d be fine on the dirt, he’d have no problem going long on dirt.  He trains here and this is where we’re based, so this was a logical choice.”

Q. Is it exciting to think about bringing him back here (for the Derby) in six months with the way he ran today? “Absolutely.  That’s the goal, for sure.  “We’re excited about it.”

Q: Any thoughts on what your next step might be with him? “There some races in Florida with him this winter, so we’ll look at some of those and take it from there.  We’ll just give him a little break now and get him back to the races in January or February.  We’ll give him an easy time in December and focus on next year then.”

Garrett Gomez (jockey, Astrology, second): “I had a real good trip. I tried to let Shaun (Bridgmohan, jockey) carry me around. The one time my horse runs a mile and a sixteenth he comes off the bridle early on me. I tried to use Shaun as a target and he carried me. And when we decided to come home all the horses came home really well and I just got out-sprinted to the wire. I liked the way he ran today.”

Steve Asmussen (trainer, Astrology, second): “We’re disappointed he didn’t win under those circumstances, but he’s learning.  He’s distracted so easily by stuff.”

Q: His pedigree, being by A.P. Indy would indicate he’ll get better as he gets older … “We’ll see.  One thing I’ve figured out this year is nothing is guaranteed.”

Q: Did you lose any faith in him today?  Do you think he still has the potential to be a pretty good horse? “He’s got to put it together.  The competition is going to get better, so he’s got to get better.”

Wayne Catalano (trainer, Major Gain, third): “I’m happy with his performance. I would’ve liked to win, but he ran a big race. We’ll see how it goes from here.”

Dundalk 5, LLC’s Dundalk Dust, the only 3-year-old in the field, rallied from last place to win the 95th running of the $161,250 Falls City Handicap (GII) for fillies and mares by three lengths over High Quail on Thanksgiving Day at Churchill Downs.

Trained by Chris Block and ridden by Shaun Bridgmohan, Dundalk Dust trailed the field of six as High Quail and Garrett Gomez led the field through fractions of :25.17, :49.38 and 1:13.89 over a sloppy track with favored Distinctive Dixie in closest pursuit.

Turning for home, High Quail fended off one bid from Distinctive Dixie and then Ravi’s Song while Bridgmohan was swinging Dundalk Dust four wide and to the outside of Ravi’s Song. Dundalk Dust easily drew clear to record her fifth victory in seven starts and complete the distance in 1:53.37.

The victory was the second this meet for the Block-Bridgmohan duo, who teamed to win the Cardinal Handicap (GIII) on Nov. 7 with Askbut I Won’ttell.

Dundalk Dust is an Illinois-bred daughter of Military out of the Beau Genius mare Plus Beau. The victory was worth $98,975 and increased Dundalk Dust’s earnings to $237,105.

Dundalk Dust, who carried 115 pounds, returned $14.80, $7.80 and $4.40. High Quail, also carrying 115 pounds, returned $8 and $3.60 in finishing 1 ½ lengths in front of Striking Dancer, who paid $2.80 to show under Julien Leparoux while carrying 117 pounds. Ravi’s Song finished fourth, another 1 ¼ lengths back and was followed by Third Dawn and Distinctive Dixie.

Racing resumes Friday with a 12-race program beginning at 12:40 p.m. (all times Eastern). Highlighting the card is the 136th running of the $500,000-added Clark Handicap Presented by Norton Healthcare (GI) that drew a field of 11. Post time for the Clark, the 11th race on the program, is 5:42 p.m. There’s a three-day carryover in the Pick 6, which covers races 7-12, of $13,811.

FALLS CITY HANDICAP QUOTES

Shaun Bridgmohan (jockey, Dundalk Dust, winner): “I had a nice trip, She’s a neat filly to ride. She’s got a big stride to her and about the half-mile pole she switched leads and jumped in the bridle a little bit. All I had to do was pick her a spot and once I did she accelerated nicely. She was going along comfortably and then she jumped in the bridle and by then she knew what was going on. She ran home pretty good. I didn’t know what to expect. I have never ridden her and didn’t know much about her. Chris (Block, trainer) told me just let her get comfortable, let her then be happy and then find her somewhere to run at the end which worked out.”

Chris Block (trainer, Dundalk Dust, winner): “I felt like this filly would run real good until the rain came through, but she handles every surface we’ve given her. Her last work over the track (5 furlongs in 1:00 on Nov. 19) showed she was entering the race ready to go. I was a little concerned with her in the first turn because she dropped back and I thought she wasn’t handling the track, but you could see in the far turn she gathered momentum and I felt real good from that point on. We have been very fortunate this year at Churchill Downs; we’ve had the right horses for the right spots.”

Garrett Gomez (jockey, High Quail, second): “She ran good. She ran her last couple races toward the front end and I didn’t really send her, I just let her do what she wanted to early and she found herself on the lead. She galloped around real nice and she stayed on well. Just a better horse ran by her today.”

Dennis “Peaches” Geier (assistant trainer, High Quail, second): “This filly ran with her heart and ran great. She made the lead and Garrett (Gomez) slowed her down and rode her perfect, she just got out-kicked at the wire. She tried hard for her first time with these kind of horses and she ran a big race. This was a good effort for her.”

Robby Albarado (jockey, Distinctive Dixie, sixth as the slight 2-1 favorite): “I’m disappointed we didn’t win. She ran a huge race a few weeks ago. We will just have to evaluate her and see, but she felt great physically underneath me, she was in a great spot.”

NOTE: The last time the Falls City Handicap was contested over a “sloppy” main track was 2003 when Lead Story prevailed by 6 ½ lengths under Calvin Borel.

Wind River Stables and Five D Thoroughbreds’ Kathmanblu, a troubled third to More Than Real in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (Grade II) in her most recent start, and Adele Dilschneider’s homebred Aide, a dazzling 19 ¾-length allowance winner here on Oct. 31, head a field of seven 2-year-old fillies entered to compete in Saturday’s 67th running of the $150,000 Golden Rod Stakes (GII).

The Golden Rod, won last year by Sassy Image, will be run at 1 1/16 miles on the main track and goes as the co-featured ninth event on the 12-race “Stars of Tomorrow II” card devoted exclusively to 2-year-olds. Post time for the Golden Rod is 4:42 p.m. (all times Eastern). First post time for the program that also features the $150,000-added Kentucky Jockey Club (GII) is 12:40 p.m.

Trained by Ken McPeek, Kathmanblu debuted on the dirt in a 4 ½-furlong sprint here in June, finishing eighth. Since then, the daughter of 2006 Kentucky Derby (GI) runner-up Bluegrass Cat has found herself at home on the grass with a record of 2-1-1 in four turf races that includes a four-length victory in the Jessamine at Keeneland.

Churchill Downs handicapper Mike Battaglia has installed Kathmanblu as the narrow 8-5 favorite in his morning line odds for the Golden Rod.  Julien Leparoux, who won the Golden Rod in 2007 aboard Pure Clan, has the call on Kathmanblu, who will break from post position four.

Aide, the 9-5 second choice in the Golden Rod., runs for the team that took the $5 million Breeders’ Cup Classic (GI) with Blame.  The daughter of Arch will break from post one under Garrett Gomez, who rode Blame in the Classic for Dilschneider and trainer Al Stall Jr., Blame’s co-owner/breeder and trainer, respectively.  She broke her maiden at second asking on Polytrack at Turfway Park prior to her eye-catching Churchill Downs allowance win at the Golden Rod distance.

Also in the field are the third- and fourth-place finishers from the opening-day Pocahontas (GII), Missyoulikecrazy (7-2) and Gran Lioness (6-1), respectively. Robby Albarado, who won the 1997 Golden Rod on Love Lock, has the call on Missyoulikecrazy, who will break from post position two and Shaun Bridgmohan will ride Gran Lioness, who breaks from post position six.

The field for the Golden Rod, from the rail out (with rider and morning line odds), is as follows: Aide (Gomez, 9-5), Missyoulikecrazy (Albarado, 7-2), Missed the Point (Tony Farina, 15-1), Kathmanblu (Leparoux, 8-5), Suave Voir Faire (Sal Gonzalez Jr., 20-1), Gran Lioness (Bridgmohan, 6-1) and Sweet Deal to Win, (Jon Court, 20-1). All starters will carry 119 pounds.

Stonestreet Stables and George Bolton’s Astrology, an impressive 2 ¾-length winner of Churchill Downs’ Iroquois (Grade III) on Oct. 31, heads a field of seven 2-year-olds entered Wednesday for Saturday’s 84th running of the $150,000-added Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes (GII) at 1 1/16 miles on the main track.

The Kentucky Jockey Club is co-featured on Saturday’s Churchill Downs racing card with the $150,000-added Golden Rod (GII) for juvenile fillies.  It is scheduled as the 11th event on a 12-race “Stars of Tomorrow II” program devoted exclusively to races for 2-year-olds. Post time for the Kentucky Jockey Club is 5:42 p.m. (all times Eastern) with first post time Saturday at 12:40 p.m.

Last year’s renewal of the Kentucky Jockey Club was won by WinStar Farm’s homebred Super Saver, who returned this spring to take the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (GI).

Astrology, a clear 6-5 favorite in Churchill Downs handicapper Mike Battaglia’s morning line odds for the Kentucky Jockey Club, is a son of A.P. Indy who has won two of four career starts and will break from post position five.  He will be ridden by Garrett Gomez, who was aboard Astrology for his victory in the Iroquois and won the Kentucky Jockey Club in 1993 aboard War Deputy.

Two-time Eclipse Award-winning trainer Steve Asmussen, who is closing in on 500 wins for the year to lead the nation’s trainers in total victories in 2010, will saddle Astrology.  He is bidding for a second victory in the Kentucky Jockey Club after saddling Private Vow to win the race in 2007.

The only other graded stakes winner in the field is Gary and Mary West’s Major Gain, who took the Grade III Arlington-Washington Futurity on the synthetic Polytrack surface at Arlington Park on Sept. 11. Trained by Wayne Catalano, Major Gain will be ridden by Robby Albarado and breaks from post position four as the 4-1 co-third choice with Wind River Stable’s Cane Garden Bay.

Another runner of note is Tom Walters’ Santiva, the 7-2 second choice in the morning line. Although a maiden, Santiva ran second in the Breeders’ Futurity (GI) at Keeneland on Oct. 9.  Shaun Bridgmohan has the riding assignment on Santiva, who will break from post position two.

The field for the Kentucky Jockey Club, from the rail out (with jockey and odds), is as follows: Prideofthechapter (Rosemary Homeister Jr., 20-1), Santiva (Bridgmohan, 7-2), Cane Garden Bay (Julien Leparoux, 4-1), Major Gain (Albarado, 4-1), Astrology (Gomez, 6-5), Enable (Michael Baze, 20-1) and Halo’s Thunder (Kent Desormeaux, 10-1). All starters will carry 122 pounds.

Adele Dilschneider’s Apart wore down defending champion Demarcation in the final 100 yards to win Friday’s 18th running of the $108,600 Ack Ack Handicap (Grade III) by three-quarters of a length at Churchill Downs.

Trained by Al Stall Jr. and ridden by Garrett Gomez, Apart made a four-wide move at the head of the stretch and gradually wore down Demarcation, who was ridden by Calvin Borel.  The victory provided a good start to the two-day Breeders' Cup World Championships for Dilschneider, Stall and Gomez, who will team to send Dilschneider and Claiborne Farm's Blame into the $5 million Breeders' Cup Classic (GI) against the unbeaten favorite Zenyatta on Saturday.

Apart, a 3-year-old homebred son of Flatter out of the Unbridled mare Detach, covered the 1 1/16 miles in 1:43.79, the first time the race has been run at that distance.

The victory was worth $67,332 and increased Apart’s earnings to $469,878 with a record of 7-4-1-0 that includes a victory in the Super Derby (GII) in his race prior to the Ack Ack.

Sent off as the favorite in the field of five, Apart returned $4.80, $3 and $2.10. Demarcation paid $3.40 and $2.20 with Colizeo, ridden by Ramon Dominguez, finishing two lengths back in third and paying $2.20 to show. Jackson Bend finished fourth, followed by Silver Edition.

The race prior to the Ack Ack, Chasing Dreams Racing 2008’s Noble’s Promise won the $87,700 Jimmy V. “Don’t Give Up … Don’t Ever Give Up!” overnight stake for 3-year-olds by 2 ¼ lengths over Backtalk.

Trained by Ken McPeek and ridden by Julien Leparoux, Noble’s Promise covered the six furlongs on the main track in 1:08.92 and increased his bankroll by $53,287 to boost his career earnings to $946,703 with four victories in 11 starts.

Noble’s Promise, the fifth-place finisher in the 2010 Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (GI), returned $6, $3.40 and $2.80. Backtalk, ridden by Rafael Bejarano, returned $4.80 and $3.80 with Don Tito, Joel Rosario up, finishing a half-length back in third and returned $4.80 to show.

An 11-race program, highlighted by the Breeders’ Cup Classic, is scheduled for Saturday with first post time of 12:05 p.m. (all times Eastern). Eight Breeders’ Cup races dot the card that also features the 25th running of the $150,000-added Chilukki (GII) for fillies and mares running a mile on the main track and the $85,000 Dream Supreme overnight stake for 3-year-old fillies sprinting six furlongs.

 POST RACE QUOTES

Al Stall Jr. (trainer, Apart, 1st) – “In Louisiana, he ran off on us a couple of times.  Garrett was waiting around a little because sometimes this horse grabs the bit.  Garrett wanted to put him to sleep, and obviously he did a very good job.  He was a big gangly colt, starting to fill in and he’ll be a nice 4-year-old for us.”

Garrett Gomez (jockey, Apart, 1st) - “This colt's a nice colt. He's a colt that certainly figures things out as we go along. I can't wait until next year with him. He's moving in the right direction and today he got to see some different kind of competition than he's been facing and he passed that test. This is the first time I've ridden him. I watched his Super Derby run and when they picked up the pace a little, I thought I'd just move up on top of them and he stayed on well.”

Regarding coming back from yesterday's fall to ride today: “I'm fine. Just watch me ride. I'm a little achy, that's to be expected, I had a 1,200-pound animal fall on top of me yesterday. All in all my hand's a little swollen, but it doesn't really hurt. My shoulder's a little sore, but all you've gotta do is see me come down the lane.”

Paul McGee (trainer, Demarcation, 2nd) – “He was up a little closer than I thought he’d be, but he hung in there and ran a good race.”

Calvin Borel (jockey, Demarcation, 2nd) – “He ran a bang-up race, but we got outrun late. We have no excuses.”

Mike McCarthy (assistant trainer to Todd Pletcher, Colizeo, 3rd) – “It was an oddly run race. They all seemed to be jockeying for position at the half-mile pole and Ramon (Dominguez) didn’t have any choice but to keep his position. In the end it was OK. Better to run third than fourth.”

Ramon Dominguez, (jockey, Colizeo, 3rd) – “He ran well. Everybody took a shot at my horse and the other two just outran me.”

Jockey Garrett Gomez was shaken up in a spill Thursday afternoon at Churchill Downs when he was thrown from his mount, Indy Bouquet, in the sixth race, a one-mile event for maiden fillies and mares on the grass.

Gomez, who is named to ride in eight of the 14 Breeders’ Cup World Championship races at Churchill Downs this Friday and Saturday, including Adele Dilschneider and Claiborne Farm’s Blame in the $5 million Classic on Saturday, was conscious after the mishap and transported to Norton Audubon Hospital for observation.

Ron Anderson, Gomez’s agent, said the rider complained of discomfort in his right shoulder.

“They took an x-ray and the results came back negative,” Anderson said. “We are in the process of heading home now. Garrett is fine and in good spirits and he will ride Friday.

“Garrett said the filly warmed up good and everything looked fine. She just took a bad step. He said it had nothing to do with the course. It was just an unfortunate accident.”

Indy Bouquet, a 3-year-old filly who had two previous starts for WinStar Farm, sustained a compound fracture of the left front cannon bone and was euthanized.

Stonestreet Stables and George Bolton’s favored Astrology swept past pace-setting Maybesomaybenot on the far turn and rolled to 2 3/4-length victory over Ribo Bobo to win the 29th running of the $122,300 Iroquois for 2-year-olds on Sunday afternoon at Churchill Downs.

Trained by Steve Asmussen and ridden by Garrett Gomez, Astrology stalked the pace set by Maybesomaybenot, ridden by Robby Albarado, who led the field of eight through fractions of :23.09 and :46.78 down the backstretch straightaway.

Approaching the far turn, Gomez sent Astrology after Maybesomaybenot and easily swept past on the outside and never was seriously challenged in the run through the stretch.

Astrology, a Kentucky-bred son of A.P. Indy out of the Quiet American mare Quiet Eclipse, covered the mile on a fast main track in 1:38.43. The victory, the second in four starts, was worth $73,553 and increased Astrology’s earnings to $120,553.

It was the second victory in the Iroquois for Gomez, who won the race in 2006 on Tiz Wonderful for Stonestreet. It was the second consecutive Iroquois win for Asmussen, who saddled Thiskyhasnolimit to victory last year.

Astrology returned mutuels of $4.60, $3.40 and $2.20. Ribo Bobo, ridden by Eduardo Nunez, paid $5.80 and $3.40 and finished 4 ¼ lengths in front of Maybesomaybenot, who paid $2.60 to show. It was a nose back to Halo’s Thunder, who was followed in order by Ronin Dax, War Whoop, Conservative Value and Storm in the Lake.

POST-RACE QUOTES

Garrett Gomez (jockey, Astrology, winner) “He (leader Maybesomaybenot) slowed down just before I got into him. I could see he was starting to slow so I had to go, he wants to wait.” 

Steve Asmussen (trainer, Astrology, winner): “He is a beautiful horse, tons of pedigree. This is a very important two year old win but he does childish things. It’s his first day here with a new paddock and he was a wound up, a lot more excitable than you would like. Garret (Gomez, jockey) said he carries you beautiful then when Robby’s horse (Maybesomaybenot) dropped the bridle he found himself in front.  He just needs to get to the next step. This will help. I think he’s a little too childish, but he’s got a ton of ability. He is very impressive to train, he’s got a beautiful big stride – but I think he can do better.”

Eduardo Nunez  (jockey, Ribo Bobo, runner-up): "He ran a little green in the stretch.  I thought I had them at the quarter pole, but he kind of ran in and out in the stretch.  But he ran good."

Robby Albarado (jockey, Maybesomaybenot, third)
"Mike (trainer Mike Maker) said they'd been trying to take him back in his previous races and it wasn't working for him.  So today he said to get aggressive with him leaving there.  He broke a bit tardy, but I jumped on him and got him in front.  He seemed content being on the lead like that.  Obviously Astrology is a nice horse.  He ran by me in the lane, but my horse hung in there tough.  I thought it was a good run throughout."

CHAMPION RACHEL ALEXANDRA WELL AFTER FLEUR DE LIS VICTORY – Reigning Horse of the Year Rachel Alexandra was reported by trainer Steve Asmussen to be doing well on Sunday following her 10 ½-length victory in the $200,000-added Fleur De Lis Handicap (Grade II) on the Stephen Foster Handicap (GI) undercard.

The win by the 4-year-old daughter of Medaglia d’Oro owned by Jess Jackson’s Stonestreet Stables and Harold McCormick was her first in three races in 2010.  Her previous victory had been a narrow win over older males in the Woodward (GI) at Saratoga to complete her championship campaign at three.  It was the first victory by a female of any age in that prestigious race, but she opened this year with narrow losses to Zardana (BRZ) in the New Orleans Ladies at Fair Grounds and Unrivaled Belle in the La Troienne (GII) on Kentucky Oaks Day at Churchill Downs.

While Rachel Alexandra appeared to come out of the race well, Asmussen was concerned about whether there was any lingering impact from Saturday’s sultry weather conditions.  Temperatures on the humid day climbed to above 90, and the heat index hovered around 100 degrees.

“It was a very humid, oppressive type of afternoon,” Asmussen said.  “We’ll see if she shows any residual effect from the weather when she goes back to the track.”

If all continues to go well, Rachel Alexandra should resume her training on Wednesday. 

Rachel Alexandra covered the 1 1/8-mile distance in a faster time than the winning time for Adele Dilschneider and Claiborne Farm’s Blame in the 4-year-old colt’s three-quarter length victory in the $600,000 Stephen Foster Handicap.  The winning time for Rachel Alexandra was 1:48.78, while Blame covered the nine furlongs in 1:49.37.

The win improved the career record for Rachel Alexandra 12-4-0 in 17 races and she has earned $3,206,730.  The champion has a record of 4-3-0 in eight races at Churchill Downs.

SARATOGA AWAITS STEPHEN FOSTER WINNER BLAME – Adele Dilschneider and Claiborne Farm’s Blame got to spend an extra day at Churchill Downs on Sunday as his Keeneland workmate Apart was entered in Sunday’s eighth race.

“They will both go back to Keeneland on Monday,” trainer Al Stall Jr. said Sunday morning as he watched Blame walk the shedrow at Barn 47.

Blame rallied to overcome a four-length deficit on Battle Plan to win the Stephen Foster and give Stall his second Grade I victory at Churchill Downs. Joyeux Danseur won the Turf Classic for Stall here in 1998.

“He overcame a slow pace and a bad post (11) yesterday,” Stall said of Blame, now a winner of seven of 10 starts. “There was only mild pressure on the leader (Battle Plan), but he started to bear down and when Battle Plan switched leads at the eighth pole, I figured that was it.”

Stall said he was not sure how long he would keep Blame at Keeneland before shipping to Saratoga, where the next objective for Blame is the $750,000 Whitney (GI) at 1 1/8 miles on Aug. 7.

“Right now, we are just thinking about the Whitney,” Stall said. “It is tough to run two races like that at Saratoga (with the Woodward on Sept. 4 being the other). You can throw the Hawthorne Gold Cup (GII) into the mix. That’s a mile and a quarter on the same day (Oct. 2) as the Jockey Club Gold Cup (at Belmont Park) and we could ship up from Keeneland and back and that sets you up for November (and the Breeders’ Cup on Nov. 6 at Churchill Downs).”

Despite the Stephen Foster victory, Stall found out that Blame was not the big story of Saturday.

“A friend of mine on the East Coast sent me a text saying that I win a Grade I, but Rachel Alexandra is on the cover of Monday’s Daily Racing Form,” Stall said.

PLETCHER ENJOYS ALMOST PERFECT 24 HOURS IN LOUISVILLE – Trainer Todd Pletcher flew into Louisville from New York shortly before noon on Saturday and was headed back to the Big Apple before noon Sunday. In that time span, his horses won three races at Churchill Downs, including two stakes, and trainer also picked up his trophy for winning the Kentucky Derby with Super Saver.

So, on a scale of one to 10, how did the brief stay in Louisville rate?

"It was a nine,” Pletcher said with a laugh. “If Battle Plan wins the Stephen Foster it is a 10. It was just about perfect.”

In his first Grade I test, Battle Plan surrendered late to Blame in losing by three-quarters of a length to have his four-race win streak snapped.

“I thought he gave a big effort yesterday for his first race over the surface,” Pletcher said. “The track had dried out a bit from earlier in the day and it was a bit cuppier. At the five-sixteenths pole, (jockey) Javier (Castellano) asked him for a bit more and the ground broke out from under him.”

Pletcher said that Battle Plan would return to New York on Wednesday and a schedule would be mapped out to keep Battle Plan and stable star Quality Road on separate paths.

Pletcher, whose day started with a victory by the 2-year-old maiden Blue Orleans in the fifth race, said that Northern Dancer (GIII) winner Colizeo and Regret (GIII) winner Caminadora would remain at Churchill Downs for the time being.

Regarding the 2-year-old Razmataz, a winner Friday night who gave Pletcher his 100th victory at Churchill Downs, the trainer said the July 3 Bashford Manor (GIII) “is a possibility. I want to see how he bounces back from Friday.”

BARN TALK – Owner-trainer Tom McCarthy said that third-place Stephen Foster Handicap (GI) finisher General Quarters remained on track for a return to the turf this summer at Arlington Park. “That’s the plan right now,” McCarthy said of the Arlington Handicap (GIII) on July 17 and the Arlington Million (GI) on Aug. 21. McCarthy said General Quarters was affected by the heat Saturday. “(Jockey) Alex (Solis) said the heat got him at the sixteenth pole,” McCarthy said. “He always finishes up well, but he got back here and ate all his supper last night and his breakfast this morning.” …

Trainer Tony Reinstedler reported all was well with Jefferson Cup (GIII) winner Gleam of Hope on Sunday morning. “Arlington Park is next,” Reinstedler said referring to the American Derby (GII) on July 17 and then the Secretariat (GI) on Aug. 21. Gleam of Hope signaled his readiness for the Jefferson Cup with a work last Sunday in company with Giant Oak, who ran fourth in Saturday’s Stephen Foster Handicap. “We changed things up a little bit because he can be lackadaisical and he worked in blinkers,” Reinstedler said. “The idea was to get him to settle and finish up well. He worked well in them and that gave us confidence going in.” …

    Drew Coontz, assistant to trainer Chris Block, said that Giant Oak would head back to Arlington Park on Wednesday. “He’s fine this morning,” Coontz said of Giant Oak, who finished 4 ½ lengths behind Blame. “He ran great for the company he was with.” …

    Trainer Paul McGee said that Demarcation, fifth in the Stephen Foster, and Worldly, runner-up in the Northern Dancer, were doing well Sunday morning. “I was pretty happy with him and so were the owners (Mr. and Mrs. John Amerman),” McGee said of Demarcation, who was a head behind Giant Oak. “He ran well in the Clark here last fall beaten only 6 ½ lengths, but he is just a cut below those horses.” McGee is not sure when Worldly, beaten a neck by Colizeo, would run next. “I will be running quite a bit at Arlington Park, but I would prefer to keep him on dirt rather than the Polytrack.” …

    Trainer Wally Dollase said he would have an idea “in a day or two” as to what would be next for Distinctive Dixie, runner-up to Horse of the Year Rachel Alexandra in the Fleur de Lis (GII). Distinctive Dixie got to within a half-length of Rachel Alexandra nearing the top of the stretch, but could get no closer as Rachel Alexandra drew off to a 10 ½-length victory. “For a fleeting moment there …” Dollase said of the upset possibility. “Did you hear my wife (Cincy) scream? I know I sure did! I’m proud of my filly. She hadn’t run in some time (six weeks) and she held on to get second over Jessica Is Back, who is a nice filly.”

WORK TAB – Tap Tap Tapping, runner-up in the Dogwood (GIII), worked five furlongs in 1:03.40 over a fast track. … Backtalk, winner of last spring’s Bashford Manor (GIII) and unraced since finishing last in the Kentucky Derby, worked six furlongs in 1:12.60.

Wertheimer and Frere’s Colizeo outlasted Worldly by a neck after a stretch-long battle to win the 13th running of the $136,375 Northern Dancer (GIII) for 3-year-olds on Saturday afternoon at Churchill Downs.

The race was a near repeat of when the two colts met here last fall as 2-year-olds in their third career starts with Worldly edging Colizeo by a nose.

This time Colizeo, under Garrett Gomez, got the jump early on Worldly as he led the field of six through fractions of :24.89, :49.19 with Worldly in closest pursuit under Robby Albarado. At the three-eighths pole, Albarado sent Worldly after Colizeo and the two raced as a team to the wire with Colizeo proving best.

It was the second victory in the Northern Dancer for Gomez as well as trainer Todd Pletcher. The two teamed up to win the race in 2006 with High Cotton.

In improving his record to 8-3-2-0, Colizeo ran the 1 1/16 miles on the fast main track in 1:43.60. A homebred son of Distorted Humor out of the Dixieland Band mare Colony Band, Colizeo’s victory was worth $83,707 and raised his bankroll to $154,077.

Sent off as the favorite, Colizeo returned $5.40, $3.80 and $2.80, Worldly paid $6 and $4 with Vow to Wager finishing two lengths back in third under Miguel Mena and paying $4.20 to show. Completing the field in order were Max Silverhammer, Prince Will I Am and Crider.

The Northern Dancer trophy was presented by Steve Wolfson, owner of 1978 Triple Crown winner Affirmed.

NORTHERN DANCER QUOTES

GARRETT GOMEZ (jockey, COLIZEO, winner): “We didn’t feel like there was a whole lot of pace in the race and he ran pretty good like that the other day so ideally I wanted to ride him like I did the other day. (Jockey) Robby’s (Albarado) horse (Worldly) kept coming on and I thought I had him where I wanted. I asked mine for a little more and his horse would come back and eyeball me again. I thought once I really asked my horse I thought I would run away with it. I had a hard time doing that today. This was a good test for the horse.”

TODD PLETCHER (trainer, COLIZEO, winner): “He set a nice easy pace up front and really showed he had some talent today. We’ve taken our time with him and he’s run against some talented horses. If you look at the allowance race at Gulfstream, he ran against the likes of Fly Down and First Dude. He ran a good race and keeps taking a step forward after every race. He has potential. We’ll see how he comes back and look at our options for his next start.”

ROBBY ALBARADO (jockey, WORLDLY, second): “On the first turn I just got pinched back and squeezed.”