Au Moon Wins Friday's Upside Therapeutic Riding Center Purse

Nov 05, 2009 Gary Yunt

Tim Brown and Phil Gahm’s Au Moon collared Whitley in deep stretch to win Thursday’s $48,191 Upside Therapeutic Riding Center Purse at Churchill Downs by a head.

    Trained by David Carroll and ridden by Robby Albarado, Au Moon covered the 1 1/16 miles on a “firm” Matt Winn Turf Course in 1:43.39.

    Au Moon raced in mid-pack as Original Ink took the field of 10 through fractions of :23.23, :47.09 and 1:11.95. Albarado angled Au Moon off the inside on the far turn and swung four-wide into the stretch. Original Ink surrendered the lead inside the eighth pole to Whitley, who was unable to hold off Au Moon’s final surge.

    The victory, the second in nine career starts for the 3-year-old Kentucky-bred son of Malibu Moon, was worth $29,290 and increased Au Moon’s earnings to $96,646.

    Au Moon rewarded his backers with mutuels of $21.80, $9.40 and $5.40. Whitley, ridden by Julien Leparoux, returned $4 and $3.20 in finishing a nose in front of Austons Sure Cure who paid $8.80 to show under Jon Court.

    Racing resumes Friday at 12:40 p.m. (all times EST) with a 10-race live card plus the simulcast of the first day of the Breeders’ Cup World Championships from Santa Anita. The first of six Breeders’ Cup races is scheduled for 3:35 p.m. Friday’s live card includes a three-day Pick 6 carryover of $9,611.38 on Races 5-10 and a three-day Super Hi-5 carryover of $25,913.86 on the finale.

    Churchill Downs, the world’s most legendary racetrack, has conducted Thoroughbred racing and presented America’s greatest race, the Kentucky Derby, continuously since 1875. Located in Louisville, the flagship racetrack of Churchill Downs Incorporated (NASDAQ Global Select Market: CHDN) also operates Trackside at Churchill Downs, which offers year-round simulcast wagering at the historic track. Churchill Downs will conduct the 136th running of the Kentucky Derby on May 1, 2010. The track will conduct its 2009 Fall Meet from Sunday, Nov. 1 through Saturday, Nov. 28. Churchill Downs is scheduled to host the Breeders’ Cup World Championships for a record seventh time on November 5 and 6, 2010. Information about Churchill Downs can be found on the Internet at www.churchilldowns.com.

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