A pair of graded turf stakes for three-year-olds, the $175,000 Mrs. Revere and $100,000 Commonwealth Turf, highlight Saturday’s “Downs After Dark” program at Churchill Downs, the only nighttime racing session of the fall meet. Both 1 1/16-mile races feature large fields packed with stakes winners.
“My Fall Derby Style” is Saturday night’s theme, with all guests encouraged to dress in their finest Derby-inspired fall attire and participate in a fashion contest for prizes, and the first-race post time is 4:30 p.m. (ET).
The Grade 2 Mrs. Revere drew a full cast of 14 fillies, with Tapicat and Emotional Kitten both likely to receive plenty of support. Tapicat posted a Grade 3 victory earlier this season and has run well in her recent starts in New York, including a close third to Kitten’s Dumplings in the Lake George at Saratoga and a narrow second to Discreet Marq in the Pebbles at Belmont Park most recently. The speedy daughter of Tapit must overcome post 13 and Mike Smith retains the mount on the chestnut for Bill Mott.
Emotional Kitten will be able to save ground from her rail post. Owned by Ken and Sarah Ramsey and trained by Wesley Ward, the stakes-winning Kitten’s Joy filly recorded a pair of nice efforts at the Grade 1 level, finishing second in the American Oaks and third in the Del Mar Oaks, before a disappointing seventh in the Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup last out. Victor Espinoza, who was up for both starts in California, will be in to ride the fast-closing chestnut.
I’m Already Sexy posted a pair of smashing stakes victories at Arlington, including the Grade 3 Pucker Up, before weakening to sixth in the Queen Elizabeth, and the speedy daughter of Ready’s Image is a candidate to rebound with an improved effort Saturday for Wayne Catalano. The trainer will also send out the unbeaten Quality Kitten, who exits a sharp allowance score at Keeneland in her second career start.
Nellie Cashman is a win contender for Francis Abbott III. Heroine of the Grade 3 Virginia Oaks three back, the Mineshaft filly was disqualified from a first-place effort in the Grade 2 Lake Placid at Saratoga and finished a good second in the Grade 3 Valley View at Keeneland last out. Forest Boyce has the call.
Virginia Oaks runner-up Praia ran well in a pair of stakes under the Twin Spires this summer, finishing second to Kitten’s Dumplings in the Regret and Edgewood, and will return to Churchill Downs for Kenny McPeek off of a nice allowance tally at Keeneland. Dance Again invades for Malcolm Pierce after capturing the Carotene at Woodbine, and Florida shipper E B Ryder exits a convincing triumph in the Frances A. Genter for Marty Wolfson.
Thirteen sophomores will contest the Grade 3 Commonwealth Turf and a couple of top contenders, Central Banker and Frac Daddy, are stuck in outside posts.
Frac Daddy ran well on the main track at Churchill Downs when second in the Kentucky Jockey Club last November and earned a berth in the Kentucky Derby when filling the same position in the Arkansas Derby this spring. But the gray son of Scat Daddy made his turf debut a winning one three starts back, capturing an allowance at Saratoga, and exits a convincing win in an off-the-turf allowance on Keeneland’s Polytrack. The McPeek runner could continue to show more on turf Saturday with Alan Garcia.
Central Banker has never run a bad race on turf, including a convincing stakes win sprinting three starts back at Saratoga, and the promising Speightstown colt will attempt to carry his encouraging form forward at two turns. Robby Albarado rides for Al Stall Jr.
Grade 3 scorer Winning Cause exits a nice second against older horses in the Grade 2 Fayette and must be considered extremely dangerous in this spot for Todd Pletcher. Stakes victor Dorsett has plenty of experience at this level, finishing fourth in the Hawthorne Derby most recently, and Ruler of Love fits on the switch back in surface. A turf stakes winner at two, Ruler of Love took second in both the West Virginia Derby and Super Derby before an unplaced outing in the sloppy Indiana Derby.
River Seven, a Grade 3 winner at two and second in the grassy Breeders’ Stakes this year in Canada, exits a 10-length romp in the Labeeb on Woodbine’s turf. Golden Sabre is another possible dangerous invader from North of the Border. The Pierce trainee has finished first in his last three starts on the sod (disqualified from a stakes win).