Godolphin and trainer Brad Cox will once again take aim at another stakes victory from Ellis Park with their newly-minted turf specialist Wadsworth , who was made the solid 8-5 morning line favorite against 12 rivals entered in the Aug. 5 $200,000 Ky Downs Preview Dueling Grounds Derby.
Wadsworth, an impressive winner of the American Derby four weeks ago at Ellis Park, recently transferred to the turf for his connections but in just two starts on the lawn has proven it’s been a success.
“He’s always been a horse who has physically impressed us but has taken a little while to get going,” Cox said. “As a 2-year-old he went to Saratoga with us but couldn’t get the job done. We’ve since castrated him and have bounced around adding and removing blinkers. I think he’s just now starting to figure things out and it’s shown in his last two starts.”
Prior to the American Derby, Wadsworth lost by a nose to Gigante in the Caesars Handicap at Horseshoe Indianapolis.
Wadsworth has been based at Churchill Downs for most of his 3-year-old campaign where, most recently, he cruised a half-mile in :48 4/5 over the turf for his final preparation to the Ky Downs Preview Dueling Grounds Derby. A son of Quality Road , Wadsworth began his career on the dirt at Saratoga but didn’t break his maiden until his fourth start in December over the Tapeta surface at Turfway Park.
He’ll break from post 10 with jockey Florent Geroux in the irons.
The Ky Downs Preview Dueling Grounds Derby is one of three stakes events Saturday at Ellis Park. Overall, Saturday and Sunday’s programs will feature seven stakes contests with the winners receiving an automatic berth to their corresponding races in September at Kentucky Downs.
Run at 1 1/8 miles on turf, the Ky Downs Preview Dueling Grounds Derby will go as race 8 with a post time of 3:34 p.m. (all times Central). First post is 11:45 a.m.
Entries: KY Downs Preview Dueling Grounds Derby
Ellis Park, Saturday, August 05, 2023, Race 8
- STK
- 1 1/8m
- Turf
- $200,000
- 3 yo
- 3:34 PM (local)
Fuerteventura Tops Ky Downs Preview Mint Millions Mile
Multiple stakes winner Fuerteventura leads a competitive cast of 12 older horses that entered Saturday’s seventh running of the $200,000 Ky Downs Preview Mint Millions Turf Mile Stakes as part of Kentucky Downs Preview Weekend.
Fuerteventura is led to the winner’s circle after the Brooks Fields Mile Stakes at Canterbury Park
The Mint Millions Turf Mile Stakes, which will award the winner a spot in the Sept. 2, $2 million Mint Millions (G3T), was made the finale on the nine-race card. The field for the one-mile turf contest will go to post at 4:07 p.m.
Trained by Jonathan Thomas, Fuerteventura has competed at eight tracks across North America in just 10 starts. The 4-year-old son of Summer Front won the Brooks Fields Mile Stakes at Canterbury Park in late June and his résumé also includes a gutsy victory in last year’s Jersey Derby at Monmouth Park.
Jockey Florent Geroux will have the call from post 7.
The competitive field for the Mint Millions Preview also includes Porch Light Racing, Brandon Tucker, Raul Bras, Haugh Stables, and Highlight Thoroughbreds’ narrow runner-up in the Jonathan B. Schuster Memorial Stakes Underdressed ; trainer Mike Maker’s duo of last-out allowance winner Heaven Street and stakes winner Max K. O. ; and Lothenbach Stables dominant dirt allowance winner Minnesota Ready .
Entries: KY Downs Preview Mint Millions Turf Mile S.
Ellis Park, Saturday, August 05, 2023, Race 9
- STK
- 1m
- Turf
- $200,000
- 3 yo’s & up
- 4:07 PM (local)
Goin’ Good Chases Second Stakes Win in Ky Downs Preview Mint Ladies Turf Sprint
Klein Racing’s classy mare Goin’ Good tops a field of 10 filly and mare sprinters that were entered in Saturday’s fifth running of the $200,000 Ky Downs Preview Mint Ladies Turf Sprint Stakes.
Goin’ Good wins the 2021 Coronation Cup Stakes at Saratoga Race Course
Goin’ Good and her combatants will go to post in race 7 of nine at 3 p.m. CT.
The winner of the Ky Downs Preview Mint Ladies Turf Sprint, run at 5 1/2 furlongs on turf, will receive an all-fees-paid entry to the Sept. 9, $1 million Ladies Sprint (G2T) at Kentucky Downs.
Owned by longtime family stable Klein Racing, Goin’ Good will be in search of her second stakes victory after just missing in the Clarksville Handicap last time out at Horseshoe Indianapolis. Goin’ Good, who races for trainer Brad Cox, won the Coronation Cup Stakes two years ago at Saratoga and has been stakes-placed eight times in her 18-race career. Goin’ Good will be ridden by Cristian Torres from post 3.
Bridlewood Farm’s Bay Storm will be in search of her fifth career victory in the Ky Downs Preview Mint Ladies Turf Sprint. Trained by Jonathan Thomas, Bay Storm has yet to find the winner’s circle this season but has been stakes-placed in the Megahertz Stakes (G3T) and Wishing Well Stakes at Santa Anita Park and the Unbridled Sidney Stakes at Churchill Downs.
The ultra-consistent Bay Storm has only finished outside the top 3 twice from 15 starts. Her record stands at 4-6-3 with purse earnings that total $590,080.
Jockey Florent Geroux will have the mount from the rail.
Entries: KY Downs Preview Mint Ladies Turf Sprint S.
Ellis Park, Saturday, August 05, 2023, Race 7
- STK
- 5 1/2f
- Turf
- $200,000
- 3 yo’s & up Fillies and Mares
- 3:00 PM (local)
This press release has been edited for content and style by BloodHorse Staff.
