Kentucky Downs Daily – Sunday, September 07, 2025

Day 6 of 7

What’s Happening

The second week of the Kentucky Downs meet wraps up Sunday with an 11-race card, headlined by two $1 million juvenile stakes. Race nine, the Juvenile Mile Stakes, a 1-mile test for the boys, showcases Ben Colebrook’s STREET BEAST, fresh off a sharp maiden breaking win in a 6 1/2F allowance here 10 days ago. He’s been pegged as the 8/5 morning-line favorite and despite the quick turnaround, could be tough in what looks a winnable spot. Then, just 35 minutes later, recent Bolton Landing Stakes winner SNOW FACE PRINCESS, now with Steve Asmussen, will likely start as the post-time favorite in the $1 million Untappable Stakes at 6 1/2F, following the scratch of the 7/5 morning-line favorite, LENILU. Standout maiden winners Z Z’S and QUIET STREET are among others demanding respect in that race. The card also features five competitive maiden special weights and four top-tier allowances. Good luck!

What’s Happened

Thankfully, the inclement weather that loomed over Saturday’s card at Kentucky Downs veered away, leaving us with a spectacular afternoon of turf racing. The day was defined by doubles, with several trainers and jockeys finding the winners’ circle on more than one occasion. Frankie Dettori and Wesley Ward kicked things off in style, teaming up to win the opener with SADIE EARP before doubling up in the fourth with SATURDAY FLIRT. Mike Maker struck early, sending out RISK MANAGER to take the second, then did what Mike Maker does, winning the $2.5m Turf Cup Invitational Stakes at 1 1/2M – a Breeders’ Cup ‘Win and You’re In’ event for the Turf – with OLE CRAZY BONE, who he claimed just two starts back for $100k.

Tyler Gaffalione was in top form, guiding AGIA MARINA to a commanding maiden-breaking score in the fifth, then piloting TROUBLESHOOTING to victory in the G1 Franklin-Simpson Stakes. Florent Geroux and Brad Cox also joined the double club, as Geroux steered STELLIFY to her fourth straight win in the Ladies Marathon Invitational Stakes and PLENSA to a gritty score in the Gun Runner Stakes, while Brad Cox capped the day with a second win, sending out EXONERATE to take the nightcap under Flavien Prat. Prat himself had just ridden OLE CRAZY BONE to glory in the prior race.

By my count, eight individuals – trainers and jockeys – scored doubles on Saturday, which you don’t see every day. Other standout performances included Edgar Morales and John Ennis teaming up for success with EPIC RIDE in the Mint Millions Invitational Stakes. Irad Ortiz and Jose D’Angelo brought SHISOSPICY back to American turf with a bang, as she dusted her rivals in the Music City Stakes. Greg Foley notched his second career G1 victory, training TROUBLESHOOTING to take the Franklin-Simpson Stakes, while “Rusty” Arnold kept his hot streak alive, saddling PLENSA for his fourth win of the meet in the Gun Runner Stakes.

Leaderboards

After day five, Mike Maker and Wesley Ward are tied atop the trainers’ standings, both are boasting positive ROIs – worth taking note of. So is ‘Rusty’ Arnold ($3.34), who’s having a tremendous meet.

Other trainers to watch include Whit Beckman, whose win with CHEETAH LADY in Saturday’s third pushed his record to 2-for-3 ($22.46 ROI); he sends out three runners today. Jose D’Angelo, also with three runners today, is a perfect 4-for-4 in-the-exacta, with one win and three seconds from four starters.

Meanwhile, a few big barns are struggling. Steve Asmussen is just 1-for-38 (3%), Mark Casse 1-for-24 (4%), and Saffie Joseph Jr. 0-for-24 (0%). These ice-cold outfits should be approached with caution.

Here’s how the trainer standings look:

With a double on Saturday, Dettori reclaimed his spot atop the riders standings, two clear over Jose Ortiz. Dettori, Geroux and Prat are the only three riders with more than three wins currently showing positive ROIs.

Meanwhile (and I’m sorry to keep picking on you, Mr Velasquez), Johnny V drew another blank from six rides on Saturday, taking his two-year record at Kentucky Downs to a grim 1-for-40 (3%) and his five-year tally to just 3-for-98 (3%).

Here’s how the rider standings look:

Track Trends

For the first time this meet, the rails dropped to zero on Saturday, giving horses a fresh strip of ground to race over. And also for the first time, no major bias was present at any distance. The four sprint races were won by two front runners, one mid-pack runner, and one closer. The five one-turn route races went to one front runner, three mid-pack/hold-up runners, and one deep closer. And the three two-turn route races were won by one front runner and two mid-pack runners. The draw also had minimal impact in sprints (winning draws: 1, 11, 10, 2) and two-turn routes (winning draws: 1, 6, 8). However, in one-turn route races, like we saw last year, middle to high draws are increasingly at an advantage as the rails come down: since Thursday, nine of ten one-turn route race winners have broken from gates 6+.

Here’s the meet’s data so far:

Sprints (6F, 6 1/2F, 7F): 22 races

• Winner’s average position at first call: 3.40
• Winners’ average beaten lengths at first call: 2.06

One-Turn Routes (1M, 1M 70YDS): 22 races

• Winner’s average position at first call: 4.72
• Winners’ average beaten lengths at first call: 2.69

Two-Turn Routes (1 5/16M, 1 1/2M, 2 1/16M): 13 races

• Winner’s average position at first call: 4.54
• Winners’ average beaten lengths at first call: 3.29

Horses To Follow

Race 4: #4 ROSATO (9/2 ML)

I’m not sold on the 5/2 morning line favorite in race four, TURINO, who only broke his maiden last out in an off-turf synthetic race at Gulfstream and is now stepping up for Saffie Joseph Jr., who’s 0-for-24 at this meet. Instead, I’ll try ROSATO, a $210k son of GIFTBOX. This colt showed some nice moves on dirt as a 2-year-old last year, then went to the sidelines for 252 days before resurfacing for new trainer Ian Wilkes, who instantly switched him to turf. Off the layoff, I thought he ran a more than respectable 3rd at Ellis last time out. Squeezed at the start from gate two, he was nearly last early but moved well, then swung six-wide into the stretch before rallying hard to finish just 1 1/2 lengths behind Wesley Ward’s talented filly, SWEET KAUFY. He earned a career-best 69 Beyer that day; however, track was very speed favoring, the pace held up well and he gave away many lengths coming wide into the lane, so I recon his speed figure is better than it looks. Now in his second start off the bench, with a kinder trip and setup, he could be able to improve two-fold on his that comeback run which will give him every chance of winning.

Race 10: #4 CHASING FREEDOM (9/2 ML)

Wesley Ward’s WONDER MIST tepidly leads the morning-line for today’s seventh – a 6 1/2F MSW – following some solid works for a top barn. She can win, but I don’t want to attack this first leg of the late pick-5 without CHASING FREEDOM on my tickets too. No workout videos are available for this Rob Atras-trained son of CONSTITUTION, but his work tab shows some sharp drills, including a bullet 47.60 gate work – fastest of 28 at Ellis on August 25 – suggesting he can run a little. And his pedigree stacks up too: sire CONSTITUTION wins at 14% with first-out two-year-olds; dam INTO MYSTIK, a three-time stakes-winning turf router, posted three 100+ Beyers in her career; and his second dam, although unraced, was a half-sister to three black-type performers, including G3 winner ROGUE ROMANCE, who placed third in the 2010 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile behind UNCLE MO. There’s precocity in the bloodline, Atras posts a 25% strike rate with turf juveniles (7-for-28, $4.30 ROI), and Irad Ortiz, who clicks at 33% with Atras (28-for-84), takes the mount. Lots to like about this colt’s debut chances.

Race 11: #9 Z Z’S (6/1 ML)

With LENILU scratched from the $1 million Untappable Stakes, SNOW FACE PRINCESS, fresh off her Bolton Landing Stakes win at Saratoga, is the horse to beat in the $1 million Untappable Stakes. Debut winner STREET BEAST, bred to improve with distance, remains a serious contender too, but Z Z’S is my pick. Trainer Brendan Walsh has always rated this Gainsway Stable-owned daughter of MCKINZIE highly – out of a half-sister to G2 winner DANCING HOUSE and granddaughter of multiple G1-winning turf router TOUT CHARMANT – and it’s clear why. Bet hard on debut at Ellis Park, Z Z’S was tremendously impressive, traveling sweetly in front to the top of the stretch before pulling away powerfully to win by 5L. She left a fantastic visual impression and despite only being hand ridden in the lane, was lengthening away from her competition with style. Her pedigree and finishing kick suggest she’ll handle the extra distance well and she appears to have worked well since. Now getting the hot-riding Dettori aboard for the first time, I suspect she’s got more tactical ability than she showed on debut, and I like the fact that two of past five winners of this race were following up a debut win at Ellis.