Churchill Downs barn notes: Howling Time heads Ky Jockey Club
Churchill Downs press release (Coady Photography photo of Howling Time):
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (Wednesday, Nov. 24, 2021) – The Road to the Kentucky Derby resumes Saturday from Churchill Downs where Albaugh Family Stables’ undefeated colt Howling Time, the winner of the $200,000 Street Sense four weeks ago, tops an ultra-competitive cast of 14 colts and geldings that entered the $400,000 Kentucky Jockey Club (Grade II).
The 1 1/16-mile Kentucky Jockey Club will award points to the Top 4 finishers on a 10-4-2-1 scale toward a spot in the starting gate in the 148th running of the Kentucky Derby presented by Woodford Reserve (GI). The race will share the Saturday spotlight with its counterpart for 2-year-old fillies, the $400,000 Golden Rod (GII). The Golden Rod will award the same scale of points to the Top 4 finishers for the Longines Kentucky Oaks (GI).
The Kentucky Jockey Club will go as Race 11 of 12 with a post time of 5:56 p.m. First post is 1 p.m. Along with the Kentucky Jockey Club and the Golden Rod (Race 10), the Saturday program also features the inaugural runnings of the 6 ½-furlong $200,000 Lively Shively in Race 9 and $200,000 Fern Creek for fillies in Race 12.
Howling Time enters the Kentucky Jockey Club unblemished in two career starts for trainer Dale Romans. The colt by Not This Time cruised to a 3 ¼-length victory in the Street Sense, the local prep for the Kentucky Jockey Club on “Stars of Tomorrow I.” The Kentucky-bred broke his maiden at first asking in September when he rallied from six lengths off the early pace for a 1 ½-length victory at odds of 5-1.
“We always thought he showed some promise in his training,” Romans said. “He was really impressive breaking his maiden back in September and proved it wasn’t a fluke winning the Street Sense. His looks remind me a lot of his sire. He’s got the size and stride that make them similar.”
Howling Time will once again be ridden by Joe Talamo from post No. 5.
“It seems like every race he keeps improving,” Talamo said. “Dale said he’s doing even better going into this race than the last one. He has the right mind to him. Coming out of a sprint in his first start he had every right to get tired going two turns for the first time but he was all class. That’s half the battle right there, especially with a young horse. He sure passed the test.”
One of the other top contenders Howling Time will face in the Kentucky Jockey Club is Kentucky West Racing and Clarke M. Cooper’s 6 ½-length Saratoga debut winner Classic Causeway. Trained by Brian Lynch, Classic Causeway was the 9-5 favorite in the $500,000 Breeders’ Futurity (GI) but after breaking from post 13, he tired late and settled for third behind accomplished juveniles Rattle N Roll and Double Thunder.
“He’s always been a horse that breaks sharp from the gate,” Lynch said. “We knew that going into the debut so it didn’t really surprise us he broke on top like he did but it’s always a pleasant surprise to see them win that impressively. Last out in the Breeders’ Futurity, he was hung wide from the gate and he battled pretty hard on the lead through fast fractions. I thought he gamely held on for third after the field closed in on him. Going into this start I’ve been trying to get him to relax a little bit in his training. I’ve worked him behind horses and in company so he doesn’t have to be on the engine.”
Joel Rosario has the call on Classic Causeway from the rail.
Trainer Kenny McPeek entered a duo of budding stars in the Kentucky Jockey Club: Phoenix Thoroughbreds’ $1 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf (GI) runner-up Tiz the Bomb and Lucky Seven Stable’s eye-catching 5 ½-length debut winner Smile Happy.
“Tiz the Bomb was impressive last out at Del Mar after dealing with all of the pre-race incidents in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf,” McPeek said. “He’s handled really anything we’ve thrown at him so far so going back to the dirt shouldn’t be a problem for him.”
Brian Hernandez Jr. will have the mount on Tiz the Bomb from post 6. Hernandez rode Smile Happy last out at Keeneland for his victory in a 1 1/16-mile maiden special weight. Corey Lanerie will ride the Runhappy colt from post 8.
Another undefeated colt that entered the Kentucky Jockey Club is C2 Racing Stable and La Milagrosa Stable’s Florida-invader White Abarrio. The Saffie Joseph-trained colt is perfect in his young career from two starts at Gulfstream Park with a 6 ¾-length victory in a 6 ½-furlong maiden special weight and a four-length front-running score in a first-level allowance at one-mile. Florida-based jockey Edgard Zayas, who rode White Abarrio to his allowance victory, will travel to Churchill Downs for the mount from post 10.
Here’s the complete field for the Kentucky Jockey Club from the rail out (with jockey and trainer): Classic Causeway (Rosario, Lynch); Guntown (Tyler Gaffalione, Steve Asmussen); Rich Strike (Rafael Bejarano, Eric Reed); Texas Red Hot (Julien Leparoux, Randy Morse); Howling Time (Talamo, Romans); Tiz the Bomb (Hernandez, McPeek); Vivar (Florent Geroux, Brad Cox); Smile Happy (Lanerie, McPeek); Red Knobs (Ricardo Santana Jr., Romans); White Abarrio (Zayas, Joseph); Ready Pursuit (Martin Garcia, Jerry Antonuik); Ben Diesel (Jon Court, Dallas Stewart); Mannix (IRE) (Edwin Gonzalez, Mark Casse); and Call Me Midnight (Chris Landeros, Keith Desormeaux).
Wagering is available online at www.TwinSpires.com, the official ADW of Churchill Downs Incorporated.
WELL-BRED FILLY FAMED BATTLES 10 ¾-LENGTH RAGS TO RICHES WINNER SANDSTONE IN GOLDEN ROD – Godolphin’s 2-year-old filly Famed, the half-sister to champion coltEssential Quality, will face off against Susan Moulton’s dominant 10 ¾-length winner of the $200,000 Rags to Riches Sandstone in Saturday’s $400,000 Golden Rod (Grade II), a race on the Road to the Kentucky Oaks at Churchill Downs.
The 1 1/16-mile Golden Rod will award the Top 4 fillies points on a 10-4-2-1 scale toward the May 6 Longines Kentucky Oaks (GI). The Golden Rod, which goes as Race 10 at 5:27 p.m., is one of four stakes events on the “Stars of Tomorrow II” program from Churchill Downs. The others are the $400,000 Kentucky Jockey Club (GII), $200,000 Lively Shively and $200,000 Fern Creek. First post is 1 p.m.
Trained by Brad Cox, Famed has been well-backed in both of her two-career starts. She broke her maiden last out at Keeneland by 7 ¾ lengths at odds of 2-5. In her debut, the Uncle Mo filly finished second as the 4-5 favorite against 45-1 longshot Sweet Dani Girl. Famed will be ridden by Florent Geroux from post the rail.
The Kenny McPeek-trained Sandstone has won her last two races by a combined 19 ¾ lengths under jockey Brian Hernandez Jr. The filly by Kentucky Derby winner Street Sense debuted at 5 ½ furlongs in late May and finished fifth, beaten 7 ¾ lengths to stablemate and eventual $150,000 Debutante Stakes winnerBehave Virginia. In her second start, at one-mile, Sandstone dusted her rivals at odds of 5-1. Her first start around two-turns was the Rags to Riches, the local prep to the Golden Rod, where she was the slight 5-2 upset winner over Yuugiri. Hernandez will once again have the call from post No. 4.
The full field for the Golden Rod from the inside out (with jockey and trainer): Famed (Geroux, Cox);Cancel This (Joel Rosario, Dale Romans); Secret Oath (David Cohen, D. Wayne Lukas); Sandstone (Hernandez, McPeek); Hal’s Dream (Corey Lanerie, McPeek); Yuugiri (Tyler Gaffalione, Rodolphe Brisset); Dream Lith (Ramon Vazquez, Robertino Diodoro); and Code for Success (Rafael Bejarano, Vicki Oliver).
Wagering is available online at www.TwinSpires.com, the official ADW of Churchill Downs Incorporated.
RECENT ALLOWANCE WINNER TEJANO TWIST TOPS FIRST RUNNING OF $200,000 LIVELY SHIVELY – Tom Durant’s Tejano Twist, who cruised to a 7 ¼-length allowance victory in his last start, headlines a field of eight 2-year-old sprinters that entered Saturday’s inaugural running of the $200,000 Lively Shively at Churchill Downs.
The Lively Shively was carded as Race 9 of 12 with a post time of 4:57 p.m. The 6 ½-furlong sprint is one of four stakes events carded on Saturday’s “Stars of Tomorrow II.” The all 2-year-old program is headlined by the $400,000 Kentucky Jockey Club (GII) and $400,000 Golden Rod (GII) and also features the Lively Shively’s counterpart for fillies, the $200,000 Fern Creek. First post is 1 p.m.
Tejano Twist has made seven starts so far in 2021 and sports a pair of runner-up finishes in the $100,000 Rosies Stakes at Colonial Downs and $75,000 Kip Deville at Remington. Trained by Bret Calhoun, Tejano Twist will be ridden by Joe Rocco Jr. from post No. 5.
Among the challengers to Tejano Twist in the Lively Shively is Holy Cow Stable’s five-length maiden winner Ignitis. Trained by four-time Kentucky Derby winner and Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas, Ignitis finished third two starts ago to future $500,000 Breeders Futurity (GI) winner Rattle N Roll. Ignitis will be ridden by Rafael Bejarano from post 6.
The complete field for the Lively Shively from the rail out (with jockey and trainer): Charter Oak(Julien Leparoux, Dave Vance); Cool Papa G (Joel Rosario, Steve Asmussen); Chattalot (Florent Geroux, Asmussen); Ready to March (Albin Jiminez, James Chapman); Tejano Twist (Rocco, Calhoun); Ignitis (Bejarano, Lukas); Barber Road (Tyler Gaffalione, John Ortiz); and Hoist the Gold (Brian Hernandez Jr., Dallas Stewart).
Wagering is available online at www.TwinSpires.com, the official ADW of Churchill Downs Incorporated.
MYRTLEWOOD STAKES WINNER SWEET DANI GIRL HEADLINES $200,000 FERN CREEK –J and J Stables and Nicholas Vaccarezza’s undefeated $150,000 Myrtlewood Stakes winner Sweet Dani Girl tops a field of eight 2-year-old filly sprinters entered in Saturday’s $200,000 Fern Creek at Churchill Downs.
The 6 ½-furlong Fern Creek will go as the finale in Race 12 at 6:24 p.m. First post is 1 p.m. The “Stars of Tomorrow II” card features the $400,000 Kentucky Jockey Club (GII) and $400,000 Golden Rod (GII) on the Road to the Kentucky Derby and Kentucky Oaks, respectively. The stakes action Saturday also includes the $200,000 Lively Shively, the counterpart to the Fern Creek for open company.
Sweet Dani Girl defeated the well-meant Famed on debut at odds of 45-1. Trained by Carlo Vaccarezza, Sweet Dani Girl rallied to a three-quarters of a length victory in the Myrtlewood under jockeyMartin Garcia. The 2-year-old daughter of Jess’s Dream drew post No. 8 for the Fern Creek and will be ridden once again by Garcia.
Randy Patterson’s $125,000 Ellis Park Debutante heroine Verylittlecents will once again face Sweet Dani Girl in the Fern Creek after the duo battled in the Myrtlewood in their last start. Verylittlecents dueled on the lead in the six-furlong Myrtlewood but gave way to a third-place effort under jockey Joe Talamo. Trained by Randy Morse, Verylittlecents will have Talamo in the saddle again from post 4.
Here’s the field for the Fern Creek from the rail out (with jockey and trainer): Golden Sights (Florent Geroux, Brad Cox); Matereya (Joel Rosario, Cox); Bali del Sol (Brian Hernandez Jr., Rusty Arnold); Verylittlecents (Talamo, Morse); Knowing Glance (Tyler Gaffalione, Mike Maker); Marissa’s Lady (Rafael Bejarano, Bill Morey); Laura’s Charm (Corey Lanerie, Wayne Catalano); and Sweet Dani Girl (Garcia, Vaccarezza).
Wagering is available online at www.TwinSpires.com, the official ADW of Churchill Downs Incorporated.
DERBY-WINNING JOCKEYS CRUGUET, MANGANELLO AUTOGRAPH SIGNING THANKSGIVING – Kentucky Derby-winning jockeys Jean Cruguet (1977 Seattle Slew) and Mike Manganello (1970 Dust Commander) will be at Churchill Downs on Thanksgiving to sign autographs inThe Churchill Downs Store from 1:30-2:30 p.m.
Churchill Downs will provide a complimentary poster for the jockeys to sign. Guests may bring memorabilia for Cruguet and Manganello to sign but must adhere to the track’s prohibited items list, which is available online at https://www.churchilldowns.com/visit/info/security-information.
Also, Thursday’s fourth race at 12:45 p.m. is named in honor of the two riders – “Legendary: Cruguet and Manganello” – and they will be on hand in the Woodford Reserve Winner’s Circle to present a trophy to the winning connections.
MAXFIELD MADE 6-5 MORNING LINE FAVORITE IN FRIDAY’S GRADE I, $750,000 CLARK – Godolphin’s multiple graded stakes winning colt Maxfield was tabbed as the slight 6-5 morning line favorite against a talented field of seven rivals that entered Friday’s 147th running of the Grade I, $750,000 Clark presented by Norton Healthcare, the premiere race of the Churchill Downs Fall Meet.
The 1 1/8-mile Clark will go as the featured 11th race at 5:56 p.m. First post for the 12-race program is 1 p.m.
Maxfield earned slight favoritism over Winchell Thoroughbreds’ improving 3-year-old colt Midnight Bourbon in the Clark, who was made the second choice at odds of 8-5.
In the last 10 years, four favorites have won the Clark: Hoppertunity (2014, odds 2-1); Effinex (2015, 5-2); Gun Runner (2016, 2-1); Tom’s d’Etat (2019, 4-5).
The runners in Friday’s Clark have combined for 34 wins from 113 starts with purse earnings of more than $6.4 million.
Here is the full field for the Clark from the rail out (with jockey, trainer and morning line odds): Midnight Bourbon (Joel Rosario, Steve Asmussen, 8-5); Night Ops (Florent Geroux, Brad Cox, 15-1); Dr Post (Irad Ortiz Jr., Pletcher, 5-1); Happy Saver (Tyler Gaffalione, Pletcher, 8-1); King Fury (Brian Hernandez Jr., Kenny McPeek, 12-1); Chess Chief (Joe Talamo, Dallas Stewart, 30-1); Militarist (Rafael Bejarano, Carlo Vaccarezza, 50-1); Maxfield (Jose Ortiz, Brendan Walsh, 6-5).
Wagering is available online at www.TwinSpires.com, the official ADW of Churchill Downs Incorporated.
KENTUCKY DERBY FUTURE WAGER OPENS THURSDAY; ‘ALL OTHERS’ EVEN-MINEY FAVORITE, JACK CHRISTOPHER 10-1 SECOND CHOICE – The pari-mutuel field of “All Other Colts and Geldings from the 2019 Foal Crop” is likely to be a strong even-money favorite in Pool 1 of the 2022 Kentucky Derby Future Wager, which kicks off a four-day run at Churchill Downs on Thanksgiving Day. Jack Christopher, the impressive Champagne (GI) winner for trainer Chad Brown who expected to resume training in early 2022, is anticipated to be the 10-1 second choice.
Pool 1 assumes that horses under the care of trainers suspended from competing in the 2022 Kentucky Derby will not be under consideration. To that end, prospects Corniche, Messier, Pinehurst and Rockefeller are not among the 22 individual betting interests and are included within the pari-mutuel field.
Jack Christopher, who was expected to be the $2 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (GI) favorite, was scratched from the Nov. 5 race, and had a screw inserted into his left shin due to a stress fracture shortly thereafter.
Here’s the complete Kentucky Derby Future Wager Pool 1 field (with trainer, sire and morning line odds): #1 Ben Diesel (Dallas Stewart, Will Take Charge, 30-1); #2 Classic Causeway (Brian Lynch, Giant’s Causeway, 15-1); #3 Commandperformance (Todd Pletcher, Union Rags, 15-1); #4 Double Thunder(Todd Pletcher, Super Saver, 30-1); #5 Epicenter (Steve Asmussen, Not This Time, 30-1); #6 Forced Ranking (Chad Brown, Mastery, 30-1); #7 Giant Game (Dale Romans, Giant’s Causeway, 15-1); #8 Graphic Detail (Bill Mott, Practical Joke, 50-1); #9 Gunite (Steve Asmussen, Gun Runner, 20-1); #10 Howling Time (Dale Romans, Not This Time, 20-1); #11 Jack Christopher (Chad Brown, Munnings, 10-1); #12 Major General (Todd Pletcher, Constitution, 20-1); #13 Mo Donegal (Todd Pletcher, Uncle Mo, 20-1); #14 Osbourne (Ron Moquett, Tapiture, 30-1); #15 Oviatt Class (Keith Desormeaux, Bernardini, 30-1); #16Pappacap (Mark Casse, Gun Runner, 12-1); #17 Rattle N Roll (Kenny McPeek, Connect, 15-1); #18 Smile Happy (Kenny McPeek, Runhappy, 50-1); #19 Tiz the Bomb (Kenny McPeek, Hit It a Bomb, 20-1); #20Trafalgar (Al Stall Jr., Lord Nelson, 50-1); #21 Varatti (Todd Pletcher, Into Mischief, 50-1); #22 Zandon(Chad Brown, Upstart, 30-1); #23 All Fillies from the 2019 Foal Crop (50-1); and #24 All Other Colts and Geldings from the 2019 Foal Crop (1-1).
The pool, which features $2 Win and Exacta wagering, opens Thursday at noon and will close Sunday at 6 p.m. ET.
The Kentucky Derby Future Wager will be offered concurrently with the seventh annual Kentucky Derby Sire Future Wager, which provides bettors with a unique opportunity to wager on select breeding stars and their entire crop of juveniles with the hope of winning next year’s Kentucky Derby.
Offspring sired by Quality Road, including Corniche, was made the individual 8-1 favorite by oddsmaker Mike Battaglia. “All Other Sires” is the 6-1 early choice.
Here’s the Kentucky Derby Sire Future Wager field (with morning line odds): #1 American Pharoah(20-1); #2 Candy Ride (ARG) (30-1); #3 Curlin (15-1); #4 Empire Maker (12-1); #5 Giant’s Causeway(15-1); #6 Gun Runner (15-1); #7 Into Mischief (20-1); #8 Mastery (30-1); #9 Medaglia D’Oro (30-1); #10 Munnings (12-1); #11 Not This Time (15-1); #12 Nyquist (30-1); #13 Pioneerof the Nile (30-1); #14Practical Joke (20-1); #15 Quality Road (8-1); #16 Runhappy (20-1); #17 Speightstown (30-1); #18 Street Sense (20-1); #19 Tapit (15-1); #20 Twirling Candy (30-1); #21 Uncle Mo (20-1); #22 Union Rags(30-1); #23 Violence (30-1); and #24 “All Other Sires” (6-1).
This marks the ninth consecutive year that Churchill Downs has hosted Future Wager pools in November on closing weekend of its Fall Meet.
The Kentucky Derby Future Wagers provide fans of Thoroughbred racing with opportunities to place bets on possible entrants in the Kentucky Derby presented by Woodford Reserve (Grade I) at odds that could be far greater and more attractive than those available on the day of the race. The 148th running of Kentucky Derby, America’s greatest race and the first leg of the Triple Crown, is set for Saturday, May 7, 2022 at Churchill Downs.
Bets can be placed at Churchill Downs Racetrack, TwinSpires.com and other online wagering outlets and satellite wagering centers across North America.
There are no refunds in the Kentucky Derby Future Wager. Should Churchill Downs officials determine during the duration of this week’s four-day pool that one of the wagering interests has experienced an injury, illness or other circumstance that would prevent the horse from participating in the Kentucky Derby, betting on the individual horse will be suspended immediately.
More information, Brisnet.com past performances and real-time odds on the Kentucky Derby Future Wager will be available before the pool opens Thursday online at https://www.kentuckyderby.com/wager/future-wager.
BRISNET PROVIDES FREE FUTURE WAGER PAST PERFORMANCES – Free past performances for Pool 1 of the Kentucky Derby Future Wager and Kentucky Derby Sire Future Wager have been provided by Brisnet:
- KDFW Pool 1: http://www.brisnet.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/Derby22Future1.pdf
- KDFW Sire: http://www.brisnet.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/Derby22Sire.pdf
RACE TO GIVE CHECK PRESENTATION TO THOROUGHBRED CHARITIES OF AMERICA ON FRIDAY – Churchill Downs will host a team from Hagyard Equine Medical Institute and Pharmacyon Friday for a $125,117 check presentation to Thoroughbred Charities of America in conjunction with the inaugural “Race to Give,” an online giving and awareness campaign designed to raise money for Thoroughbred aftercare programs and initiatives.
The check presentation will take place in the Woodford Reserve Winner’s Circle immediately after Friday’s third race at approximately 2:15 p.m. Hagyard Equine Medical Institute’s CEO Ken Ford is scheduled to be joined by Churchill Downs Racetrack President Mike Anderson and Churchill Downs Racetrack General Manager Mike Ziegler for the ceremony.
Churchill Downs Racetrack fielded a team that raised $12,075.
For more information or to donate funds, visit https://p2p.onecause.com/racetogive.
TV SCHEDULE – Racing from Churchill Downs will air each race day on the Churchill Downs LIVE app. The app is available free of charge on streaming services such as Amazon, Apple TV and Roku. Most races also will be covered on the Fox Sports family of networks as part of “America’s Day at the Races.” Here is the updated TV schedule for racing this week:
- Wednesday: 1-5:30 p.m., Fox Sports 2
- Thursday: 11:30 a.m. – 5 p.m., Fox Sports 2
- Friday: 11:30 a.m. – 5 p.m., Fox Sports 2 | 12:45-6:30 p.m., TVG
- Saturday: 12:45-6:30 p.m., TVG
- Sunday: 11:30 a.m. – 4 p.m., Fox Sports 2 | 4-6:30 p.m., Fox Sports 1
FLINT WINS 500TH CHURCHILL DOWNS RACE IN WEDNESDAY OPENER – Bernie Flintbecame only the sixth trainer in Churchill Downs history to win 500 races beneath the Twin Spires when 4-year-old filly Saintsational won Wednesday’s first race.
Flint, 81, is a former New Orleans Police Department detective turned trainer who has won 3,544 races in his career to rank 24th on the trainers’ North American all-time win leaders list. His best horses include graded stakes winners Hurricane Bertie, Runaway Model, Outofthebox, One Mean Man and Swept Away.
Flint had to wait a year to collect the monumental milestone. He won No. 499 on Nov. 20, 2020 withRecoded, and was winless in his next 28 attempts to reach the mark before breaking through on Wednesday.
Flint wasn’t in the winner’s circle photo. Instead, he opted to watch the race from his Barn 6A, according to his assistant Georgia Jackson.
The only trainers with more wins than Flint at Churchill Downs are Steve Asmussen (814), Dale Romans (772), Bill Mott (742), Wayne Lukas (545) and Tom Amoss (522).
