Kelly’s Landing: Bango shoots for record-breaking 12th win at Churchill Downs

Churchill Downs press release by Kevin Kerstein (Coady Media Group photo of Bango in last month’s St. Matthews Overnight Stakes, a fourth-place finish)

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (Thursday, June 27, 2024) – Tamaroak Partners’ Bango, the co-all-time leading horse at Churchill Downs with 11 wins, will attempt to break the record in Saturday’s $250,000 Kelly’s Landing (Listed).

          Trained by Greg Foley, Bango returned for his 7-year-old season on Kentucky Derby week when he finished a disappointing fourth in the St. Matthews Overnight Stakes. However, what Foley discovered after the race gives the son of Congrats an excuse for running poorly.

          “A couple days after the St. Matthews we found he popped a foot abscess,” Foley said. “We were obviously disappointed with his effort right after the race even when we won it with O Besos. When we found the abscess after the race, it made sense why he didn’t put in his best effort. That ended up taking care of itself and he’s had a couple nice works into the Kelly’s Landing.”

          Saturday will be the fourth-straight time Bango has run in the six-furlong race. He won the race last year when it was held at Ellis Park along with the 2021 edition. In 2022, Bango finished fourth to Breeders’ Cup Sprint (GI) winner Aloha West. 

          Bango currently sits tied atop the all-time recorded wins record at Churchill Downs with Ready’s Rocket.

The Kelly’s Landing is part of a six-pack of stakes contests Saturday at Churchill Downs led by the $1 million Stephen Foster (GI). Along with the Kelly’s Landing, the phenomenal program will include the $500,000 Fasig-Tipton Fleur de Lis (GII), $500,000 Wise Dan (GII), $250,000 American Derby (Listed) and $250,000 Tepin (Listed).

Here is the field for the Kelly’s Landing from the rail out (with jockey, trainer and morning line odds):

• Anarchist (Antonio Fresu, Doug O’Neill, 6-1)
• Spankster (Joe Bealmear, Jade Cunningham, 15-1)
• Ryvit (Cristian Torres, Steve Asmussen, 12-1)
• Tejano Twist (Rafael Bejarano, Chris Hartman, 4-1)
• Hoist the Gold (Luis Saez, Dallas Stewart, 3-1)
• Closethegame Sugar (Irad Ortiz Jr., Adam Rice, 7-2)
• Angkor (Jose Ortiz, Phil Bauer, 5-1)
• Bango (Tyler Gaffalione, Foley, 6-1)

XIGERA SET FOR REMATCH WITH SCYLLA IN FASIG-TIPTON FLEUR DE LIS – Rigney Racing’s Xigera will attempt to rebound from her runner-up effort to Scylla four weeks ago in the Shawnee Stakes (Grade III) when the top fillies face off once again in Saturday’s $500,000 Fasig-Tipton Fleur de Lis (GII) at Churchill Downs.

          Xigera, trained by Phil Bauer, had a brilliant 3-year-old campaign with victories in the Mother Goose (GII), Falls City (GIII) and Seneca Overnight Stakes. The daughter of Nyquist set the pace in last month’s Shawnee Stakes but was run down late by Scylla.

          “She ran a lot better in the Shawnee than she did in her first start of the year when she didn’t take to the slop in the La Troienne (GI),” Bauer said. “We’re confident that she’ll give us her best effort and hopefully that will be enough to turn the tables this time around.”

          The 1 1/8-mile Fasig-Tipton Fleur de Lis is part of the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Dozen series where the top three finishers will receive partial entry fees paid should they compete in the Nov. 2 Breeders’ Cup Distaff (GI) at Del Mar.

          Another filly attempting to upset Scylla in the Fleur de Lis is Richard Bahde’s Taxed. A recent impressive allowance winner for trainer Randy Morse, Taxed will stretch back out to two turns in the Fleur de Lis but Morse seems confident Taxed is ready to run her best effort.

          “She’s doing really well the last week leading up to this race,” Morse said. “She’s obviously shown she’s been able to handle one and two-turn races. Last time out, the one-turn allowance came up here at Churchill and she ran a great race. She’ll need to improve on that even more Saturday but we’re confident she’ll be able to do so.”

          The compact field of six fillies and mares will take center stage in Race 8 at 4:25 p.m.

Here is the field for the Fasig-Tipton Fleur de Lis from the rail out (with jockey, trainer and morning line odds):

• Free Like a Girl (Corey Lanerie, Chasey Deville Pomier, 6-1)
• Shotgun Hottie (Paco Lopez, Cherie DeVaux, 4-1)
• Taxed (Brian Hernandez Jr., Morse, 5-1)
• Scylla (Javier Castellano, Bill Mott, 6-5)
• Occult (Irad Ortiz Jr., Chad Brown, 6-1)
• Xigera (Julien Leparoux, Bauer, 9-2)

CALIFORNIA-BASED TRAINER PERIBAN RETURNS TO CHURCHILL DOWNS SEEKING SECOND BASHFORD MANOR VICTORY – California-based trainer Jorge Periban made his return to Churchill Downs earlier this week and will attempt to garner his second victory in Sunday’s $225,000 Bashford Manor (Listed), this time with improving 2-year-old colt Bodacious.

          Owned in partnership by Griffin Stables, Terry Lovingier and Paul Sabesky, California-bred Bodacious won on debut at Santa Anita, cruising to a 5 ¾-length victory in a 4 ½-furlong state-bred maiden special weight contest on May 3. Four years ago, Periban won the Bashford Manor with his flashy chestnut colt Phantom Boss.

          “Hopefully we’re back here to get lucky again like we did a couple years ago,” said Periban, who stood alongside his colt as he schooled in the paddock Thursday morning. “He’s a big colt but he’s very fast. I think this race sets up well for him being so fast early. I don’t think the extra distance should be a problem.”

          The six-furlong Bashford Manor will go as Race 9 of 11 with a post time of 4:55 p.m. Sunday’s closing day card of the Spring Meet will feature a quintet of stakes events headlined by the $300,000 Hanshin presented by JRA (Listed). The other stakes on the card are the $225,000 Debutante (Listed), $175,000 Anchorage Overnight Stakes and $175,000 Maxfield Overnight Stakes. First post is 12:45 p.m.

          Here is the complete field for the Bashford Manor from the rail out (with jockey, trainer and morning line odds):

• Spiralizer (Tyler Gaffalione, Steve Asmussen, 5-1)
• Ivan the Great (Antonio Fresu, Doug O’Neill, 6-1)
• Vinegar Hill (Adam Beschizza, John Ennis, 12-1)
• Moneyline (Frankie Dettori, Caio Caramori, 20-1)
• Bodacious (Joel Rosario, Periban, 9-2)
• Politicallycorrect (Jose Ortiz, Chris Davis, 8-1)
• Enduring Spirit (Rey Gutierrez, Rafael Ramos, 10-1)
• Conquering Cat (Luis Saez, Chris Davis, 12-1)
• War Tax (Jose Gomez, Carlos Martin, 8-1)
• Heat (Irad Ortiz Jr., Mark Casse, 4-1)
• Happyflyer (Francisco Arrieta, Saffie Joseph Jr., 20-1)
• Mo Hair Sam (Cristian Torres, John Hancock, 20-1)
• Smoken Wicked (Brian Hernandez Jr., Dallas Stewart, 20-1)

DOWN THE STRETCH – Live racing at Churchill Downs resumed Thursday for the final Twilight Thursday of the Spring Meet. The eight-race card had a first post of 5 p.m. and featured $2 domestic beer, live music on the Plaza Stage by Kevin Niehoffalong with local food trucks All Thai’d Up, Annie Up Pizza, Black Rock Grille, Donut NV and Str8 Drop Mob Wing Spot. Thursday’s program also included a massive $284,891 in the 20-cent Derby City 6 Jackpot which spanned the final six races. … A total of 42 horses schooled in the paddock following training Thursday morning including Stephen Foster favorite First Mission and Hanshin Stakes top contenders Tumbarumba, Zozos and Cagliostro. … The Spring Meet finale of “Inside Churchill Downs” will air Friday at 6 p.m. on ESPN Louisville and preview Saturday and Sunday’s 11 stakes events. Join Churchill Downs’ Darren Rogers and Kevin Kerstein as they preview the weekend action with the voice of Ellis Park and Turfway Park Tony Calo. Listeners in the Louisville area can tune in live on ESPN 680/105.7 and those worldwide can stream the show on www.espnlouisville.com. … For more information about the Churchill Downs Spring Meet and to purchase tickets for the remaining five days, visit www.churchilldowns.com.