KY Downs Preview Saturday: 15-for-18 Ova Charged heads Ladies Turf Sprint

Ellis Park stakes advances by Kevin Kerstein (Coady Media/Lauren Givhan photo above of Ova Charged winning Churchill Downs’ Unbridled Sidney)

HENDERSON, Ky. (Saturday, July 27, 2024) – Brittlyn Stable’s extremely-talented Louisiana-bred mare Ova Charged is set to make her Ellis Park Racing & Gaming debut when she faces seven rivals in Saturday’s $250,000 Kentucky Downs Preview Ladies Turf Sprint, one of three stakes races on Day 1 of Kentucky Downs Preview Weekend.

Run at 5 ½ furlongs on turf, the Kentucky Downs Preview Ladies Turf Sprint is one of seven stakes races taking place across Saturday and Sunday at Ellis Park. Along with the Kentucky Downs Preview Ladies Turf Sprint, Saturday’s program includes the $250,000 Kentucky Downs Preview Nashville Derby and $250,000 Kentucky Downs Preview Mint Millions Turf Mile (Listed).

The Kentucky Downs Preview Ladies Turf Sprint will go as Race 7 with a post time of 2:50 p.m. (all times Central). The first post on the 10-race card is at 11:50 a.m.

Ova Charged, trained by Shane Wilson, has dominated her 18-start career with 15 victories and earnings of $918,575. Among her 15 wins are 12 stakes victories, most notably the Unbridled Sidney (GIII) on Kentucky Oaks Day at Churchill Downs. Jockey Corey Lanerie will ride Ova Charged from post No. 8.

Another accomplished filly entered in the race is Ashbrook Farm and Upland Flats Racing’s Red Carpet Ready, who’s set for her turf debut following three graded stakes victories on dirt. Trained by Rusty Arnold II, Red Carpet Ready sports a solid record of five wins from nine starts including victories in the Eight Belles (GII), Forward Gal (GIII), Hurricane Bertie (GIII) and Fern Creek Stakes. Red Carpet Ready will be ridden by Brian Herandez Jr. from post 5.

Also entered in the race is Rittdiculous Gazmanian Stable’s Pea Patch Stakes winner Niki Nine Doors. Trained by Chris Davis, Niki Nine Doors scored an 8-1 upset victory four weeks ago in the Pea Patch Stakes under jockey Gerardo Corrales. The daughter of Cairo Prince will break from post 6.

Here is the field for the Kentucky Downs Preview Ladies Turf Sprint from the rail out (with jockey and trainer):

• Current Climate (Alex Achard, Eric Foster)
• Bling (Luan Machado, Vicki Oliver)
• Awesome Treat (Sophie Doyle, Justin Wojczynski)
• L J’s Emma (Jareth Loveberry, Eddie Kenneally)
• Red Carpet Ready (Hernandez, Arnold)
• Niki Nine Doors (Corrales, Davis)
• B G Warrior (Fernando De La Cruz, Hugo Andrade)
• Ova Charged (Lanerie, Wilson)

The winner of the Kentucky Downs Preview Ladies Turf Sprint will receive an automatic berth to the $1.5 million Ladies Turf Sprint (GII) on Aug. 31 at Kentucky Downs. (Purse money for the Ladies Turf Sprint is pending approval from the Kentucky Horse Racing and Gaming Corporation. Recently, Kentucky Downs announced the purse of the race would be increased from $1 million to $1.5 million.)

STAKES WINNER WIN FOR THE MONEY FACES WIDE-OPEN FIELD IN $250,000 KY DOWNS PREVIEW MINT MILLIONS TURF MILE – Live Oak Plantation’s Win for the Money will attempt to secure his second career stakes victory when he faces a competitive field of turf specialists in Saturday’s $250,000 Kentucky Downs Preview Mint Millions Turf Mile (Listed) at Ellis Park Racing & Gaming.

The Kentucky Downs Preview Mint Millions Turf Mile is one of three stakes races on the Saturday card for Day 1 of Kentucky Downs Preview Weekend. Carded as Race 9 of 10, the field will head to post at 3:48 p.m. (all times Central), first post is 11:50 a.m.

In addition to the $250,000 Kentucky Downs Preview Ladies Turf Sprint and $250,000 Kentucky Downs Preview Nashville Derby, the Kentucky Downs Preview Mint Millions Turf Mile will award the winner an automatic berth to the corresponding race during Kentucky Downs’ season, which spans from Aug. 29 to Sept. 11.

Trained by Mark Casse, Win for the Money is one of two entries from his barn within the field. The 5-year-old gelding, son of Mohaymen, scored a dominant 6 ¾-length victory in the Mr. Steele Stakes at Gulfstream Park in late May. Most recently, he finished fourth in the Wise Dan Stakes (GII) at Churchill Downs. Jockey Cristian Torres has the call on Win for the Money from post No. 6.

Casse’s other trainee, Gary Barber’s Miranda Rights, will break from post 3 under jockey Luan Machado.

The field for the Kentucky Downs Preview Mint Millions Mile includes three trainees from Mike Maker’s barn: Chevan Maharaj’s Big Dreaming; Flying P Stable’s Tut’s Revenge and Paradise Farms Corp. and David Staudacher’s W W Candy.

Other notable entries include Calumet Farm’s first-level allowance winner Double Clutch and Susan and Jim Hill’s Highway Robber, who finished second in last year’s Kentucky Downs Preview Nashville Derby at Ellis Park (formerly known as the Kentucky Downs Preview Dueling Grounds Derby).

The field for the Ky Downs Preview Mint Millions Turf Mile, in order of post position, is (with jockey and trainer):

• Big Dreaming (Jareth Loveberry, Maker)
• Double Clutch (Corey Lanerie, Rusty Arnold II)
• Miranda Rights (Machado, Casse)
• Highway Robber (Declan Cannon, Brian Lynch)
• Good Governance (GB) (Santo Sanjur, Anna Navarrete)
• Win for the Money (Torres, Casse)
• Fuerteventura (Brian Hernandez Jr., Randy Morse)
• W W Candy (Jaime Torres, Maker)
• Tut’s Revenge (Ricardo Santana Jr., Maker)

The $2 million Mint Millions (GIII) is scheduled for Saturday, Sept. 7, at Kentucky Downs.

AMERICAN DERBY BEATEN FAVORITE GREEN LIGHT SEEKS REDEMPTION IN KY DOWNS PREVIEW NASHVILLE DERBY – Peter E. Blum Thoroughbreds’ Green Light, a dominant 10 ¼-length maiden special weight winner at Churchill Downs, seeks redemption from his recent third-place finish in the American Derby when he faces a competitive field of eight 3-year-olds in Saturday’s $250,000 Kentucky Downs Preview Nashville Derby at Ellis Park Racing & Gaming.

Run at 1 1/8 miles on turf, the Kentucky Downs Preview Nashville Derby is one of seven stakes races set for Saturday and Sunday at Ellis Park as part of Kentucky Downs Preview Weekend. Saturday’s card includes two other stakes races: the $250,000 Kentucky Downs Preview Ladies Sprint and $250,000 Kentucky Downs Preview Mint Millions. The first post is at 11:50 a.m. (all times Central) with the Kentucky Downs Preview Nashville Derby going as Race 8 at 3:19 p.m.

Green Light, trained by Rodolphe Brisset, was an impressive maiden winner two starts ago at Churchill Downs, defeating 10 rivals in a 1 1/16-mile race. One month ago, the son of Hard Spun disappointed as the heavy 4-5 favorite in the American Derby, finishing third to Brilliant Berti and First World War. Green Light will be ridden by Alex Achard from post No. 7.

Here is the complete field for the Kentucky Downs Preview Nashville Derby from the rail out (with jockey and trainer):

• Oscar’s World (Martin Garcia, Brian Lynch)
• Abrumar (Gerardo Corrales, Saffie Joseph Jr.)
• Beyond Stoked (Walter Rodriguez, Brian Lynch)
• El Matador (Ricardo Santana Jr., Mike Maker)
• Domingo (Declan Cannon, Brendan Walsh)
• Copper Missile (Adam Beschizza, Kelsey Danner)
• Green Light (Achard, Brisset)
• Cameo Performance (Luan Machado, Brendan Walsh)

The winner of Saturday’s Kentucky Downs Preview Nashville Derby will receive an automatic berth to the $3.1 million Nashville Derby (GIII) on Aug. 11 at Kentucky Downs. (Purse money for the Nashville Derby is pending approval from the Kentucky Horse Racing and Gaming Corporation. Recently, Kentucky Downs announced the purse of the race would be increased from $2.5 million to $3.1 million.)