KENTUCKY DERBY UNDERCARD STAKES ADVANCES

Old Forester Bourbon Turf Classic

Charles Fipke’s homebred Shirl’s Speight, winner of the Maker’s Mark Mile (GI) at Keeneland on April 15, heads a field of 10 for the 36th running of the $1 million Old Forester Bourbon Turf Classic for 4-year-olds and up going a mile and an eighth on the Matt Winn Turf Course. The Old Forester Bourbon Turf Classic will go as the day’s 11th race with a 5:27 p.m. (all times Eastern) post time on the 14-race program that features eight stakes races and is highlighted by the 148th running of the $3 million Kentucky Derby presented by Woodford Reserve (GI). Racing begins at 10:30 a.m.

Trained by Roger Attfield, Shirl’s Speight brings a three-race win streak into the Turf Classic. Luis Saez, who was aboard for the Keeneland victory, has the mount Friday and will break from post position six.

Trainer Chad Brown, who has won the past three renewals of the Turf Classic, has three entrants Friday headed by Grade I winner Tribhuvan (FR).

Owned by Michael Dubb, Madaket Stables and Wonder Stable, the winner of last year’s United Nations (GI) will be making his 2022 debut. Manny Franco has the mount and will break from post position four.

Brown, who won with Bricks and Mortar in 2019, Digital Age in 2020 and Domestic Spending (GB) last year, also has multiple graded stakes winner Public Sector (GB) for Klaravich Stables and Dubb, Madaket and Louis Lazzinnaro’s Adhamo (IRE), runner-up in the Fair Grounds Stakes (GIII) in his U.S. debut in February. Irad Ortiz Jr. will be aboard Public Sector from post three and Flavien Prat is on Adhamo from post eight.

There is one other Grade I winner in the field in Bonne Chance Farm and Stud R D I’s Ivar (BRZ).

Trained by Paulo Lobo, Ivar won the Shadwell Turf Mile (GI) at Keeneland in 2020 and was a close sixth, beaten 2 lengths in last year’s Bourbon Turf Classic. Regular rider Joe Talamo will be aboard Ivar from post position one and who will be making his first start since finishing third in the Breeders’ Cup Mile (GI) at Del Mar in November.

The field for the Old Forester Bourbon Turf Classic, with riders from the inside, is: Ivar (BRZ) (Joe Talamo), Bizzee Channel (Gerardo Corrales), Public Sector (GB) (Irad Ortiz Jr.), Tribhuvan (FR) (Manny Franco), Mira Mission (Julien Leparoux), Shirl’s Speight (Luis Saez), Cavalry Charge (Brian Hernandez Jr.), Adhamo (IRE) (Flavien Prat), Kentucky Ghost (Rafael Bejarano) and Santin (Tyler Gaffalione).

The Churchill Downs

J. Kirk  and Judy Robison’s champion Jackie’s Warrior and Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners’ 2021 Breeders’ Cup Sprint (GI) winner Aloha West will hook up again Saturday as they headline a field of eight for the 87th running of the $750,000 Churchill Downs presented by Ford (GI) going seven furlongs on the main track.

The Churchill Downs will go as the day’s 10th race with a 4:31 p.m. post time.

Trained by Steve Asmussen, Jackie’s Warrior is two-for-two at Churchill Downs, a record that includes a victory last year on Derby Day in the Pat Day Mile (GII). He returned to the races after a five-month layoff following the Breeders’ Cup at Del Mar with a victory in the Count Fleet (GIII) at Oaklawn Park on April 16.

Regular rider Joel Rosario will be aboard and break from post position three.

Aloha West has been working steadily at Churchill Downs for the past month as he readies for his 2022 debut. Trained by Wayne Catalano, Aloha West closed with a desperate rush to prevail by a nose in the Breeders’ Cup Sprint in what was his Grade I debut.

Jose Ortiz, who was aboard for the Breeders’ Cup victory, has the call Saturday and will break from post position one.

The field for the Churchill Downs, with riders from the rail, is: Aloha West (Jose Ortiz), Long Range Toddy (Luis Saez), Jackie’s Warrior (Joel Rosario), Sir Alfred James (Jon Court), Reinvestment Risk (Irad Ortiz Jr.), Prevalence (Tyler Gaffalione), Mind Control (John Velazquez) and Cezanne (Flavien Prat).

DERBY CITY DISTAFF

Lothenbach Stables’ Bell’s the One will be trying to become the first horse to win the $750,000 Derby City Distaff presented by Kendall-Jackson Winery (GI) twice when she headlines a field of eight fillies and mares for the 36th running of the seven-furlong main track test.

The Derby City Distaff will go as the day’s eighth race with a 2:48 p.m. post time.

Trained by Neil Pessin, Bell’s the One captured the 2020 running of the Derby City Distaff by a nose over 2019 Kentucky Oaks (GI) winner Serengeti Empress. She was fourth in last year’s renewal behind Gamine.

Owning an 8-4-3-0 record at Churchill Downs where she closed her 2021 campaign with a victory in the Dream Supreme, Bell’s the One came off a nearly five-month layoff to run second in the Madison (GI) on April 9 at Keeneland. Regular rider Corey Lanerie will be aboard Saturday and break from post position six.

Bell’s the One will be facing a familiar foe in Warriors Reward and Commonwealth New Era Racing’s Just One Time, who beat her in the Madison.

Trained by Brad Cox, Just One Time has won six of seven starts and will be ridden by Flavien Prat and break from post position two in her Churchill Downs debut.

Adding more spice to the race is the presence of Hronis Racing’s Edgeway. Trained by John Sadler, Edgeway closed 2021 with a runner-up finish in the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Sprint (GI) at Del Mar and is unbeaten in two starts this year. John Velazquez has the mount Saturday and will break from post position seven.

The field for the Derby City Distaff, with riders from the rail, is: Lady Rocket (Irad Ortiz Jr.), Just One Time (Florent Geroux), Center Aisle (Tyler Gaffalione), Kimari (Joel Rosario), Obligatory (Jose Ortiz), Bell’s the One (Corey Lanerie), Edgeway (John Velazquez) and Four Graces (Julien Leparoux).

Longines Churchill Distaff Turf Mile

Team Valor International  and Gary Barber’s Wakanaka (IRE), a Group III winner in Italy and most recently the runner-up in the Honey Fox (GIII) at Gulfstream Park, headlines a field of eight fillies and mares for the 37th running of the $500,000 Longines Churchill Distaff Turf Mile (GII).

The Longines Churchill Distaff Turf Mile will go as the day’s fifth race with a 12:36 p.m. post time.

Trained by Bill Mott, who has won this race a record four times, Wakanaka came off a nine-month layoff to make her U.S. debut in the Pegasus World Cup Filly & Mare Turf Invitational (GIII) in which she finished sixth going a mile and a sixteenth.

Jose Ortiz  will have the mount Saturday and break from post position five.

Trainer Chad Brown, who won this race last year with Blowout (GB) for his second victory in the race, will be represented by the Peter Brant duo of In Italian (GB) and Speak of the Devil (FR).

In Italian was a front-running winner of the Honey Fox, her third victory in four career starts. Irad Oritz Jr. has the mount and will break from post position seven.

Speak of the Devil, Group I placed in France, will be making her U.S. debut. Flavien Prat has the mount and will exit post position eight.

The field for the Churchill Distaff Turf Mile, with riders from the inside, is: She Can’t Sing (Manny Franco), Flower Point (Joel Rosario), Mona Stella (Florent Geroux), Abscond (Tyler Gaffalione), Wakanaka (IRE) (Jose Ortiz), Lady Speightspeare (Luis Saez), In Italian (GB) (Irad Ortiz Jr.) and Speak of the Devil (FR) (Flavien Prat).

Pat Day Mile

Jim  Bakke, Gerald Isbister, Coolmore Stud and Peter Brant’s undefeated Jack Christopher will make his return to the races Saturday when he headlines a field of 11 3-year-olds in the 98th running of the $500,000 Pat Day Mile presented by LG&E and KU (GII) going a mile on the main track.

The Pat Day Mile will go as the day’s seventh race with a 1:56 p.m. post time.

Trained by Chad Brown, Jack Christopher won on debut at Saratoga by 8 ¾ lengths and came back five weeks later to win by 2 ¾ lengths as the favorite in the Champagne (GI).

Jose Ortiz, who was aboard for those victories, has the call Saturday and will break from post position five.

The field for the Pat Day Mile, with riders from the rail, is: Major General (Irad Ortiz Jr.), Trademark (Rafael Bejarano), Pappacap (Flavien Prat), Ben Diesel (Jon Court), Jack Christopher (Jose Ortiz), Tejano Twist (Joe Rocco Jr.), Howling Time (Joe Talamo), Kavod (Mitchell Murrill), Trafalgar (Colby Hernandez), Doppelganger (John Velazquez), My Prankster (Luis Saez) and O Captain (Tyler Gaffalione).