Daily Racing Form National Digital Edition
Gun Runner to breeze twice
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Gun Runner is scheduled to breeze twice at Churchill Downs before leaving Sept. 25 for Santa Anita to prepare for the Breeders’ Cup Classic, said trainer Steve Asmussen, adding the star colt “couldn’t be doing any better.”
Asmussen has closely monitored Gun Runner since the colt arrived here last weekend from Saratoga and said he has thrived since a 10-length victory in the Grade 1 Woodward on Sept. 2.
“He’s really proud of himself,” Asmussen said. “We just sent him through regular gallops for the three days the track was off (Tuesday through Thursday), and he’s doing just great. All’s well, for sure. I’d rather not be too specific, but I imagine we’ll work him in the next couple of days, then one more time before he gets on the plane for California.”
Gun Runner will be accompanied to California by Asmussen’s longtime assistant Scott Blasi. The 4-year-old colt will make his next start in the Nov. 4 Breeders’ Cup Classic in what already has become an eagerly awaited rematch with Arrogate, who defeated him by 2 1/4 lengths in the March 25 Dubai World Cup. Asmussen said Gun Runner will have one workout at Del Mar prior to the Classic.
Finley’s lucky charm preps for BC
Finley’s lucky charm equaled a record by winning three stakes at the Churchill spring meet, after which trainer Bret Calhoun sought bigger game by pointing the star 4-year-old filly to the Grade 1 Ballerina on the Aug. 26 Travers undercard at Saratoga.
But Finley’s lucky charm failed to make the Ballerina – she missed training with a lower-leg strain that since has healed. Calhoun now is aiming at the Oct. 7 Thoroughbred Club of America Stakes at Keeneland as a prep for the BC Filly and Mare Sprint.
“She strained something in her left hind,” Calhoun said. “Although we sent her for a bone scan and tried to pinpoint what the problem was, we never really got a definite diagnosis. It was all pretty minor, but enough that we had to regroup with her. Everything’s gone really well since we got her back to the track.”
Before dawn Friday, Finley’s lucky charm breezed five furlongs in 1:01.80 at Churchill in her second work since her return. The daughter of Twirling Candy is one of a handful of horses to win three stakes at a single Churchill meet after sweeping the Roxelana, Winning Colors, and Chicago.
Downs After Dark finale set
The final Downs After Dark card of the year will be held under the Churchill lights next Saturday, with the $100,000 Dogwood for 3-year-old fillies and a rare Arabian race serving as the features of an 11-race card that starts at 6 p.m. Eastern.
The seven-furlong Dogwood drew a deep roster of 33 nominations, including Champagne Room, Classy Tune, Farrell, Tequilita, and Vertical Oak. Entries will be drawn Wednesday. The Dogwood typically is a lead-in to the Grade 2 Raven Run, on Oct. 21 at Keeneland.
The Arabian race is the Grade 1, $100,000 President of the United Arab Emirates Cup at 1 1/16 miles.
Daddys Lil Darling to QE II
Returning from South Korea last weekend, trainer Kenny McPeek watched Daddys Lil Darling on the Horse Races Now app he founded and was thrilled with what he saw.
“It wasn’t just that she ran as well as she did, but that she actually won,” said McPeek, referring to a 4 1/4-length romp by Daddys Lil Darling in the Dueling Grounds Oaks at Kentucky Downs. “We’d gotten kind of tired of seeing her run second, second, second. It’s always good when you win.”
Daddys Lil Darling broke an eight-race losing skein and set a course record of 2:10.97 at the rarely run distance of 1 5/16 miles, earning a career-high 92 Beyer Speed Figure. The Scat Daddy filly goes next in the Oct. 14 Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup, the final Grade 1 race at the upcoming 17-day fall meet at Keeneland.
Natural pick three for Sharp
A little more than three years since he came to Kentucky Downs and saddled his first career winner, trainer Joe Sharp pulled off quite a feat Thursday at the turf-only track.
Sharp swept the first three races on the closing-day card when Five Hearts ($13.40), She’s All Skeet ($41.40), and Aktabantay ($18) combined for a $1 pick three worth $1,203.90. They brought Sharp’s career win tally to 303 and further demonstrated just how well the 32-yearold trainer has fared since he won with his first starter, Holiday Drama, on Sept. 10, 2014, at Kentucky Downs.
The first two Sharp winners on Thursday came with Chris Landeros aboard. They were the first for Landeros since his wife, Shelby, gave birth to their son Beckham last weekend.
Paden a horse for a course
There’s an unusual symmetry to the 38-race record that Paden will bring to the Churchill paddock for the eighth race Sunday. In 19 starts here, the 6-year-old gelding has won eight times – but in 19 starts elsewhere, he has won just once.
Paden, with Florent Geroux riding for trainer Tom Amoss, is part of a competitive field of 10 entered in the $40,000 claiming race at seven furlongs.