Paolucci hits Single 6 sweep

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – A single perfect ticket worth $549,775 emptied the Single 6 jackpot Thursday at Churchill, marking the first time that has happened since the May 5 Kentucky Derby.

Ron Paolucci, the well-known horse owner who campaigns as Loooch Racing, said Friday he purchased the winner at the Northfield Park harness facility in his hometown of Cleveland. Paolucci said he spent a total of about $3,500 to hit it and produced a photo of the winning ticket, which cost $1,764.

The winner of the final race, Mucho Mas Grande, an 11-1 shot, was the only possibility in a field of eight that would empty the jackpot. The winning numbers were 1-9-6-7-2-4 on a single-day handle of $116,434.

The sweep rendered moot a plan to offer a partial forceout of the jackpot Saturday night.

Gun Runner half-sister debuts

Tap Gun, a 3-year-old halfsister to Gun Runner, the 2017 Horse of the Year, will make her career debut Sunday at Churchill in the eighth race, a maiden special weight at 1 1/16 miles.

“She has prepared well, and we are expecting her to give us an encouraging performance,” said Tom Amoss, who began training Tap Gun in April after the filly was sent through 19 workouts at GoldMark Farm in Ocala, Fla., dating to last June.

Tap Gun was purchased by the Whisper Hill Farm of Mandy Pope for $1.4 million at the 2016 Keeneland September yearling sales. The gray filly was produced by Quiet Giant, the dam of Gun Runner, who was sired by Candy Ride.

The lone allowance (race 9) on a 10-race Sunday card will serve as the nominal feature. First post is 12:45 p.m. Eastern.

Decisions for Asmussen

Bee Jersey returned to Churchill Downs following his victory in the Grade 1 Metropolitan Mile last Saturday at Belmont Park but has no definite next race on his agenda, trainer Steve Asmussen said Friday.

Likewise, Tenfold, the fifthplace finisher behind Justify in the Belmont Stakes, is back at Churchill with no particular race on his schedule, said Asmussen.

One of the Asmussen stable stars with a confirmed target is Midnight Bisou, who has been on a steady work schedule at Churchill ahead of the Grade 1 Mother Goose on June 30 at Belmont. The beaten favorite in the Kentucky Oaks, Midnight Bisou will be making her first start since being transferred into Asmussen’s care and will not have to face Monomoy Girl, the Oaks and Acorn winner, in the 1 1/16-mile Mother Goose.

Meanwhile, Mitole, the standout 3-year-old sprinter, has been sidelined indefinitely with a minor splint injury and remains stabled at Churchill, Asmussen said.

“I don’t know how long it’ll be,” he said.

Met Mile runners regroup

The trainers of the third- and sixth-place finishers in the Met Mile, Limousine Liberal and McCraken, both said they’re mulling their horse’s next start. Each horse has returned to his Kentucky base.

Trainer Ben Colebrook said from Keeneland that he will probably look at the sevenfurlong Belmont Sprint on July 7 for Limousine Liberal.

“He ran a big race, and it looks like he’ll stay the mile,” Colebrook said.

McCraken, who returned to training this week at Churchill, was wide turning into the stretch and had to be steadied at the sixteenth pole in the Met Mile.

“He had a little trouble and maybe could’ve finished as high as third with some luck,” trainer Ian Wilkes said. “I need to start looking to pin down his next spot. I want to stay in a rhythm with him because everything’s about getting him back here in top shape” for the Nov. 3 Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile at Churchill.

Meanwhile, Bolt d’Oro, who finished last of 11 in the Met Mile as the lone 3-year-old starter, is getting 60 days off at trainer Mick Ruis’s farm west of Lexington, Ky., the colt’s connections said Thursday via Twitter.

Lanerie appeals suspension

Corey Lanerie has filed an appeal with the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission of a three-day suspension that was supposed to begin Sunday as he continues to battle Brian Hernandez Jr. for the top spot in the spring-meet jockey standings. The penalty stems from the fifth race last Saturday, when Lanerie’s mount, One Fine Ride, was disqualified from first to last for causing interference.

Into Friday action, Hernandez led Lanerie by 35-31. Lanerie has been the leading jockey at all but two Churchill meets since the 2012 spring meet.

Moquett back on track

He’s wearing a dust mask as a necessary precaution, but trainer Ron Moquett is back on-site at Churchill while continuing to recover from atypical sarcoidosis.

Moquett, who was stricken with the pulmonary disease in March, said he was cleared by doctors to return to his barn June 4.

Juvenile stakes close meet

After the huge Downs After Dark card here Saturday night, the only six-figure stakes remaining at the 38-day spring meet are the $100,000 Debutante and $100,000 Bashford Manor, twin 2-year-old stakes on the June 30 closing-day card. The feature next Saturday is the $75,000 Roxelana for filly-mare sprinters.

Ellis Park in western Kentucky begins its 31-day summer meet July 1.