Daily Racing Form National Digital Edition
Foster, Fleur de Lis altered
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – With little fanfare, the Stephen Foster and Fleur de Lis are no longer being run as handicaps at Churchill Downs. Weight assignments for both races are now made under allowances, furthering a significant policy change by Churchill management. Both Grade 2 races had been run as handicaps since they were inaugurated in 1982 and 1975, respectively.
The decision to eliminate handicap conditions for Churchill stakes was made earlier this year and follows a years-long, industry-wide trend, said racing secretary Ben Huffman. The Louisville and Mint Julep also were run earlier in the spring meet without their longstanding handicap conditions for the first time.
“A big part of the reasoning is a problem in formulating weight spreads,” Huffman said. “I’d actually always enjoyed doing the handicaps, but jockeys’ weights have evolved to the point that most of our local riders are tacking 118 pounds or more. You really can’t assign much higher than 125, and a lot of trainers don’t want to use light riders if you assign 113 or so. It became a pretty burdensome task.”
Huffman said he intends to apply the change to major fall races at Churchill, most notably the Grade 1 Clark, which has been a handicap since it was first run in 1875. The elimination of handicaps has not been implemented as a companywide policy for all Churchill Downs Inc. tracks, including Arlington Park and Fair Grounds, he added.
The 38th Foster and 44th Fleur de Lis anchor a terrific Downs After Dark card Saturday night.
Red Ruby’s return delayed
The return of Red Ruby, a long time coming, has been delayed once again.
Unraced since winning the Grade 3 Delaware Oaks by 13 lengths last July – after which she was sidelined by a splint injury, bone bruising, and later a paddock accident – the speedy gray daughter of Tiznow was scheduled to run in the Fleur de Lis but will miss the race after “tying up” last week, trainer Kellyn Gorder said.
“Tying up” refers to muscle cramping that can cause stiffness and pain. It is most common in high-strung horses, particularly fillies, often after times of physical stress or anxiety.
Gorder said Tuesday that Red Ruby, owned by Brandi Nicholson and Sandra Sexton, was “still a little off.” Initial X-rays came back normal, and more diagnostic work is planned in about a week. Even with a clean bill of health, Gorder believes this setback also may compromise her chances of starting in the July 13 Delaware Handicap, a Grade 2 race that had been a summer goal.
Mia Mischief to Roxelana
It’s not often you see a horse fresh from a Grade 1 victory make her next start in an ungraded race, but that’s what Mia Mischief will be doing next Saturday, June 22, in the $120,000 Roxelana at Churchill Downs.
Mia Mischief, trained by Steve Asmussen, won the Grade 1 Humana Distaff on Kentucky Derby Day. She also was a winner on Derby weekend last year in the Eight Belles, then finished fifth in the Victory Ride at Belmont Park in her next start. The Bed o’ Roses, won last weekend at Belmont by Separation of powers, could have served as a bridge to the major races in the division at Saratoga this summer, but Asmussen said the subpar performance by Mia Mischief in the 2018 Victory Ride dissuaded him from going there.
“Churchill and Saratoga are the two places she’s run well, and it’s why we chose not to run her at Belmont,” he said. “She’ll go to Saratoga shortly after the Roxelana.”
The six-furlong Roxelana also is expected to get a handful of returnees from the Grade 3 Winning Colors on May 25, including the winner, Honey Bunny.
El Tizar to Canterbury Park
El Tizar, a 2 3/4-length winner of his career debut last Sunday at Churchill, will be pointed to a pair of Minnesota-bred stakes at Canterbury Park this summer, trainer Mike Tomlinson said.
A 3-year-old gelding by Uncle Mo, El Tizar earned a 63 Beyer Speed Figure in the sixfurlong race. He missed out on the winner’s share of a $41,200 bonus restricted to Kentuckybreds.
“This horse has been a challenge, but he’s very talented and definitely worth the effort,” said Tomlinson, who trains El Tizar for philanthropist Paul Hanifl, who lives in the Minneapolis area and races under the nom de course of Suzanne Stables.
The Canterbury races are the $50,000 Victor Myers Stakes at six furlongs on July 4 and the $100,000 Minnesota Derby at a mile and 70 yards on Aug. 10.
◗ Keeneland gave Lee “Spec” Alexander a poignant and fitting tribute following the Tuesday funeral for the track’s longtime starter. The Keeneland starting gate was sprung as a hearse transported Alexander past the entrance of his final resting place in the Bluegrass Memorial Gardens in Nicholasville, Ky. Alexander, who had served as the Keeneland starter since the 1980s, died June 3 at age 80.
◗ With so many big races here Saturday night, the only allowance on a nine-race Friday card will serve as a nominal feature. Carded as race 8, it’s a $99,000, second-level turf sprint in which the California shipper Ficanas could be favored for trainer John Sadler in a field of 10 fillies and mares. First post is 12:45 p.m. Eastern.