Daily Racing Form National Digital Edition
Early stakes draw solid fields
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Twoyear-olds are a primary focus of the first stakes date of the September meet at Churchill Downs – and for much of the 11-day meet, for that matter – but fillies and mares also will get their turn in a couple of supporting stakes Saturday under the twin spires.
Competitive fields have been assembled for the Open Mind and the Locust Grove, which go back-to-back on the main track as lead-ins to the Pocahontas and Iroquois on a busy 11-race card. The $125,000 Open Mind goes at six furlongs and the Grade 3, $200,000 Locust Grove at 1 1/16 miles.
The Open Mind starts off the late pick five (races 7-11) and the Locust Grove begins the late pick four (races 8-11). Open Mind (race 7) Buff Bradley knows a thing or two about elite filly-mare sprinters. After all, he trained Groupie Doll to Eclipse Awards in that category in 2012 and 2013.
Bradley will saddle Divine Queen and Upset Brewing as fringe contenders when those 4-year-old fillies break alongside each other from posts 1 and 2 amid a field of nine in this 11th running of the Open Mind. Divine Queen, the second choice on the Churchill morning line, comes particularly well equipped, having won three of four starts over the main track at her Churchill home base, including an optional claimer in June two starts back. In her last race, Divine Queen finished second in the Groupie Doll Stakes at Ellis Park.
“She’s at the top of her game now,” said Bradley, who said he will be on hand even after undergoing heart surgery Tuesday in Louisville. “She’ll get a little break at the farm after this, so it’d be great to see her go home with another big race behind her.”
America’s Tale, with Jose Ortiz to ride, is a tepid program favorite on the strength of her victory in the Grade 2 Inside Information at Gulfstream Park in March, but the Bernie Flint-trained filly has not raced in more than five months. She has six breezes over the local course since late July.
Other contenders include Ascot Day and Headland, the one-two finishers last month in an allowance prep at Ellis Park, and Honey Bunny, winner of the Grade 3 Winning Colors here in May.
Meadow Dance will scratch, said trainer Brad Cox, leaving no more than a field of seven.
The Open Mind is named for the D. Wayne Lukas-trained filly who was a two-time champion (1988-89) and a 2011 Hall of Fame inductee. Locust Grove (race 8) Cox is hoping to see Mylady Curlin extend her winning streak to six as the 5-2 program choice in a field of nine in the Locust Grove – and if not, Moonlit Garden, his other starter, might come to the stable’s rescue.
“They’re both doing extremely well,” said Cox.
As part of her five-race winning streak, Mylady Curlin won the Grade 3 DuPont Distaff at Pimlico in May and the Lady Jacqueline at Thistledown in her last start, while Moonlit Garden ran third as the odds-on favorite in the Aug. 11 Groupie Doll.
“Maybe there was a touch of a speed bias at Ellis that day, and those other fillies got away from us,” said Cox. “She’s come back with a couple of great breezes. I just hope she runs like she’s trained.”
Probably the top challengers to the Cox pair are Escape Clause and Go Google Yourself, while Pink Sands appears most capable among the longer shots.
Escape Clause will be making her seventh 2019 start at a different track in a remarkable campaign that has seen her face the likes of Midnight Bisou and other top performers in the national ranks. Trained by Don Schnell, the Manitoba-bred mare boasts the top Beyer Speed Figure in the field (101).
Go Google Yourself notched her first stakes victory last month in the one-mile Groupie Doll and now seeks her first graded triumph. Two starts back, the Into Mischief filly chased home a trio of Grade 1 winners – Elate, Blue Prize, and She’s a Julie – when fourth in the Grade 2 Fleur de Lis over this track. Paul McGee trains for Samantha Siegel.
This is the 36th running of the Locust Grove, which honors the historic Louisville estate frequented by the famed explorers Lewis and Clark.