Daily Racing Form National Digital Edition
Hog Creek Hustle can earn a spot in Met Mile
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – The oneyear anniversary of the most recent win by Hog Creek Hustle is fast approaching. It was on the Belmont Stakes undercard last June 8 that the colt was up in the final jumps to win the Grade 1 Woody Stephens.
Six losses later, Hog Creek Hustle will take a rare dip into the allowance ranks when part of an oversubscribed field Friday at spectator-free Churchill Downs. The connections of the 4-year-old colt are hoping he’ll assert his class and earn a trip to the Grade 1 Met Mile on July 4 at Belmont Park.
“I want to go back to New York,” said Patty Tipton, who manages the Something Special Racing partnership that owns the Kentucky-bred son of Overanalyze.
Trained by Vickie Foley, Hog Creek Hustle will have Joel Rosario aboard for the first time when breaking from post 8 in the $85,000, third-level allow- ance at seven furlongs. The race is the seventh of 10, and the second of three consecutive allowances, on a card that starts at 1 p.m. Eastern.
Hog Creek Hustle followed his breakthrough score in the Woody Stephens with a nose defeat in a second Grade 1, the Allen Jerkens at Saratoga. He hasn’t been as competitive in five starts since, but none were at the seven-furlong distance that seems to be in his wheelhouse.
“He’s had excuses for most of those races,” Tipton said. “Hopefully, that’s all behind us starting Friday.”
Hog Creek Hustle is the lukewarm 4-1 morning-line favorite in the main body of 12 older horses, although the Juddmonte homebred Honest Mischief is listed at 3-1 among four more on the also-eligibles list. Manny Wah, Bourbon Calling, and the uncoupled Rusty Arnold duo of Borracho and Troubling Moon look like the top threats among those in the body.
For Arnold, it’s a big couple of days at Churchill. The 65-yearold conditioner was scheduled to saddle the millionaire mare Morticia for her 6-year-old debut Thursday, and he’ll send out Totally Boss and Leinster for their first starts since the Breeders’ Cup last November in the eighth race Friday, an $88,000 turf sprint that also drew an overflow field.
“Both are doing really well,” Arnold said. “I had Leinster with me down in Florida, and Totally Boss came to me almost a month ago after spending the winter at Margaux Farm. We’re looking forward to another big year with both of them.”
Extravagant Kid, Ghoul, and the speedy Well-abled are among the challengers to the Arnold pair among the main body of 10 older horses.
The first of the Friday allowances (race 6) is an $81,000, first-level, main-track route in which Tempers Rising figures as the horse to beat in a field of nine fillies and mares. The Dallas Stewart trainee most recently was second behind Bonny South in the March 21 Fair Grounds Oaks.
Purses for all allowances and maiden specials include substantial bonuses restricted to registered Kentucky-breds.
All three allowances are part of the 20-cent Single 6, which had its jackpot start fresh Thursday after being emptied by solo winning tickets both Sunday (for $223,803) and Monday ($96,690). The Single 6 spans races 5-10.
Churchill continues with its no-spectator policy and with stringent health checks for essential personnel because of the ongoing coronavirus crisis.