Daily Racing Form National Digital Edition
Owendale trying to join elite by testing Stephen Foster
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – There’s refreshing depth in the ranks of older dirt horses in America right now.
Bob Baffert has Maximum Security, Mucho Gusto, Improbable, and McKinzie out in California, primed for a big second half of 2020, while Vekoma and Code of Honor are holding down the fort in New York.
Here in Kentucky, the top dogs are Tom’s d’Etat and By My Standards, the two favorites Saturday in the Grade 2 Stephen Foster at Churchill Downs. But trainer Brad Cox is hoping Owendale can crash the elite, too, by following up on a huge effort in his 4-year-old debut.
Owendale absolutely flew down the middle of the course in winning the one-mile Blame on May 23 at Churchill and earning a 99 Beyer Figure. Cox is looking for something similar when the Into Mischief colt stretches out in the 1 1/8-mile Foster.
“He was pretty impressive that day,” said Cox. “He’s older and more mature, and I think he’s going to be better with the two turns. Obviously the Foster looks like a tough race, but we’re ready.”
Owendale, owned by Rupp Racing, won three Grade 3 stakes for 3-year-olds last year before ending his season by finishing second to the older Tom’s d’Etat in the Grade 1 Clark at Churchill in late November.
Meanwhile, Miguel Mena gets to ride Tom’s d’Etat because Joel Rosario is committed Saturday in several stakes at Belmont Park, including aboard Uni in the Grade 1 Just a Game for Chad Brown. Rosario has ridden Tom’s d’Etat five times and won them all.
The only shipper in an eighthorse Foster field is Multiplier, who was en route by charter flight from California early Monday, less than 48 hours after finishing second by a nose to Ax Man in a Saturday allowance at Santa Anita. Multiplier is trained by Peter Miller for a partnership that includes movie mogul Gary Barber.
“Mr. Barber and I like to think outside the box,” said Miller.
As for Cox, he continues to lead the spring meet standings and is seeking the fourth Churchill training title of his ascendant career. With just four of 27 cards remaining, he held a 15-11 lead over Steve Asmussen into Thursday action.
‘Serengeti’ ready to roll
Serengeti Empress will be looking to rebound off an 11th-place finish when she faces heavily favored Midnight Bisou in the Grade 2 Fleur de Lis on Saturday.
Serengeti Empress never saw the lead as the favorite in the Grade 1 Apple Blossom on April 18 at Oaklawn Park and beat a steady retreat. Duly regrouped since then, the speedy 4-year-old filly has breezed five times toward this 1 1/8-mile race.
“We know how she likes to go, and that’s to be on the lead,” said Tom Amoss, who trains the Alternation filly for Joel Politi. “The way our horse has prepared for this race has us very confident she’ll put in a great performance.”
Motion Emotion and Chocolate Kisses may have enough early speed to keep her honest, but if not, Serengeti Empress looms a wire-to-wire danger. She has won several major races with that brazen style, most notably the 2019 Kentucky Oaks.
“We have all the confidence in the world in her,” said Amoss.
Mr Freeze rerouted to Met Mile
Dale Romans considered Mr Freeze for the 1 1/8-mile Stephen Foster before deferring to the July 4 Runhappy Metropolitan Mile at Belmont Park. The 5-year-old horse was scheduled to work Tuesday at Churchill after having last breezed June 6.
“We’re going to New York because of the shorter distance,” said Romans. “The mile is just a better fit.”
Meanwhile, after an 0-for20 start to the spring meet, Romans has won with five of his last 15 runners. His two winners Sunday allowed him to regain the top spot (742-741) in his back-and-forth battle with Steve Asmussen as the all-time leading trainer in track history.
All five of the Romans winners were ridden by Joe Talamo, who has broken out of a slump of several weeks by riding 11 winners since June 12 (eight at Churchill and three at Indiana Grand). Talamo was the winning jockey Saturday when Moon Over Miami gave Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott his 5,000th career victory.
New futures pools ahead
Churchill announced last weekend that three more Future Wager pools will be offered toward the rescheduled Sept. 5 Kentucky Derby, starting this weekend with Pool 5.
Pool 5 opens Friday at noon Eastern and runs through Sunday at 6.
Pool 6 will be held July 17-19 and Pool 7 from Aug. 7-9. A Kentucky Oaks pool will coincide with Pool 6.
Refunds are not being made on any of the first four pools, even with the altered timing of the Derby and the Sept. 4 Oaks.
◗ A late-morning downpour led to 25 scratches on the 10-race Sunday card, including 11 of the original 17 entries in the sixth race, which was forced off the turf.