Daily Racing Form National Digital Edition
Finnick the Fierce sharp for Kentucky Cup Classic
The popular one-eyed gelding Finnick the Fierce, who recently returned to action with a victory, and the well-traveled Plus Que Parfait, looking to turn his fortunes around, are familiar names headlining the $150,000 Kentucky Cup Classic on Saturday’s marquee card at Turfway Park.
The Kentucky Cup Classic, resurrected from a hiatus in 2018, is one of five stakes on the undercard of the Grade 3 Jeff Ruby Steaks, Turfway’s signature Kentucky Derby prep. There also are Kentucky Oaks points up for grabs in the $150,000 Bourbonette Oaks.
Finnick the Fierce, owned by veterinarian Arnaldo Monge and trainer Rey Hernandez, was Grade 2-placed as a juvenile, and last year appeared in four Kentucky Derby points races, with his best effort a third in a division of the Grade 1 Arkansas Derby. He was entered in the Kentucky Derby, but scratched the day before the race. He was eventually diagnosed with a minor suspensory strain that ended his campaign.
Finnick the Fierce, who is missing his right eye, returned from an eight-month layoff in a mile allowance on March 3 at Turfway. With Rafael Bejarano in the irons for the first time, he rallied from third in the stretch for a two-length victory. Bejarano retains the mount Saturday, and they have drawn post 6 in the field of 12 4-year-olds and up.
Plus Que Parfait is the top earner in this field with $1.8 million, and is one of only two entrants to win at the distance. He won the Group 2 UAE Derby at about 1 1/8 miles in March 2019 at Meydan in Dubai. He is winless in 13 starts since that race. Trained by Brendan Walsh, Plus Que Parfait ran second and third in allowance races at Fair Grounds in his two most recent starts.
Skywire won the Grade 2 Eclipse last July and Grade 2 Autumn in November at Woodbine. He is a confirmed closer who may find the pace not to his liking, as there is a dearth of committed front-runners in this field.
Set Piece won a pair of races in December at Turfway, including the Prairie Bayou Stakes. He most recently was fourth in the Grade 3 Fair Grounds Stakes on turf.
Visitant has won twice from three starts this Turfway season, with the loss a third in the Prairie Bayou. Lookin to Strike was third in the Forego Stakes locally in January and is the only other entrant to win at this distance.
Bourbonette Oaks
A race after sending out Finnick the Fierce, Hernandez saddles Wait for Nairobi as she chases Kentucky Oaks points in the $150,000 Bourbonette Oaks. The one-mile Bourbonette awards the top finishers points toward the April 30 Kentucky Oaks on a 50-20-10-5 scale.
Wait for Nairobi won the local prep, the 6 1/2-furlong Cincinnati Trophy on Feb. 26, which awarded 10 points for the Oaks. That was the first time she crossed the line first in a race; she was awarded her maiden win via disqualification.
Edgar Morales, aboard Wait for Nairobi for her stakes victory, retains the mount.
Wait for Nairobi was not an original Kentucky Oaks nominee. She could be a late nomination by April 10, or be supplemented for a hefty fee at entry time. In fact, only two Bourbonette entrants are nominated to the Oaks – Oliviaofthedesert, the only other stakes winner in the field, and maiden winner Forever Boss, both trained by Ken McPeek
Oliviaofthedesert won the Trapeze Stakes in December at Remington and was most recently fourth in the Grade 3 Honeybee at Oaklawn. This will be her first start on a synthetic surface. She ran third on turf in the Kentucky Downs Juvenile Fillies Stakes last September.
Several newcomers to stakes competition have shown an affinity for this track. Into Vanishing is coming off consecutive wins at Turfway, while Spritz enters off a maiden win and California Lily took an allowance race locally.
◗ In the $65,000 Animal Kingdom for 3-year-olds, Pico d’Oro has a chance to flatter the form of the John Battaglia Memorial, the local prep for the Ruby. He cuts back from the 1 1/16 miles of that race for the 6 1/2-furlong Animal Kingdom. A stakes winner sprinting as a juvenile, Pico d’Oro pressed favored Gretzky the Great through the early stages of the Battaglia before fading to eighth. He is drawn on the rail for the Animal Kingdom.
Outadore, winner of the Juvenile Turf Sprint at Kentucky Downs, cuts back from a fifthplace finish going a mile in the Springboard Mile at Remington in December. Outadore finished third after setting the pace in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf at Keeneland in November.
◗ The $100,000 Rushaway for 3-year-olds going 1 1/16 miles hinges on a potential pace battle between Donegal Bay and Editor in Chief, who posted some of the field’s best Beyer Speed Figures in front-running maiden scores. Editor in Chief, whose win came at Turfway, is drawn in post 5 under Brian Hernandez Jr., outside of Donegal Bay and Martin Garcia in post 3.
◗ Queen of God and Rogue Too, both winners on this card last year, meet in the $100,000 Latonia Stakes for fillies and mares going a mile.
Queen of God won the 2020 Bourbonette Oaks. She has made two starts in the year since, both on turf, and was not competitive in either. Defending Latonia winner Rogue Too has won 8 of 10 at Turfway. Coming off an allowance second to fellow Latonia entrant Kynance, she is drawn in post 11 of 12 and will have to clear most of the field to assume her preferred pacesetting position.
Ujjayi ships in off a third in the Ladies Handicap at Aqueduct and a second in the Grade 3 Houston Ladies Classic.