Doyle focused on Ellis meet

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Sophie Doyle could have been on a whirlwind trip to Europe, but duty called.

Doyle, perhaps as much as anyone on this side of the pond, is taking a fervent interest in this week’s Royal Ascot meet. Her younger brother James has become a world-class jockey who won the Group 1 St. James’s Palace on Tuesday aboard Barney Roy for Godolphin.

“I’d love to be there this week,” said Sophie Doyle, the Kentucky-based jockey who grew up in her native England riding horses alongside her brother. “But I’ve got work to do here.”

After Royal Ascot, Sophie Doyle could have stayed overseas to ride in the Lady Jockeys’ Thoroughbred World Championship, a new women-only jockey challenge to be held July 4 at Bro Park just outside of Stockholm, Sweden. Doyle was among those invited to participate, but she felt compelled to send her regrets. The jockey challenge is drawing riders from around the globe.

“I want to get a good start at Ellis Park,” Doyle said, referring to the western Kentucky track that starts its summer meet with a four-day weekend July 1-4 after Churchill Downs ends June 30. “If I was like Rosie Napravnik and well established, it’d be different, and I could be free to go. I’d love to go next year if they invite me again. But I want to make an impact at the beginning of the Ellis meet if I can.”

Priorities are a major factor in the ambitious agenda that Doyle, 30, laid out for herself years ago. Since riding her first winner on Nov. 26, 2014, at Churchill, she has strived to make inroads in the Kentucky jockey colony.

She rides here year-round, including Turfway Park in the winter and Ellis Park in the summer, working most mornings at Churchill or Keeneland. Her career win total through last weekend stood at 139, with the Grade 2 Thoroughbred Club of America in 2015 at Keeneland being the biggest of her four stakes wins. Donnie Richardson, the former longtime Churchill racing official, is her agent.

Doyle watched her brother win the St. James’s Palace on TVG between breezing horses Tuesday for trainer Chris Davis at Keeneland. One day, she hopes, it will be her riding a winner at Royal Ascot, maybe even for Wesley Ward, who famously sent out Lady Aurelia to win for the second straight year Tuesday.

“That’s a goal,” she said. “I told Wesley I wanted to ride a winner for him at Royal Ascot, and he got all bright-eyed and said, ‘I like that idea.’ We’ll make it happen one day.”

Divisidero to Arlington Million

Trainer Buff Bradley said Divisidero is being pointed to the Aug. 12 Arlington Million after exiting his last start in excellent fashion.

“He really couldn’t be doing any better,” said Bradley. “Ever since he got back to Kentucky [in late March], he’s been really happy.”

Divisidero, owned by the Gunpowder Farms LLC of Tom Keithley, hardly changed positions when finishing sixth, beaten just 2 1/4 lengths, in the Grade 1 Manhattan on the June 10 Belmont Stakes card. The 5-year-old horse won the Grade 1 Woodford Reserve Turf Classic on Kentucky Derby Day two starts back and has earned Beyer Speed Figures of 100 or higher in seven of his last eight starts.

“I don’t believe he’ll run again before the Million, but I’m not going to rule that out,” said Bradley.

Impressive Edge to Iowa Derby

Trainer Dale Romans has ruled out J Boys Echo for the July 7 Iowa Derby at Prairie Meadows but said he intends to send Impressive Edge to the Des Moines-area track for the Grade 3, $250,000 race.

Impressive Edge, owned by NK Racing, was fourth in the Florida Derby and third in the Peter Pan in his last two starts. J Boys Echo, a distant ninth in the Belmont Stakes, has “no definite plans” on the horizon, said Romans.

Finley’sluckycharm favored

Finley’sluckycharm will be the 124-pound highweight and heavy favorite Saturday in the Grade 3, $100,000 Chicago Handicap, a seven-furlong race being held here for the first time after 27 runnings at Arlington Park.

This will be the third start at the meet for Finley’sluckycharm as trainer Bret Calhoun continues to prepare the 4-year-old filly for the Grade 1 Ballerina on Aug. 26 at Saratoga. Finley’sluckycharm won the Roxelana and Grade 3 Winning Colors to run her career record to 7 for 9.

Asmussen atop standings again

With the 38-day spring meet winding down, 17-time Churchill training champion Steve Asmussen appears to have a slight upper hand in what has been a hotly contested trainers’ race.

Into Thursday, and with seven cards to go, Asmussen had sent out 17 winners, one more than Ian Wilkes. They were closely followed by Brad Cox (14), Tom Amoss (13), and a four-way tie for fifth (12 each).

◗ Sunday will be the last daytime program of the meet. Twilight cards will be held next Wednesday and Thursday, and then the meet ends with a Downs After Dark card on Friday, June 30. A pair of 2-year-old stakes, the Bashford Manor and Debutante, will highlight the finale.