ANALYSIS

BEST BET: RACE 3, LOVE YOUR BUTTONS

FIRST RACE

PERFECT KIND, a $235,000 2-year-old purchase in March, debuted with a promising third at Saratoga - where obviously the best racing takes place in the East every summer; likely to improve for trainer Graham Motion, who is currently hitting at a 23-percent rate with second-time starters. ARTISTIC and UNAPOLOGETIC ME come off nice efforts at Ellis Park, with the former getting cut back in trip after tiring to fourth and the latter having been second in a sprint there. Prefer ARTISTIC over UNAPOLOGETIC ME as she seems to be coming out of the better maiden race - the winner of the race she exits, Lightscameraaction, was a distant second in a stake here at Kentucky Downs last week.

SECOND RACE

Many entrants in the second race give the impression of being dirt horses whose connections are simply hoping they take to the grass...an exception is TAXMAN, who has made all five of his starts in France, running three times on synthetic and twice on turf. He performed reasonably well in most his starts, with a second, a third, two fourths and one sixth. UBER KIRK brings quality dirt form into the race, having finished third and fourth in his two starts, both going longer distances; progeny of Run Away and Hide (by City Zip) tend to be versatile. VICTORY CIGAR struggled going a mile last out after dueling for the early lead, but had previously been right there in a series of dirt sprints from just off the pace; was pulled up in his only turf start — so he is as much of a question mark on the lawn as those that have never run on the turf.

THIRD RACE

LOVE YOUR BUTTONS is an established turf sprinter in a first-level allowance in which there are surprisingly few. He also seems a good fit for the 6 1/2-furlong distance, having performed well at Belmont Park in long grass sprints. EXTRICATE finished third in his first attempt sprinting on the grass, though with a 69 Beyer, well off his better dirt figures from earlier in the year. Never- theless, the race was encouraging in that he ran competitively despite not gaining his preferred up-close running position early. He figures to get his desired trip here, pressing the leaders from the outside. LUCKY BODE is returning from a long layoff and cutting back from routes to sprints, but acts like one of the classiest runners, and he also has all-time leading Kentucky Downs trainer Mike Maker in his corner.

FOURTH RACE

EAST MOON ran well in her only grass race, finishing second in what seemed a stronger maiden heat when going a two-turn mile at Saratoga. The horse that edged her came back to run fifth in a stake, seemingly reflecting the race’s quality. That aside, this one does have a history of weakening in the lane. She’s been caught a couple times already in races she seemed to have within her grasp; maybe a long grass sprint is the answer. ANGEL OF MISCHIEF debuted with a fine second at Ellis Park, and rather than run back there, trainer Norm Casse awaited a fatter purse at Kentucky Downs - a nice sign of confidence. Blinkers added and now moves to the turf - though her pedigree isn’t as grassy as others. VALYA’S VENGEANCE, who has been flashing speed and fading in routes, has room to improve on the cutback to a sprint.

FIFTH RACE

CAMPAIGN was an eye-catching winner of a maiden race at Kentucky Downs on opening day

going 1 1/2 miles, and his proficiency over the course results in him getting the nod in this allowance despite facing winners for the first time and returning on a week’s rest. ZUMURUDEE, prone to awkward starts, is regularly a factor and looks well suited to going 1 5/16 miles; winning trainer/jockey combination of Mike Stidham and Joe Bravo, who are hitting at a 29% clip together in 2017-2018.

BLOSSOM TRAIL MISS ran by far the nicest race of her career when second at Del Mar recently when going 1 3/8 miles. She was entered back against fillies in a race Thursday at Kentucky Downs, but landed on the also-eligible list and didn’t draw in; now faces the boys as an alternative.

SIXTH RACE

MOONLIGHT ROMANCE seemed undone by the Ascot experience last out when 13th in the Windsor Castle, but is appealing based on what she displayed in two earlier starts, both in the U.S. She was second first out at Keeneland to eventual Ascot winner Shang Shang Shang and then blew away maidens on the grass at Belmont; steady works since July leading up to this. CHATTEL, by contrast, is wheeled back fairly quickly without any recent works after winning the ungraded Skidmore Stakes at Saratoga Aug. 17; two wins and a nose loss in three turf sprints. CARTER CAT, fifth in the Skidmore with an even effort, looks poised to get a nice trip from a stalking position; good enough to break his maiden at Saratoga.

SEVENTH RACE

The Ladies Turf could be the most closely matched race of the day...so trying for a bit of a price with IN THE LEE. She is a consistent, hard-knocking mare, and being lightly raced, may still have room to develop. Also seemed to relish going a one-turn mile at Belmont in the spring, and shortly freshened for this race. HALLIE BELLE ended up fourth in the Yellow Ribbon, a race even better than it looks at first glance. She was very nearly second, but was beaten a couple of heads in a blanket finish for the place. INSTA ERMA was good enough to run third in the Grade 1 Matriarch going a mile late last year, and though unplaced in her last two, she had an excuse for her latest when 11th in the Distaff Turf Mile on Oaks Day when having a troubled trip over wet ground; potentially disadvantaged in terms of fitness by not having raced for four months.

EIGHTH RACE

Being a middle-distance grass sprinter, LULL is tailor-made for long-sprint conditions at Kentucky Downs. She won the Exacta Systems here as a juvenile, and this race last year when it was ungraded. One caution: according to trainer Christophe Clement, she prefers firm ground. So keep tabs on the weather and Kentucky Downs course conditions for Saturday. Quickbreaking BRIELLE’S APPEAL struggled over soft going at Saratoga last out in the July 23 Caress, as many horses seemed to in that stake. Toss that race out and her form is promising, admittedly outside of stakes company; also a winner over this course. RUBY NOTION won the aforementioned Caress on soft turf, defeating nextout stakes winner Chanteline. She moved up that day in the conditions, though her accomplishments on firm turf are also respectable.

NINTH RACE

It looks like anyone’s race in the Kentucky Downs Turf Sprint. Giving a slight edge to BLIND AMBITION due to being able to handle most types of ground. He also has been running with some of the best grass sprinters in New York, notably finishing second in the Grade 3 Troy last out. PROFORMA, a dual stakes winner on dirt when sprinting six furlongs last year at 3, makes his third start of the year and comes off an encouraging third in the Wolf Hill at Monmouth behind the talented Imprimis. CONQUEST PANTHERA is winless in nine races since taking a Grade 2 in Canada last year, a losing streak that seems in part the result of him being most effective at around the 7-furlong trip. He goes a little short of that today at 6 1/2 furlongs, but the distance still seems to suit him better than routes, particularly around two turns; encouraging try under the circumstances to be third in the Lure at 1 1/16 miles at Saratoga last out.

TENTH RACE

OSCAR NOMINATED was freshened for his defense of the Kentucky Turf Cup after a sixth with trouble in the United Nations June 30. Although not involved that day, his three other races this year were fine efforts; proven fresh and two for two over the Kentucky Downs lawn for Maker, who is aiming to win this race for the fourth year in a row. Stablemate BIGGER PICTURE is a Grade 1 winner, having taken the 2017 United Nations, though that race is usually one of the softer Grade 1 turf marathons. On a whole, he hasn’t enjoyed as productive a year in 2018, though he has run well in half of his six starts. ARKLOW is in sharp form for trainer Brad Cox and capable of handling give in the ground. Bred to stay the 1 1/2-mile trip, though to date he has been most effective between 1 1/16 miles and 1 1/4 miles.