Fern Circle Stables and Three Chimneys Farm's King Fury headlines a field of seven 3-year-olds entered for the Sept. 25 inaugural running of the $275,000 Bourbon Trail Stakes at Churchill Downs.
Run at 1 3/16 miles, the Bourbon Trail is set to go as Race 9 at 4:55 p.m. ET on a Saturday program that also features the $275,000 Dogwood Stakes (G3) and the $275,000 Harrods Creek Stakes.
Winner of the Stonestreet Lexington Stakes (G3) at Keeneland, King Fury has run against some of the nation's top 3-year-old colts this year, including his most-recent fifth behind division leader Essential Quality in the $1.25 million Runhappy Travers (G1) at Saratoga Race Course. Trained by Kenny McPeek, the son of Curlin broke his maiden at Churchill on debut and scored a half-length victory in the $98,000 Street Sense Stakes there last fall.
King Fury's 3-year-old campaign includes his 2 3/4-length victory in the $200,000 Lexington and a runner-up finish to Masqueparade in the $500,000 Ohio Derby (G3). He will be reunited in post 4 with jockey Brian Hernandez Jr., who has been aboard for all three of his victories.
Also entered is Rupp Racing's stakes winner Gagetown. Trained by Brad Cox, the son of Exaggerator most recently finished third Aug. 28 in the $250,000 St. Louis Derby Sponsored by FanDuel Sportsbook. He won the $50,000 Prairie Mile Stakes in June. Martin Garcia has the call from the rail.
Churchill Downs, Saturday, September 25, 2021, Race 9Entries: Bourbon Trail S.
PP Horse Jockey Wgt Trainer M/L 1 1Gagetown (KY) Martin Garcia 118 Brad H. Cox 4/1 2 2King's Ovation (KY) Joseph Talamo 118 Dale L. Romans 15/1 3 3Dr Jack (KY) Tyler Gaffalione 118 Steven M. Asmussen 4/1 4 4King Fury (KY) Brian Joseph Hernandez, Jr. 120 Kenneth G. McPeek 6/5 5 5Angkor (KY) Adam Beschizza 118 Philip A. Bauer 20/1 6 6Bourbon Thunder (KY) Chris Landeros 118 Ian R. Wilkes 5/1 7 7Sermononthemount (KY) James Graham 118 Thomas M. Amoss 5/1
Irish Unity Tops Harrods Creek
Clearview Stable's recent $250,000 St. Louis Derby runner-up Irish Unity tops a competitive field of 10 3-year-old colts and geldings that was entered in Saturday's first running of the $275,000 Harrods Creek Stakes.
The seven-furlong Harrods Creek will go as Race 10 with a post time of 5:26 p.m.
Irish Unity, conditioned by leading trainer Steve Asmussen, has not finished worse than second in four career starts. The son of Pioneerof the Nile won his first two starts in June at Lone Star Park before shipping to Asmussen's Kentucky string. Irish Unity finished second to Beaver Hat in a conditioned allowance event at Ellis Park before his runner-up effort to Flash of Mischief in last month's St. Louis Derby. Hernandez has the mount from post 7.
Wayne Davis' Louisiana-based gelding Emerald Forest will look to break through in his first Churchill outing. Trained by Shane Wilson, Emerald Forest dominated his two most recent starts by a combined 18 lengths at Evangeline Downs and Louisiana Downs. Louisiana Downs-based Jose Guerrero travels to Kentucky to ride from post 5.
Churchill Downs, Saturday, September 25, 2021, Race 10Entries: Harrods Creek S.
PP Horse Jockey Wgt Trainer M/L 1 1Dreamer's Disease (KY) David Cohen 118 Robertino Diodoro 5/1 2 2Ram (KY) Rafael Bejarano 118 D. Wayne Lukas 15/1 3 3Bob's Edge (KY) Adam Beschizza 118 J. Larry Jones 8/1 4 4He'smyhoneybadger (KY) Martin Garcia 118 Brad H. Cox 6/1 5 5Emerald Forest (KY) Jose Andres Guerrero 118 Shane Wilson 7/2 6 6Shadow Matter (KY) Corey J. Lanerie 118 Dallas Stewart 8/1 7 7Irish Unity (KY) Brian Joseph Hernandez, Jr. 118 Steven M. Asmussen 3/1 8 8Wolfie's Dynaghost (KY) Tyler Gaffalione 118 Thomas Albertrani 6/1 9 9Flags Up (KY) James Graham 118 James E. Baker 20/1 10 10Everett's Song (KY) Pablo Morales 118 Dale Bennett 15/1
Carribean Caper Looks to Streak On
Columbine Stable's undefeated 3-year-old filly Carribean Caper will attempt to land her fifth consecutive victory Saturday as the likely favorite in the 46th running of the $275,000 Dogwood Stakes.
The seven-furlong Dogwood drew a compact field of seven 3-year-old fillies and was carded as Race 8 with a post time of 4:22 p.m. ET.
Trained by Al Stall Jr., Carribean Caper began her career at Fair Grounds Race Course with a scintillating eight-length score. The daughter of Speightstown then cruised to a 4 1/2-length first-level allowance victory at Keeneland.
After three months away from the races, Carribean Caper returned in a conditioned allowance event at Ellis Park where she dominated four rivals by 4 1/2 lengths. In her most recent start, the Kentucky-bred defeated Magic Quest by a length in the $100,000 Runhappy Audubon Oaks at Ellis. Colby Hernandez, who has been aboard Carribean Caper for all four of her lifetime starts, will ride from post 2.
The Dogwood field also includes Joel Politi's Li'l Tootsie and Let It Ride Stables' Shesa Mystery, both graded stakes -placed contenders.
Churchill Downs, Saturday, September 25, 2021, Race 8Entries: Dogwood S. (G3)
PP Horse Jockey Wgt Trainer M/L 1 1Coppelia (KY) Martin Garcia 118 Philip A. Bauer 15/1 2 2Carribean Caper (KY) Colby J. Hernandez 120 Albert M. Stall, Jr. 1/1 3 3Li'l Tootsie (KY) James Graham 118 Thomas M. Amoss 3/1 4 4Malloy (KY) Joseph Talamo 118 Wayne M. Catalano 10/1 5 5Shesa Mystery (KY) Miguel Mena 118 Jeff A. Hiles 10/1 6 6Patty H (KY) Julien R. Leparoux 118 Michael Miceli 7/2 7 7Someone Said So (KY) Adam Beschizza 118 Coty W. Rosin 15/1
