If records are meant to be broken, they need to be tied first. That is the mission Sept. 16 for Bango, who seeks to win his 11th race under Churchill Downs' Twin Spires, as he runs in the Louisville Thoroughbred Society Stakes.
With a win, Bango would tie Ready's Rocket who last won at the Louisville track in his 2012 career finale.
"Pretty special. When you think about all great horses that have run over here on this racetrack at Churchill Downs through the years, to win that many races and especially the type of races he's winning—they're all stakes races and allowance races," trainer Greg Foley said. "Pretty, pretty special feat."
Tamaroak Partners' Bango loves his home track, going 10-2-2 from 18 main-track starts. He also runs well elsewhere, having won the July 1 Kelly's Landing Stakes at Ellis Park last out.
B-A-N-G-O and BANGO was his name-oh! Now he's the winner of the $225,000 Kelly’s Landing Stakes at @EllisParkRacing! Congrats to the connections trainer @Foley_Racing, jockey @Tyler_Gaff, and owners Tamaroak Partners!
— FanDuel Racing (@FanDuel_Racing) July 1, 2023
Pick 5 starts in the next, bet on https://t.co/nBYFHiPrdh! pic.twitter.com/k1UD4JHlpy
Should Bango tie the record and eventually take sole possession of it, Foley said the plan would not involve his trainee retiring.
"As long as he stays healthy and sound as he is right now, knock on wood. This horse acts like he's as good as he's ever been," Foley said. "He's 6-years-old, but there's no reason, you know. We'd love to run him again next year and plan to."
The homebred son of Congrats has become somewhat of a cult hero. So it is music to the ears of many that there are no plans for him to stop running any time soon.
The six-furlong race featuring a $300,000 purse, including $50,000 from the Kentucky Thoroughbred Development Fund, will see six 3-year-olds and up break from the starting gate.
Churchill Downs, Saturday, September 16, 2023, Race 4Entries: Louisville Thoroughbred Society S.
PP Horse Jockey Wgt Trainer M/L 1 1Baytown Bear (KY) Jane Elliott 121 Paul McEntee 30/1 2 2Awesome Aaron (KY) Rafael Bejarano 121 Troy Green 30/1 3 3Strobe (KY) Florent Geroux 121 Brad H. Cox 6/5 4 4Bango (KY) Tyler Gaffalione 123 Gregory D. Foley 1/1 5 5Gulfstream Way (KY) Ricardo Santana, Jr. 121 Norm W. Casse 6/1 6 6Necker Island (KY) Mitchell Murrill 123 Chris A. Hartman 8/1
LOCUST GROVE STAKES
The biggest purse on Saturday's card at Churchill Downs is offered in the $400,000 Locust Grove Stakes (G3).
The 1 1/16-mile race includes $100,000 in KTDF purse money and is highlighted by a field with several graded stakes winners.
Among those are grade 1 winners Pauline's Pearl, Search Results and A Mo Reay. Those three crossed paths in the May 5 LaTroienne Stakes (G1) with Search Results taking third, A Mo Reay fourth, and Pauline's Pearl sixth.
- Factoid: Since the race moved off the turf in 2013, no trainer has won the Locust Grove twice. Brad Cox (A Mo Reay) and Ignacio Correas IV (Le Da Vida) look to end that trend.
Churchill Downs, Saturday, September 16, 2023, Race 10Entries: Locust Grove S. (G3)
PP Horse Jockey Wgt Trainer M/L 1 1Soul of an Angel (KY) Ajhari Williams 121 Gerald James 20/1 2 2Pauline's Pearl (KY) Ricardo Santana, Jr. 125 Steven M. Asmussen 5/1 3 3Le Da Vida (CHI) Vincent Cheminaud 121 Ignacio Correas, IV 7/2 4 4Search Results (KY) Tyler Gaffalione 121 Chad C. Brown 3/1 5 5Misty Veil (KY) James Graham 121 Michael J. Maker 15/1 6 6Hidden Connection (KY) Cristian A. Torres 121 W. Bret Calhoun 8/1 7 7A Mo Reay (KY) Flavien Prat 125 Brad H. Cox 5/1 8 8Fannie and Freddie (KY) Corey J. Lanerie 121 Albert M. Stall, Jr. 30/1 9 9Music Street (KY) Declan Cannon 121 D. Whitworth Beckman 30/1 10 10Falconet (KY) Gerardo Corrales 121 Todd A. Pletcher 6/1 11 11Royal Take Charge (KY) Reylu Gutierrez 121 Albert M. Stall, Jr. 15/1
OPEN MIND STAKES
Breeders Cup Filly and Mare Sprint (G1) third Wicked Halo leads the field in the Open Mind Stakes, a six-furlong sprint for fillies 3 and up. The millionaire daughter of Gun Runner took home the Twin Bridges Stakes last time out following a pair of seconds in the Bed O'Roses Stakes (G2) and Derby City Distaff (G1).
Churchill Downs, Saturday, September 16, 2023, Race 6Entries: Open Mind S.
PP Horse Jockey Wgt Trainer M/L 1 1Yuugiri (KY) Flavien Prat 120 Rodolphe Brisset 3/1 2 2Wicked Halo (KY) Tyler Gaffalione 120 Steven M. Asmussen 3/5 3 3Fire On Time (KY) Martin Garcia 120 Dale L. Romans 7/2 4 4More Than Vows (KY) Rafael Bejarano 120 Brian A. Lynch 12/1 5 5Ten Rings (KY) Joseph Talamo 120 Jeff Engler 30/1 6 6Sharp Hero (KY) Julien R. Leparoux 120 Bradley S. Ross 12/1
