While 3-year-old colts take the center stage on the dirt at Churchill Downs May 4, an overflow field of America's top sophomore turf horses will compete for a $600,000 purse in the 1 1/16-mile American Turf Stakes (G2T) earlier on the card.
Favored on the morning line at odds of 7-2 is Godolphin's Legend of Time. European trainer Charlie Appleby, who plans to keep a string of horses in the United States this year, ships the son of Sea The Stars from Dubai after a 4 3/4-length victory in the Jumeirah Classic at Medyan March 2.
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Legend of Time is 4-for-5 in his career with earnings of $270,121. His only career loss came in his lone group attempt, a fifth in the Tattersall Stakes (G3) at Newmarket last fall. As a 3-year-old he is 3-for-3 with all starts coming in Dubai. Jockey Frankie Dettori will be aboard for the first time.
Repole Stable and St. Elias Stables' Agate Road switched to dirt for his last two starts in an attempt to qualify for the Kentucky Derby (G1), but the son of Quality Road now returns to the surface where he has seen most of his success, including a victory in the Pilgrim Stakes (G2T) at Aqueduct Racetrack last fall. Repole and trainer Todd Pletcher also team up with Noted, a two-time stakes winner.
Red White and Blue Racing's Neat pulled off the upset at Keeneland in the Transylvania Stakes (G3T) April 5 at odds of 13-1. A four-time winner from six starts, the son of Constitution has proven to be a threat on the grass. His lone blemishes have come in his debut and his lone start on dirt.
West Point Thoroughbreds and Jimmy Kahig's Cugino looked a winner in deep stretch of the Transylvania before Neat nailed him on the wire by a nose, marking his third straight runner-up finish. Always in the mix, the son of Twirling Candy has never lost by more than a length in his career.
Not only does Cugino rematch with Neat, but also with Ken Ramsey's Abrumar, who defeated Cugino in each of his last two starts. Abrumar continues to work up the ranks after defeating Cugino in the March 2 Colonel Liam Stakes at Gulfstream Park.
Despite having not faced the top level sophomores yet, seeing Cugino come back with a solid runner-up finish in the Transylvania has encouraged trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. that Abrumar has the talent to fit with this company.
"He beat (Cugino) twice, so it advertised the form," Joseph said. "I feel like he needs to improve again coming here, but he keeps getting better and better."
Drawing post 12 of 14, Joseph says being that far outside is not ideal, but finds confidence from the fact that the son of Divisidero won from the far outside two starts back in a Gulfstream allowance.
Also in the field
- Grade 3 winner Stay Hot travels from California on a three-race win streak, all in stakes company. It will be his first start over a mile.
- Set is a perfect 2-for-2 and won the March 30 Cutler Bay Stakes at Gulfstream. This will be his first start around two turns
Churchill Downs, Saturday, May 4, 2024, Race 9Entries: American Turf S. presented by TwinSpires (G2T)
PP Horse Jockey Wgt Trainer M/L 1 1Twirling Point (KY) Florent Geroux 118 Jonathan Thomas 15/1 2 2Trikari (KY) Umberto Rispoli 118 H. Graham Motion 15/1 3 3Lagynos (KY) Cristian A. Torres 118 Steven M. Asmussen 15/1 4 4Formidable Man (KY) Luis Saez 118 Michael W. McCarthy 15/1 5 5Legend of Time (GB) Lanfranco Dettori 118 Charles Appleby 7/2 6 6Neat (KY) Reylu Gutierrez 120 Rob Atras 6/1 7 7Stay Hot (KY) Antonio Fresu 120 Peter Eurton 10/1 8 8Lord Bullingdon (KY) John R. Velazquez 118 Michael W. McCarthy 15/1 9 9Noted (KY) Joel Rosario 118 Todd A. Pletcher 15/1 10 10Set (NY) Jose L. Ortiz 118 Mark E. Casse 10/1 11 11Cugino (KY) Javier Castellano 118 Claude R. McGaughey III 10/1 12 12Abrumar (KY) Paco Lopez 118 Saffie A. Joseph, Jr. 10/1 13 13Can Group (KY) Flavien Prat 122 Mark E. Casse 15/1 14 14Agate Road (KY) Irad Ortiz, Jr. 122 Todd A. Pletcher 5/1 15 15Blue Eyed George (LA) Luis Saez 118 Michael W. McCarthy 15/1 16 16Rock'n a Halo (KY) Ben Curtis 118 Thomas M. Amoss 20/1 17 17Dancing Groom (KY) Emisael Jaramillo 118 Antonio Sano 20/1
