With summer fast approaching, the $400,000 Matt Winn Stakes (G3) at Churchill Downs June 9 will feature 10 sophomores looking to see where they fit within their division, including Kentucky Derby (G1) longshots West Saratoga and Society Man.
The field's lone graded winner, Harry Veruchi's West Saratoga should appreciate the class relief following his 12th-place finish in the May 4 Derby. The son of Exaggerator has earned just shy of a half-million dollars.
Society Man shocked the world when second at odds of 106-1 in the April 6 Wood Memorial Stakes (G2) at Aqueduct Racetrack, but could not repeat the effort when 16th in the Derby. The Matt Winn should give owners Reeves Thoroughbred Racing, West Paces Racing, GMP Stables, and Carl and Yurie Pascarella a better idea where the Good Magic gelding belongs.
Godolphin homebred Nash has been unsuccessful in two stakes attempts at the 1 1/16-mile distance and is cross-entered for the seven-furlong Woody Stephens Stakes (G1) at Saratoga Race Course June 8.
Maccabee Farm's homebred Ohio-bred Who Dey was undefeated at 2 and has run solidly at the stakes level this year, most recently finishing fourth behind eventual Preakness Stakes (G1) winner Seize the Grey in the May 4 Pat Day Mile Stakes (G2).
The Matt Winn is race 8 with post time at 4:22 p.m. ET.
Churchill Downs, Sunday, June 9, 2024, Race 8Entries: Matt Winn S. (G3)
PP Horse Jockey Wgt Trainer M/L 1 1Northern Flame (KY) Julien R. Leparoux 118 Kenneth G. McPeek 12/1 2 2Who Dey (OH) Brian Joseph Hernandez, Jr. 118 Thomas Drury, Jr. 5/2 3 3Scatify (KY) Jose L. Ortiz 118 John W. Sadler 12/1 4 4West Saratoga (KY) Jesus Lopez Castanon 118 Larry W. Demeritte 10/1 5 5Rocketeer (KY) Tyler Gaffalione 118 Brad H. Cox 6/1 6 6Nash (KY) Florent Geroux 118 Brad H. Cox 8/5 7 7Society Man (KY) Corey J. Lanerie 118 Danny Gargan 12/1 8 8Mighty Message (KY) Cristian A. Torres 118 Thomas M. Amoss 15/1 9 9Next Level (KY) Jareth Loveberry 118 J. Keith Desormeaux 12/1 10 10Luna Tap (KY) Luan Machado 118 Doug F. O'Neill 20/1
Four races earlier in the $175,000 Leslie's Lady Overnight Stakes, Stonestreet Stables' Emery returns to stakes action for the first time since being defeated as the favorite in the Frizette Stakes (G1) last October.
Churchill Downs, Sunday, June 9, 2024, Race 4Entries: Leslie's Lady Overnight S.
PP Horse Jockey Wgt Trainer M/L 1 1Blue Squall (KY) Cristian A. Torres 118 Randy L. Morse 6/1 2 2Charlene's Dream (TX) Evin A. Roman 118 Ed Moger, Jr. 12/1 3 3Moonlit Lady (KY) Ricardo Santana, Jr. 118 Fausto Gutierrez 5/1 4 4Pink Lady Lu Sha (KY) James Graham 118 Elias Lopez 20/1 5 5Legadema (KY) Martin Garcia 118 Philip A. Bauer 5/2 6 6Tambo (KY) Jose L. Ortiz 118 Peter Eurton 3/1 7 7Emery (KY) Tyler Gaffalione 118 Brad H. Cox 2/1
