A three-race stakes card at Ellis Park Aug. 3 was marred by tragedy when the popular, 15-time-winning mare Ova Charged broke down in the stretch while racing in the Kentucky Downs Preview Ladies Turf Sprint Stakes. The Louisiana-bred speedster, who had become a fan favorite for brilliant speed and wins across numerous stakes, fell approaching the sixteenth pole of the 5 1/2-furlong turf race, leaving observers, both on-track and off, heartbroken.
The Shane Wilson-trained 6-year-old daughter of Star Guitar suffered a right front fetlock injury and was humanely euthanized due to the extent of her injuries, according to Kevin Kerstein, who heads publicity at Ellis Park.
Her jockey, Corey Lanerie, escaped injury and rode later on the card.
In the hours that followed, many racing fans posted their appreciation for Ova Charged on social media and words of support for her connections.
A homebred for Brittlyn Stable, graded stakes-winning Ova Charged lost only four times in her 19-race career and earned $918,575. She was heavily favored in Saturday's race, entering it on a seven-race stakes win streak since joining Wilson's barn.
After she fell, Awesome Treat rallied to victory, edging graded stakes winner Red Carpet Ready, who placed, a neck behind the winner. Bling showed, another head behind.
The winner, a 6-year-old mare by Awesome Patriot trained by Justin Wojczynski, paid $52 to win. She was timed in 1:02.33 under Sophie Doyle over a course rated as "good" after recent rain. Kumud and Rakesh Sikand own the homebred mare.
Ova Charged's catastrophic injury led to a subdued winner's circle and postrace interview involving the winning connections.
"Obviously, you try to travel and be behind the right horse and the one to beat. Just unfortunate circumstances down the lane," Doyle said. "But even so, we got a slip-run up the inside on the rail that really just helped project her to move forward. She was really game to the wire."
The victory was the first at the stakes level for Doyle after she resumed riding this spring following a break for motherhood.
In the two stakes that followed, Cameo Performance defeated Abrumar and Green Light in the Kentucky Downs Preview Nashville Derby, and Tut's Revenge outran Win for the Money and Miranda Rights in the Kentucky Downs Preview Turf Mile Stakes.
Each of the winners, who competed for a $250,000 total purse counting incentives for Kentucky-breds, earned automatic berths in designated stakes races at Kentucky Downs for its rich, all-turf meet taking place in late August and early September. Kentucky Downs, flush with revenue from its successful historical horse racing gaming business, transfers purse money to Ellis Park to support the year-round Kentucky circuit.
Cameo Performance ($7.84) is a 3-year-old Oscar Performance colt owned by Fergus Galvin and Marc Detampel and trained by Brendan Walsh. Luan Machado rode him to victory with 1 1/8 miles on grass in 1:48.09.
Video: KY Downs Preview Nashville Derby (BT)
Trainer Mike Maker and rider Ricardo Santana Jr. teamed up with Flying P Stable's Tut's Revenge ($11.58), an 8-year-old Eskendereya gelding. He sped a mile on turf in 1:35.99.
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"Each of his last few starts he's been improving on the turf," Santana said. "Today, he was able to make the lead, and when several horses tried to come get him around the three-eighths pole, I could feel him responding, and he wasn't going to let them by."
