Kentucky Derby Day Undercard Stakes Advances

By Darren Rogers —-

DIVISIDERO FACES 11 IN WOODFORD RESERVE REPEAT BID
BREEDERS’ CUP WINNER FINEST CITY TOPS HUMANA DISTAFF FIELD
MASOCHISTIC HEADLINES CHURCHILL DOWNS FIELD
MISS TEMPLE CITY MAKES 2017 DEBUT IN CHURCHILL DISTAFF TURF MILE
LA CORONEL TAKES ON THE BOYS IN AMERICAN TURF
PAT DAY MILE ATTRACTS FIELD OF 13

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (Wednesday, May 3, 2017) – Gunpowder Farms’ Divisidero will face 11 rivals Saturday as he bids to repeat in the $500,000 Woodford Reserve Turf Classic (Grade I), one of seven graded stakes on the 14-race program that is highlighted by the 143rd running of the $2 million Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (GI).

The 31st edition of Woodford Reserve Turf Classic that is run at 1 1/8 miles, will go as the 11th race with a 5:25 p.m. (all times Eastern) post time. First post time Saturday is 10:30 a.m.

Other stakes on the Derby Day card include the 31st running $300,000 Humana Distaff (GI) for fillies and mares 4-years-old and up going seven furlongs on the main track, the 83rd running $500,000 Churchill Downs (GII) for 4-year-olds and up going seven furlongs on the main track, 32nd running $300,000 Churchill Distaff Turf Mile (GII) Presented by Longines for fillies and mares 4-years-old and up, the 26th running $300,000 American Turf (GII) Presented by Ram Trucks for 3-year-olds and the 93rd running of the $250,000 Pat Day Mile (GIII) Presented by LG&E and KU for 3-year-olds on the main track.

Trained by Buff Bradley, Divisidero could become the third horse to win back-to-back runnings of the race joining Einstein (BRZ) in 2008-09 and Wise Dan in 2013-14. Second in his most recent start at Keeneland, Divisidero is undefeated on the Matt Winn Turf Course, having taken the 2015 American Turf (GII).

Julien Leparoux will have the mount on Divisidero and break from post position two.

Chief challengers to Divisidero figure to be West Coast invader Bal a Bali (BRZ) and the 1-2-3 finishers from the Muniz Memorial Handicap (GII): Enterprising, Kasaqui (ARG) and Oscar Nominated.
Calumet Farm’s Bal a Bali comes to Kentucky off a victory in the Frank J. Kilroe (GI) Mile on March 11. Trained by Richard Mandella, Bal a Bali is a multiple Group I winner in Brazil. Javier Castellano has the mount and will break from post position six.

Mike Maker trains Enterprising for Maxis Stable and Oscar Nominated for Ken and Sarah Ramsey. A three-time graded-stakes winner, Enterprising will break from post position nine and be ridden by Flavien Prat. Mike Smith has the call on Oscar Nominated, a 6 ¼-length winner of last year’s Dueling Grounds Derby at Kentucky Downs.

Wimborne Farm’s Kasaqui, second in the Arlington Million (GI) last year, is trained by Ignacio Correas IV and will be ridden by Joe Bravo.

The field for the Woodford Reserve Turf Classic, with jockey and weight from the inside, is: Kasaqui (ARG) (Bravo, 120), Divisidero (Leparoux, 120), Oscar Nominated (Smith, 118), Conquest Panthera (Jose Lezcano, 118), Kaigun (John Velasquez, 120), Bal a Bali (BRZ) (Castellano, 122), World Approval (Joel Rosario, 120), Beach Patrol (Florent Geroux, 120), Enterprising (Prat, 120), Flatlined (Brian Hernandez Jr., 120), Can’thelpbelieving (IRE) (Jose Ortiz, 120) and Ballagh Rocks (Luis Saez, 118).

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Seltzer Thoroughbreds’ Finest City, winner of last year’s Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Sprint (GI) at Santa Anita, heads a field of seven fillies and mares for the Humana Distaff.

The Humana Distaff will go as the sixth race with a 1:13 p.m. post time.

Trained by Ian Kruljac, Finest City followed up her Breeders’ Cup with a score in the seven-furlong Santa Monica (GII). A winner of five of 16 career starts, Finest City will be making her first start outside California. Mike Smith has the mount and will break from post position five.

Chief rivals include Three Chimneys Farm’s Carina Mia and Juddmonte Farms’ Paulassilverlining.

Trained by Bill Mott, Carina Mia will be making her first start since finishing ninth as the favorite behind Finest City in the Breeders’ Cup. Winner of the Eight Belles (GII) here last May, Carina Mia will be ridden by Julien Leparoux and exit post position seven.

Paulassilverlining, now trained by Chad Brown, opened her 2017 campaign with a victory in the Madison (GI) at Keeneland on April 8. Third in the Breeders’ Cup to Finest City, Paulassilverlining will break from post position two and be ridden by Jose Ortiz.

The field for the Humana Distaff, with jockey and weight from the inside, is: Super Humor (Florent Geroux, 118 pounds), Paulassilverlining (Ortiz, 123), Mines and Magic (Joel Rosario, 118), Sweetgrass (Chris Landeros, 118), Finest City (Smith, 123), Lightstream (Javier Castellano, 120) and Carina Mia (Leparoux, 118).

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Los Pollos Hermanos Racing and Jay Em Ess Stable’s three-time graded stakes winner Masochistic headlines a field of 14 sprinters for the Churchill Downs.

The Churchill Downs will go as the 10th race with a 4:28 p.m. post time.

Trained by Ron Ellis, Masochistic started his 2017 campaign with a runner-up finish in the Triple Bend (GI) at Santa Anita on March 11. This will be the second trip to Churchill Downs for Masochistic, who broke his maiden in his second start by 14 lengths on Derby Day 2014.

Mike Smith has the mount and will break from post position two.

Gilman Racing, Westside Rentals.com and W.C. Racing Inc.’s Denman’s Call, winner of the Triple Bend, also ventures east for the Churchill Downs. Trained by Doug O’Neill, Denman’s Call will be ridden by Tyler Baze and break from post position 12.

The field for the Churchill Downs, with jockey and weight from the inside, is: Awesome Slew (Joel Rosario, 118 pounds), Masochistic (Smith, 118), Schivarelli (Flavien Prat, 118), Apprehender (Alex Birzer, 118), Clearly Now (Corey Lanerie, 118), Forevamo (Florent Geroux, 118), Solid Wager (Victor Espinoza, 118), El Kabeir (Javier Castellano, 118), Limousine Liberal (Jose Ortiz, 118), The Truth Or Else (Julien Leparoux, 118), Chief of Staff (Gary Stevens, 118), Denman’s Call (Baze, 123), Tom’s Ready (Brian Hernandez Jr., 118) and Bluegrass Singer (Luis Saez, 118).

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The Club Racing, LLC, Allen Rosenblum and Sagamore Farm’s Miss Temple City, a three-time Grade I winner with two of those coming against the boys, heads a field of eight for the Churchill Distaff Turf Mile.

The Churchill Distaff Turf Mile will go as the seventh race with a 1:55 p.m. post time.
Trained by Graham Motion, Miss Temple City closed out 2016 with a victory in the Matriarch (GI) at Del Mar. Her two Grade I victories over males came at Keeneland.

Edgar Prado has the mount on Miss Temple City and will break from post position two.

Also making her 2017 debut is Bradley Thoroughbreds’ Roco Rojo (IRE), who finished a nose in back of Miss Temple City in the Matriarch. Trained by Chad Brown, Roca Rojo will be ridden by Florent Geroux and break from post position six.

The field for the Churchill Distaff Turf Mile, with jockey and weight from the inside, is: Linda (Brian Hernandez Jr., 120 pounds), Miss Temple City (Prado, 123), Hillhouse High (Javier Castellano, 120), Believe in Bertie (Shaun Bridgmohan, 118), Mississippi Delta (Jose Lezcano, 118), Roca Rojo (IRE) (Geroux, 118), Harmonize (Jose Ortiz, 118) and Prize Exhibit (GB) (Mike Smith, 118).

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John Oxley’s La Coronel, dominating winner of the Appalachian (GIII) at Keeneland on April 13, will face 10 male rivals in the American Turf.

The American Turf will go as the ninth race with a 3:37 p.m. post time.

Trained by Mark Casse and to be ridden by Florent Geroux, La Coronel will be facing the boys for the first time. She won the Jessamine (GIII) last fall at Keeneland and by virtue of that was the favorite in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (GI) in which she finished sixth.

Awaiting La Coronel, who will break from post position 11, will be a couple of two-time graded stakes winners in Oscar Performance and Made You Look.

Amerman Racing’s Oscar Performance won the Pilgrim (GIII) last fall and followed that up with a victory in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf (GI). Trained by Brian Lynch, Oscar Performance finished fifth in the Transylvania (GIII) on April 7 at Keeneland in his 2017 debut. Jose Ortiz has the mount and will break from post position four.

Let’s Go Stable and Three Chimneys Farm’s Made You Look, a three-time winner on grass with stakes victories in the With Anticipation (GII) and Dania Beach (GIII), is trained by Todd Pletcher. John Velazquez has the mount and will break from post position nine.

The field for the American Turf, with jockey and weight from the inside, is: Holiday Stone (Jose Lezcano, 118 pounds), Big Score (Javier Castellano, 120), Parlor (Julien Leparoux, 118), Oscar Performance (Ortiz, 123), Kitten’s Cat (Luis Saez, 118), Arklow (Mike Smith, 118), Conquest Farenheit (Flavien Prat, 118), Ritzy A.P. (Victor Espinoza, 118), Made You Look (Velazquez, 123), Good Samaritan (Joel Rosario, 123) and La Coronel (Geroux, 115).

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Local Hero, the third-place finisher in the Risen Star (GII) and the Louisiana Derby (GII) headlines a field of 14 for the Pat Day Mile.

The Pat Day Mile will go as the eighth race with a 4:28 p.m. post time.

Owned by e Five Racing Thoroughbreds and trained by Steve Asmussen, Local Hero will break from the rail under Florent Geroux.

Other top contenders in the field include Joseph Sutton’s Bitumen, winner of the Sanford (GIII), Calumet Farm’s three-time graded stakes-placed Wild Shot and Lael Stables’ No Dozing, who was an unlucky third in the Lexington (GIII) in his most recent start.

The field for the Pat Day Mile, with jockey and weight from the inside, is: Local Hero (Geroux, 118 pounds), Bitumen (Joe Bravo, 118), Rapid Dial (Julien Leparoux, 118), Uncontested (Mike Smith, 120), No Dozing (Joe Rosario, 118), Greeley and Ben (Calvin Borel, 118), Colonelsdarktemper (Jon Court, 118), Wild Shot (Corey Lanerie, 118), Excitations (Miguel Mena, 118), You’re to Blame (Javier Castellano, 118), Sonic Mule (John Velazquez, 118), Bobby On Fleek (Jose Ortiz, 118) and Warrior’s Club (Flavien Prat, 118).