Kentucky Derby Undercard Stakes Advances

By Darren Rogers —-

BRICKS AND MORTAR TOPS FIELD OF 13 FOR $1 MILLION OLD FORESTER TURF CLASSIC
LIMOUSINE LIBERAL GUNS FOR THIRD CONSECUTIVE VICTORY IN CHURCHILL DOWNS
MARLEY’S FREEDOM TAKES ON SIX FOES IN HUMANA DISTAFF
BROWN DUO LOOMS LARGE IN CHURCHILL DISTAFF TURF MILE
CANADIAN CHAMPION AVIE’S FLATTER HEADS FIELD OF EIGHT FOR AMERICAN TURF
INSTAGRAND HEADLINES FIELD OF 14 IN PAT DAY MILE

LOUISVILLE, KY (Tuesday, April 30, 2019) – Millionaires Bricks and Mortar, Limousine Liberal and Marley’s Freedom are the marquee attractions in the three Grade I races that provide the foundation for Saturday’s 14-race Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve (GI) that also features three other graded stakes in addition to the 145th renewal of the Run for the Roses.

First post time Saturday is 10:30 a.m. (all times Eastern) with the Kentucky Derby scheduled to go as the day’s 12th race with a 6:50 p.m. post time.

In the race preceding the Derby, Klaravich Stables and William Lawrence’s Bricks and Mortar will shoot for his fourth consecutive victory as he heads a field of 13 4-year-olds and up in the 33rd running of the $1 million Old Forester Turf Classic (GI).

The 1 1/8-mile test has a post time of 5:25 p.m.

Trained by Chad Brown, Bricks and Mortar won the Melvin Muniz Memorial Handicap (GII) at Fair Grounds in his most start and prior to that won the Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational (GI) at Gulfstream Park.

Irad Ortiz Jr. has the mount Saturday and will break from post position 12.

Brown also will send out Peter Brant’s Raging Bull (FR), winner of the 2018 Hollywood Derby (GI), and Woodford Racing’s Ticonderoga, who is multiple graded -stakes placed. Joel Rosario has the call on Raging Bull (FR) and will break from post position two and Javier Castellano rides Ticonderoga from post position 10.

The field for the Old Forester Turf Classic, with riders and weights from the inside, is: Qurbaan (Mike Smith, 120 pounds), Raging Bull (FR) (Rosario, 124), Multiplier (Flavien Prat, 118), Sabador (FR) (James Graham, 118), Markitoff (Manny Franco, 118), Clyde’s Image (Luis Saez, 118), Prime Attraction (Tyler Baze, 118), Breaking the Rules (Jose Ortiz, 118), Synchrony (John Velazquez, 120), Ticonderoga (Castellano, 118), March to the Arch (Tyler Gaffalione 118), Bricks and Mortar (I. Ortiz Jr., 124) and Next Shares (Drayden Van Dyke, 122).

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Katherine Ball’s Limousine Liberal will shoot for his third consecutive victory in the $500,000 Churchill Downs (GI) Presented by Twinspires.com for 4-year-olds and up when he heads a field of 12 for the seven-furlong main track test.
The Churchill Downs, scheduled as the day’s eighth race, has a 2:45 post time.

Trained by Ben Colebrook, Limousine Liberal is following a familiar path to Saturday’s race having made his seasonal debut four weeks prior in the Commonwealth (GIII) at Keeneland. In this year’s Commonwealth, Limousine Liberal finished behind Bobby’s Wicked One and Warrior’s Club, both of whom are entered for Saturday.

Jose Ortiz, who has been aboard for the two victories in this race, has the mount Saturday and will break from post position two.

Autumn Hill Farms Racing Stables’ Bobby’s Wicked One extended his winning streak to three with a front-running victory in the Commonwealth. Trained by Al Stall Jr., Bobby’s Wicked One will be ridden by Miguel Mena and break from post position four.
The Churchill Downs Racing Club’s Warrior’s Club, runner-up in this race last year, is trained by D. Wayne Lukas. Joel Rosario will be aboard Saturday and break from post position seven.

The field for the Churchill Downs, with riders and weight from the rail, is: Do Share (Irad Ortiz Jr., 118 pounds), Limousine Liberal (J. Ortiz, 118), Majestic Dunhill (Manny Franco, 118), Bobby’s Wicked One (Mena, 118), Wild Shot (Corey Lanerie, 118), Promises Fulfilled (Luis Saez, 120), Warrior’s Club (Rosario, 118), Mitole (Ricardo Santana Jr., 118), Uncontested (John Velazquez, 118), Still Having Fun (Tyler Gaffalione, 118), Uno Mas Modelo (James Graham, 118) and Whitmore (Javier Castellano, 118).

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Cicero Farms’ Marley’s Freedom, a five-time graded-stakes winner and recent millionaire, heads a field of seven fillies and mares entered for the 33rd running of the $500,000 Humana Distaff (GI) at seven furlongs on the main track.

The Humana Distaff, scheduled as the day’s sixth race, has a 1:13 post time.

Trained by two-time Humana Distaff winner Bob Baffert, Marley’s Freedom returns to Churchill Downs for the first time since finishing fourth as the favorite in last fall’s Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Sprint (GI). In that race, she came up a half-length shy of the victorious Shamrock Rose who also is in Saturday’s field.

Mike Smith has the mount on Marley’s Freedom and will break from post position seven.

Expected to vie for favoritism with Marley’s Freedom is Spiced Perfection.

Owned by the partnership of Pantofel Stable, Wachtel Stable and Peter Deutsch, Spiced Perfection won the Madison (GI) at Keeneland in her most recent start for her second Grade I triumph. Trained by Peter Miller, she will be ridden by Javier Castellano and break from post position two.

The field for the Churchill Downs, with riders and weight from the rail, is: Spring in the Wind (Irad Ortiz Jr., 118 pounds), Spiced Perfection (Castellano, 123), Mia Mischief (Ricardo Santana Jr., 118), Talk Veuve to Me (Julien Leparoux, 118), Amy’s Challenge (Alex Canchari, 118), Emboldened (Joel Rosario, 118) and Marley’s Freedom (Smith, 120).

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Peter Brant’s Precieuse (IRE), a Group I winner in France in 2017 and winner of the Honey Fox (GIII) in her most recent start, headlines a field of 10 fillies and mares for the 34th running of the $400,000 Longines Churchill Distaff Turf Mile (GII).

The Longines Churchill Distaff Turf Mile , scheduled as the day’s seventh race, has a 1:55 post time.

Trained by Chad Brown, who won this race in 2017 with Roco Rojo, Precieuse won the Honey Fox following a seven-month layoff in making her second start in the U.S. Javier Castellano retains the mount on Precieuse and will break from post position six.

Brown also will send out Juddmonte Farms’ homebred Environs (GB) who won her U.S. debut April 5 at Keeneland by 3 ½ lengths. A stakes winner last year in France, Environs will break from post position nine and be ridden by Jose Ortiz.

Back to defend her title is Patricia Moseley’s homebred Proctor’s Ledge. Trained by Brendan Walsh, Proctor’s Ledge will break from post position three and be ridden by John Velazquez.

The field for the Longines Churchill Distaff Turf Mile, with riders and weight from the rail, is: Raven’s Lady (GB) (Florent Geroux, 118 pounds), Take These Chains (IRE) (Mike Smith, 118), Proctor’s Ledge (Velazquez, 118), Beau Recall (IRE) (Irad Ortiz Jr., 118), Daddy Is a Legend (Manny Franco, 118), Precieuse (IRE) (Castellano, 118), Capla Temptress (IRE) (Joel Rosario, 118), Got Stormy (Tyler Gaffalione, 118), Environs (GB) (J. Ortiz, 118) and Valedictorian (Luis Saez, 118).
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Ivan Dalos’ Avie’s Flatter, the champion 2-year-old male in Canada in 2018 and winner of the recent Transylvania (GIII) at Keeneland, tops a field of 13 3-year-olds entered for the 28th running of the $400,000 American Turf (GII) Presented by Ram Trucks.

The American Turf, run at 1 1/16 miles, is scheduled as the day’s ninth race and has a 3:37 post time.

Trained by Josie Carroll, Avie’s Flatter has won four of five career starts with his lone defeat coming in the Grade I Summer at Woodbine in September. Javier Castellano has the mount Saturday and will break from post position eight.

Back to challenge Avie’s Flatter from the Transylvania is Bloom Racing Stable’s Henley’s Joy, who finished a half-length behind the winner at Keeneland. Trained by Mike Maker, Henley’s Joy will be ridden by Mike Smith and break from post position 10.

Invading from Florida is Leonard Green’s A Thread of Blue. Trained by Kiaran McLaughlin, A Thread of Blue brings a three-race win streak into the American Turf including victories in the Dania Beach and Palm Beach (GIII).

Luis Saez has the mount and will break from post position one.

The field for the American Turf, with riders and weight from the rail, is: A Thread of Blue (Saez, 120 pounds), Social Paranoia (Manny Franco, 118), Digital Age (IRE) (Irad Ortiz Jr., 118), Marquee Prince (Florent Geroux, 118), Seismic Wave (Joel Rosario, 118), Forever Mo (Tyler Gaffalione, 118), Casa Creed (John Velazquez, 118), Avie’s Flatter (Castellano, 120), War Film (Ricardo Santana Jr., 118), Henley’s Joy (Smith, 118), Weekly Call (Corey Lanerie, 118), The Black Album (FR) (Jose Ortiz, 118) and Louder Than Bombs (Julien Leparoux, 118).

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OXO Equine’s Instagrand, third in the Santa Anita Derby (GI) in his most recent start, tops a field of 14 3-year-olds entered for the 95th running of the $400,000 Pat Day Mile (GIII) Presented by LG&E and KU.

The Pat Day Mile, run on the main track, is scheduled as the day’s 10th race and has a 4:28 post time.

Trained by Jerry Hollendorfer, Instagrand won his two starts in 2018 by a combined 20 ¼ lengths and opened 2019 with a third-place finish in the Gotham (GIII) before his run in the Santa Anita Derby.

Javier Castellano has the mount on Instagrand and will break from post position 10.

The field for the Pat Day Mile, with riders and weight from the rail, is: Durkin’s Call (Junior Alvarado, 118 pounds), Market King (Mike Smith, 118), Dream Maker (Julien Leparoux, 118), Mr Money Bags (Chris Landeros, 118), Dunph (Tyler Gaffalione, 118), Tobacco Road (Tyler Baze, 118), Mr. Money (Gabriel Saez, 118), Manny Wah (Shaun Bridgmohan, 118), Captain Von Trapp (Ricardo Santana Jr., 118), Instagrand (Castellano, 118), Frolic More (Brian Hernandez Jr., 118), Everfast (Robby Albarado, 118), Hog Creek Hustle (Corey Lanerie, 118) and Last Judgment (John Velazquez, 118). Also-eligible: Global Campaign (Luis Saez, 118).