Arklow Bids for Kentucky Turf Cup Repeat

After rallying to a half-length victory a year ago, Arklow is back to defend his title in the $1 million Calumet Farm Kentucky Turf Cup Stakes (G3T) Sept. 7 at Kentucky Downs, a race for 3-year-olds and older going 1 1/2 miles.

Arklow would join repeat winners Da Big Hoss  (2015-16) and Rochester (2002-03) if he completes the double.

The 5-year-old son of Arch has yet to win in four starts this year, but he's strung together a solid season and will receive some class relief away from New York turf racing.

In his 2019 debut April 5, Arklow lost jockey Florent Geroux in a Keeneland allowance, but the Brad Cox trainee came back with three strong performances. He lost both the May 11 Man o' War Stakes (G1T) and June 7 Belmont Gold Cup Invitational Stakes (G2T) at Belmont Park by a neck, then was third, beaten half a length, in the July 27 Bowling Green Stakes (G2T) at Saratoga Race Course.

"He showed up every time this year," Cox said. "If he can run one of those races, he should be right there. He has experience over the track, so we're excited about it. Florent has ridden him all year, and he does well down there. So I feel we have a strong hand in that race."

Arklow has already made over $1.3 million for Donegal Racing, Joseph Bulger, and Peter Coneway.

"We wanted to go from Keeneland to the grade 1 turf stakes at Churchill on Derby Day (the Old Forester Turf Classic), but we couldn't without the prep race," said Donegal's Jerry Crawford. "So we held off. Then we got the neck, neck, half a length trilogy, which was about a half-million dollars worth of not much real estate in terms of the purse differential. So that was very frustrating. But it certainly doesn't take away from the fact that the horse has been performing at a very high level.

"The one thing that is certain is that he always shows up, literally every single race. His worst finish last year was fourth in the Breeders' Cup Turf (G1T), and I expect him to be very competitive in the Breeders' Cup this year. The only question is: Will we do something between Kentucky Downs and the Breeders' Cup?"

Arklow has been named the 5-2 morning-line favorite and will break from post 10 with Geroux aboard.

Woodford Racing's Campaign will ship from John Sadler's Southern California stable with the goal of keeping his Kentucky Downs record perfect. With trainer Steve Asmussen at last year's meet, the Curlin  colt broke his maiden going 1 1/2 miles, then returned a week later to score a 1 5/16-mile allowance.

Now 4, the proven marathoner has won two races on dirt this year at the Turf Cup distance. Campaign rallied to win the April 14 Tokyo City Cup (G3) at Santa Anita Park and two starts later took the July 24 Cougar II Handicap (G3) at Del Mar. He shortened up a quarter of a mile in his previous start, the Aug. 17 TVG Pacific Classic Stakes (G1), and finished fifth.

Campaign will break from post 11 with Joel Rosario riding him for the first time.

An $80,000 claim at this time last year, Michael Hui's Zulu Alpha has gone on to win three graded stakes, including the W. L. McKnight Stakes (G3T) and Mac Diarmida Stakes (G2T) during Gulfstream Park's championship meet. The 6-year-old Street Cry gelding was a neck shy of winning the June 22 United Nations Stakes (G1T) at Monmouth Park and finished fifth last out in the Bowling Green.

Zulu Alpha will again face Mike Maker stablemate Bigger Picture, owned by Three Diamonds Farm. The 8-year-old Badge of Silver gelding defeated Zulu Alpha in the April 20 Elkhorn Stakes (G2T) at Keeneland, with Bigger Picture finishing first and Zulu Alpha a length back in third. Bigger Picture was second in the Turf Cup last year.

The Kentucky Turf Cup field, which drew 12 entries with two on the also-eligible list, also attracted the top three from the Aug. 4 Kentucky Downs Preview Kentucky Turf Cup at Ellis Park. Factor This scored his first stakes victory in the Preview and extended his win streak to three, Botswana finished a head back in second, and multiple grade 3 winner My Boy Jack was another head back in third.

West Coast Well Represented in Ladies Turf

The $500,000 Three Chimneys Ladies Turf Stakes (G3T) drew a field of nine fillies and mares for the one-mile event, with four of them arriving from the West Coast. 

Cloros Bloodstock's Simply Breathless has won two of three starts this year since arriving from England to Neil Drysdale's Southern California barn. The 4-year-old Bated Breath filly won the April 27 Golden Poppy Stakes at Golden Gate Fields and made the grade in the June 22 Wilshire Stakes (G3T) at Santa Anita. She last ran third in the July 13 Modesty Handicap (G3T) at Arlington International Racecourse and shortens up in the Ladies Turf.

Joining Simply Breathless from California is Alastar Thoroughbred Company and Michael Valdes' multiple grade 3 winner Storm the Hill, who was third in the Wilshire and second, a nose behind Beau Recall, in the Aug. 3 Yellow Ribbon Handicap (G2T) at Del Mar.

Mrs. J.V. Shields Jr. and E.J.M. McFadden Jr.'s Mitchell Road, a half sister to Country House, won four straight races before finishing fifth in the July 13 Diana Stakes (G1T) at Saratoga. The 4-year-old English Channel  filly defeated Beau Recall in the Albert M. Stall Memorial during the Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots meet before notching graded status in the May 18 Gallorette Stakes (G3T) at Pimlico Race Course.

Like Country House, who inherited the Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve (G1) victory after Maximum Security's disqualification, Mitchell Road is trained by Bill Mott.

Entries: Three Chimneys Ladies Turf S. (G3T)

Kentucky Downs, Saturday, September 07, 2019, Race 8

• Grade IIIT
• 1m
• Turf
• $500,000
• 3 yo's & up Fillies and Mares
• 4:28 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	1Coachwhip (KY)	Tyler Baze	121	Jack Sisterson	20/1
2	2Simply Breathless (GB)	Florent Geroux	125	Neil D. Drysdale	5/1
3	3Kallio (KY)	Tyler Gaffalione	123	Brendan P. Walsh	10/1
4	4Viva Vegas (LA)	Brian Joseph Hernandez, Jr.	123	Ignacio Correas, IV	8/1
5	5Storm the Hill (KY)	Rafael Bejarano	121	Philip D'Amato	3/1
6	6Lynne's Legacy (CA)	Julien R. Leparoux	123	Doug F. O'Neill	12/1
7	7Mitchell Road (KY)	Joel Rosario	125	William I. Mott	5/2
8	8Sensitive (KY)	Shaun Bridgmohan	123	Brad H. Cox	8/1
9	9Ms Bad Behavior (ON)	Jose L. Ortiz	121	Richard Baltas	8/1

Entries: Calumet Farm Kentucky Turf Cup S. (G3T)

Kentucky Downs, Saturday, September 07, 2019, Race 10

• Grade IIIT
• 1 1/2m
• Turf
• $1,000,000
• 3 yo's & up
• 5:35 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	1Botswana (KY)	Declan Cannon	123	Bentley Combs	20/1
2	2My Boy Jack (KY)	James Graham	121	J. Keith Desormeaux	12/1
3	3Blended Citizen (KY)	Aaron T. Gryder	121	Doug F. O'Neill	15/1
4	4Gliding Alone (OH)	Abel Lezcano	121	Luis A. Jurado	50/1
5	5Bigger Picture (KY)	Tyler Gaffalione	123	Michael J. Maker	8/1
6	6Factor This (KY)	Shaun Bridgmohan	123	Brad H. Cox	12/1
7	7Pillar Mountain (IRE)	Adam Beschizza	123	Todd A. Pletcher	10/1
8	8Hello Don Julio (KY)	Channing Hill	121	Michael Dilger	15/1
9	9Zulu Alpha (KY)	Jose L. Ortiz	123	Michael J. Maker	9/2
10	10Arklow (KY)	Florent Geroux	121	Brad H. Cox	5/2
11	11Campaign (KY)	Joel Rosario	123	John W. Sadler	5/1
12	12Noble Thought (KY)	Julien R. Leparoux	121	Michael J. Maker	15/1
13	13Golden Dragon (KY)	Rayan Gazader	121	Mikhail Yanakov	50/1
14	14Zero Gravity (FL)	Adam Beschizza	121	Joe Sharp	30/1