Volatile Just Misses Track Record in Aristides Romp

Volatile stamped himself as one of America's top sprinters while clocking six furlongs in 1:07.57—just .02 off the 13-year-old track record—with an eight-length score over Honest Mischief in the $100,000 Aristides Stakes Presented by Woodford Reserve at Churchill Downs June 6.

Ridden by Ricardo Santana Jr., Volatile tracked early pacesetter Bobby's Wicked One from third on the outside in the compact field of six older horses. After a quarter-mile in :21.48, Seven Nation Army grabbed a short-lived lead around the turn while clocking the half-mile in :44.36, but Volatile loomed not far behind.

Down the lane it was all Volatile. He took off with an explosive turn of foot and drew away under a hand ride, swapping his leads down the stretch.

The 4-year-old son of Violence  eclipsed Kelly's Landing's 2005 stakes record of 1:07.59 and just missed Indian Chant's track record of 1:07.55 set July 8, 2007.

"This horse has incredible talent," Santana said. "To go that fast as he did today shows he is extremely talented. He did that so easily."

The victory put Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen one win back of Dale Romans, 737 wins to 736, for the all-time win milestone by a trainer at Churchill Downs. It was Asmussen's record fourth Aristides win after previously landing victories with Mountain General (2003), Riley Tucker (2010), and Rothko (2012). 

"He is a tremendous talent," Asmussen said of Volatile. "His family means a lot to me with his second dam Lady Tak, who we trained and won the Test (G1). We're hoping this horse shows the same kind of affinity toward races like that as she did. It wasn't a graded stakes but it was still a stakes win."

Volatile earned $61,380 for his owners Phoenix Thoroughbreds III and Three Chimneys Farm. He improved his record to four wins in five starts with earnings of $203,540 and paid $3 to win as the favorite. His previous victory was a 7 1/2-length romp in a six-furlong allowance affair at Oaklawn Park April 24.

Manny Wah ran third, three-quarters of a length behind runner-up Honest Mischief. Seven Nation Army, Heartwood, and Bobby's Wicked One completed the order of finish.

Bred in Kentucky by Hill 'n' Dale Equine Holdings and Stretch Run Ventures, Volatile is out of the 10-year-old stakes-winning Unbridled's Song mare Melody Lady and is his dam's second stakes winner. Her first, Buy Sell Hold, a full sister to Volatile, won the Kentucky Juvenile Stakes at Churchill Downs for Asmussen in May 2017.

Volatile was an $850,000 purchase by Kerri Radcliffe Bloodstock and Three Chimneys Farm from the Hill 'n' Dale Sales Agency consignment at the 2017 Keeneland September Yearling Sale.

Video: Aristides S. (BT)

Four Graces Makes the Grade

Whitham Thoroughbreds' 3-year-old homebred filly Four Graces, a half sister to multiple graded stakes winner McCraken , led every step of the way and turned back a challenge from Edgeway in the stretch to win Saturday's 45th running of the $100,000 Dogwood Stakes Presented by Woodford Reserve (G3) by 2 1/2 lengths.

Ridden by Julien Leparoux and trained by Ian Wilkes, Four Graces ran seven furlongs over a fast track in 1:22.28, the second-fastest Dogwood in history, only behind eventual Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint (G1) winner Covfefe's 1:20.51 last September.

"She's a very classy filly and takes after all of her siblings," Leparoux said.

Four Graces, who made her stakes debut, banked $60,140 and 20 points on the Road to the Kentucky Oaks.

"This entire family is extremely talented so it was very rewarding to get her a stakes win today," Wilkes said.

Wilkes may opt to keep Four Graces, by Majesticperfection and out of the productive Seeking the Gold mare Ivory Empress, around one turn and target a race like the July 10 Beaumont Stakes Presented by Keeneland Select (G3) over seven furlongs at Keeneland, which offers points on a scale of 10-4-2-1 to its top four finishes toward the Sept. 4 Longines Kentucky Oaks (G1).

Breaking from post 2 in the field of eight 3-year-old fillies, Four Graces set a contested pace from the inside through fractions of :22.27 and :44.84. Early on, four others—Ain't No Elmers, Magic Dance, Lady Glamour, and Edgeway—pressed her down the backstretch. Off the turn, Four Graces widened her lead and repelled a challenge from 8-5 favorite Edgeway.

"I thought she was going to have to go faster to get the lead but it ended up working out for us with the early pace scenario," Wilkes said. "We had no other choice but to show speed because of her post on the inside. I felt really confident when she came off the turn and Julien started asking her to run and she put away (Edgeway) on her outside. There were some very nice fillies in this race that she beat."

Four Graces improved her record to three wins in four starts with total earnings of $134,450.

Sent off as the 2-1 second choice, Four Graces paid $6.60 to win.

Bayerness, Lady Glamour, Ain't No Elmers, Clivetty, Magic Dance, and Naughty Thoughts completed the order of finish.

Video: Dogwood S. (G3)

Earlier Saturday at Churchill Downs, four-time stakes winner Gentle Ruler was a determined winner of an $85,126 open allowance race on turf for Wilkes, defeating Romantic Pursuit by a head under Chris Landeros. The long-distance grass specialist raced 1 3/8 miles on firm turf in 2:20.38, paying $3.60 as the heavy favorite.

The 5-year-old daughter of Colonel John races for Morsches Stable. Last year at 4 she won two graded stakes, the Robert G. Dick Memorial Stakes (G3T) and the Rood and Riddle Dowager Stakes (G3T). She was second in her season debut to Mean Mary in the Orchid Stakes Presented by Rood and Riddle (G3T) at Gulfstream Park March 28.