Kentucky Downs Preview Day at Ellis Attracts Quality

Before Art Collector and other Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve (G1) prospects are expected to come to town for the Runhappy Ellis Park Derby next week, five $100,000 turf stakes put Ellis Park in the spotlight Aug. 2.

Kentucky Downs Preview Day serves as a launching pad to rich stakes during the Sept. 7-16 meet at Kentucky Downs.

Trainer Brad Cox has entered some of his better grass horses, headlined by Factor This, who will look to repeat in the 1 1/4-mile Kentucky Downs Preview Turf Cup Stakes, and Mr. Misunderstood, who races in the Kentucky Downs Preview Tourist Mile Stakes. Mr. Misunderstood won the race in 2018 and was third last year.

Gaining Ground Racing's Factor This, a 5-year-old son of The Factor , has already surpassed last year's breakout season. He won the Fair Grounds Stakes (G3T) and Muniz Memorial Classic Stakes (G2T) this year in New Orleans and the June 20 Wise Dan Stakes (G2T) at Churchill Downs in his most recent start.

Cox is using the Ellis stakes as a prep for the $1 million Old Forester Bourbon Turf Classic Stakes (G1T) on the COVID-19-postponed Kentucky Derby card Sept. 5. That race is 1 1/8 miles.

"He had some time between the Muniz and the Wise Dan, and we believed the mile-and-a-quarter race would fit in well on the schedule in terms of trying to make the race Derby Day," Cox said. "He likes to be able to break and clear off if given the opportunity, and you're going to be able to do that at a mile and a quarter more than a mile. I think his perfect distance is a mile and an eighth."

Flurry Racing Stables' Mr. Misunderstood, a graded stakes-winning 6-year-old gelding by Archarcharch, is 0-for-3 this year, though his previous race, a second June 26 at Churchill Downs to Kentucky Downs Preview Tourist Mile rival Spectacular Gem, was his best effort of 2020.

Florent Geroux returns aboard Mr. Misunderstood, and Shaun Bridgmohan retains his customary seat on Factor This.

Other horses of interest on the card include millionaire Morticia in the Kentucky Downs Preview Ladies Sprint Stakes; Daddy Is a Legend in the Kentucky Downs Preview Ladies Turf Stakes; and grade 1 winner Hog Creek Hustle in the Kentucky Downs Preview Tourist Mile.

Daddy Is a Legend, owned by Jim and Susan Hill, makes her season debut and first start for trainer Rusty Arnold.

"She's actually been at Margaux Farm most of the time, and I've had her probably 2 1/2 weeks," Arnold said.

The graded stakes-winning 5-year-old Scat Daddy mare last raced Dec. 1 at Del Mar, rallying to finish second to Got Stormy in the Matriarch Stakes (G1T) for previous trainer George Weaver. 

Arnold also entered grade 3 winner English Affair in the Kentucky Downs Preview Ladies Turf.

Sunday's five stakes, of which $25,000 of their $100,000 purses are incentives for Kentucky-bred horses, provide fees-paid berths into their corresponding races at Kentucky Downs. The purse money was generated at Kentucky Downs, which has been flush in purse money in recent years from historical horse racing revenue. It was transferred to Ellis Park in an arrangement with the Kentucky Horsemen's Benevolent and Protective Association.

Entries: Runhappy Preview Turf Sprint S.

Ellis Park, Sunday, August 02, 2020, Race 6

• STK
• 5 1/2f
• Turf
• $100,000
• 3 yo's & up
• 3:10 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	1High Crime (KY)	Miguel Mena	122	Darrin Miller	5/1
2	2Tiger Blood (FL)	Corey J. Lanerie	122	Michael J. Maker	5/2
3	3Johnny Unleashed (KY)	James Graham	118	Eric N. Foster	15/1
4	4Hollis (KY)	Gabriel Saez	122	John Alexander Ortiz	10/1
5	5Carotari (KY)	Julien R. Leparoux	124	Brian A. Lynch	6/1
6	6Tell Your Daddy (KY)	Rafael Bejarano	122	Neil L. Pessin	4/1
7	7Williston Way (KY)	Javier Padron-Barcenas	118	Billy Hardin	20/1
8	8Vanbrugh (KY)	Florent Geroux	122	Brad H. Cox	3/1

Entries: Kentucky Downs Preview Tourist Mile S.

Ellis Park, Sunday, August 02, 2020, Race 7

• STK
• 1m
• Turf
• $100,000
• 3 yo's & up
• 3:40 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	1Mr. Misunderstood (KY)	Florent Geroux	122	Brad H. Cox	5/1
2	2Hembree (KY)	Martin Garcia	122	Michael J. Maker	6/1
3	3Spectacular Gem (KY)	James Graham	122	James E. Baker	7/2
4	4Ritzy A. P. (KY)	Declan Cannon	122	Jack Sisterson	12/1
5	5Crafty Daddy (KY)	Joseph Talamo	122	Kenneth G. McPeek	6/1
6	6Corruze (KY)	Corey J. Lanerie	122	Chris A. Hartman	15/1
7	7Dontblamerocket (KY)	Julien R. Leparoux	124	Norm W. Casse	9/2
8	8Hay Dakota (KY)	Gerardo Corrales	122	Michael J. Maker	10/1
9	9Roiland (KY)	Mitchell Murrill	122	Thomas M. Amoss	20/1
10	10All Go (KY)	Adam Beschizza	122	Michael J. Maker	30/1
11	11Get Western (KY)	Brian Joseph Hernandez, Jr.	122	J. Reeve McGaughey	12/1
12	12Hog Creek Hustle (KY)	Rafael Bejarano	122	Vickie L. Foley	6/1

Entries: Kentucky Downs Preview Ladies Sprint S.

Ellis Park, Sunday, August 02, 2020, Race 8

• STK
• 5 1/2f
• Turf
• $100,000
• 3 yo's & up Fillies and Mares
• 4:10 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	1Dance Rhythms (KY)	Rafael Bejarano	122	Gregory D. Foley	15/1
2	2Into Mystic (KY)	Joseph Talamo	122	Brendan P. Walsh	7/2
3	3Whimsical Muse (KY)	James Graham	122	Thomas M. Amoss	8/1
4	4Meadow Dance (KY)	Shaun Bridgmohan	122	Brad H. Cox	9/2
5	5Morticia (KY)	Julien R. Leparoux	122	George R. Arnold, II	3/1
6	6Foolish Humor (KY)	Gerardo Corrales	118	Wesley A. Ward	8/1
7	7Lead Guitar (NY)	Brian Joseph Hernandez, Jr.	122	Eddie Kenneally	12/1
8	8Stylishly (KY)	Florent Geroux	122	Cherie DeVaux	15/1
9	9Baby Karats (KY)	Javier Padron-Barcenas	118	John Ennis	20/1
10	10Ambassador Luna (FL)	Mitchell Murrill	122	James M. Gulick	6/1

Entries: Kentucky Downs Preview Ladies Turf S.

Ellis Park, Sunday, August 02, 2020, Race 9

• STK
• 1m
• Turf
• $100,000
• 3 yo's & up Fillies and Mares
• 4:40 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	1She'sonthewarpath (KY)	Chantal Sutherland	126	Steve Margolis	7/2
2	2Frond (KY)	Gerardo Corrales	122	Ben Colebrook	15/1
3	3Quebec (KY)	Adam Beschizza	124	Joe Sharp	15/1
4	4Daddy Is a Legend (PA)	Florent Geroux	122	George R. Arnold, II	3/1
5	5Summer in Saratoga (KY)	Corey J. Lanerie	122	Joe Sharp	15/1
6	6English Affair (KY)	Rafael Bejarano	122	George R. Arnold, II	10/1
7	7Mitchell Road (KY)	Joseph Talamo	124	William I. Mott	5/1
8	8Streak of Luck (CA)	Miguel Mena	124	D. Kelly Ackerman	15/1
9	9Crystal Lake (KY)	Martin Garcia	122	D. Wayne Lukas	20/1
10	10Amazima (KY)	Declan Cannon	122	Brendan P. Walsh	10/1
11	11Princess Causeway (KY)	Chris Landeros	122	Ian R. Wilkes	8/1
12	12Aife (KY)	Shaun Bridgmohan	122	Matt A. Shirer	15/1
13	13Molto Bella (KY)	Brian Joseph Hernandez, Jr.	122	Ian R. Wilkes	20/1

Entries: Kentucky Downs Preview Turf Cup S.

Ellis Park, Sunday, August 02, 2020, Race 10

• STK
• 1 1/4m
• Turf
• $100,000
• 3 yo's & up
• 5:10 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	1Hierarchy (KY)	Corey J. Lanerie	122	Joe Sharp	15/1
2	2Botswana (KY)	Edgar Morales	122	Bentley Combs	20/1
3	3Easy Shot (KY)	Miguel Mena	122	J. Keith Desormeaux	20/1
4	4Bourbon Resolution (KY)	Julien R. Leparoux	122	Ian R. Wilkes	6/1
5	5Empire of War (KY)	Florent Geroux	122	Michael J. Maker	10/1
6	6Celerity (KY)	Calvin H. Borel	122	Waylon Cundiff	30/1
7	7Phantom Currency (KY)	James Graham	122	Brian A. Lynch	20/1
8	8Ry's the Guy (KY)	Chris Landeros	122	Ian R. Wilkes	9/2
9	9Split the Wickets (KY)	Rafael Bejarano	122	Thomas L. Van Berg	20/1
10	10Signalman (KY)	Brian Joseph Hernandez, Jr.	122	Kenneth G. McPeek	8/1
11	11Factor This (KY)	Shaun Bridgmohan	124	Brad H. Cox	6/5
12	12Golden Dragon (KY)	Gerardo Corrales	122	Michael J. Maker	20/1