Factor This Tops Kentucky Downs Preview Day Feature

The pressure never let up on Factor This as he made his 1 1/4-mile trek around Ellis Park. It was an expected byproduct that comes with the burden of heavy favoritism, but it still made trainer Brad Cox's nerves fray slightly as he watched it unfold from afar Aug. 2. 

Being the target comes with the territory when one brings a streak of graded victories to the table, but so too does having the mettle to turn back any attempts to thwart that momentum. So after sending one threat after another on its way during the $100,000 Kentucky Downs Preview Turf Cup Stakes, Factor This dug into the depths of his class in the final strides to keep the late-charging Hierarchy at bay by a half-length and notch his fourth consecutive victory.

The Turf Cup was one of five turf stakes on Sunday's card comprising Kentucky Downs Preview Day during the Runhappy Summer Meet. A total of $4,118,000 was wagered on the 10-race card, one of the highest in track's history.

Having earned consecutive wins in the Fair Grounds Stakes (G3T), Muniz Memorial Classic (G2T), and Wise Dan Stakes (G2T) this season, Factor This came into the Turf Cup with the biggest reputation in the 11-horse field and, by extension, the most to lose. His frontrunning style was no secret, so when the 4-5 favorite bounded away under jockey Shaun Bridgmohan, he was met first by longshot Phantom Currency, who kept his head in front through opening fractions of :24.99 and :50.25 on soft going.

"There was obviously another horse up there on the pace. That's a tough post (10) to win from, the way they angle the gate at the quarter pole," said Cox, who watched the race from his Louisville base. "He had to overcome some things today. Laid in the two path around both turns. But overall, I was super pleased with the horse. He always shows up."

Factor This put his neck in front of Phantom Currency past the half-mile mark, but just as that challenger began to drop back, Ry's the Guy started to come with his bid and drew even with the 5-year-old son of The Factor  around the far turn.

The nimble turn of foot from Factor This allowed him to put a bit of daylight between himself and his rivals entering the lane, but that reprieve was short-lived as Hierarchy came at him in deep stretch. To Cox's relief, Factor This hit the wire in front to capture the race for a second straight year.

"Our horse wears blinkers, and I think once he feels the pressure of the other horse, he's got a lot of fight in him," Cox said. "He showed that this winter at the Fair Grounds and probably showed it more than ever this summer at Churchill in the Wise Dan.

"(The soft turf) was another thing he had to overcome today. There was some pace presence today, the post, and he won this race last year and set the track record—I know the race has only been run a few times at that distance."

The final time was 2:04.52. Split the Wickets was third, 3 3/4 lengths behind Hierarchy.

Factor This has two fees-paid berths in $1 million races: the Sept. 12 Calumet Farm Kentucky Turf Cup Stakes (G3T) going 1 1/2 miles at Kentucky Downs—a race he was fourth in last year—and the Sept. 5 Old Forester Bourbon Turf Classic Stakes (G1T) at Churchill Downs for winning the Muniz.

"We're going to let the dust settle. I think we'd like to take a shot in the grade 1 on Derby Day," Cox said. "I feel l kept a pretty close eye on that division from a mile and an eighth to a mile and a quarter, and I don't see anyone to be scared of, to be honest with you. I think this horse can win a grade 1, given the right setup and the distance."

Owned by Gaining Ground Racing and bred in Kentucky by Maccabee Farm out of the Singspiel mare Capricious Miss, Factor This has won four of five starts this year, with his lone defeat a third-place run in the Jan. 18 Colonel E. R. Bradley Stakes at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots. He is also unbeaten in three starts at Ellis Park and improved his overall mark to 11 wins from 30 starts with $902,780 in earnings.

"He's a cool horse. I get along with him and he makes my job easy," Bridgmohan said. "You just have to get him in position, and he usually does it all. They come to him and he fights. He makes me look good every time. He's a hard-trying horse and as gutsy as they come. I'm just a passenger on him. He does all the work."

English Affair Takes Down Ladies Turf

English Affair went back to her roots Sunday, and in doing so, the Calumet Farm homebred was able to rediscover her best form. 

The four-race losing skid that mounted for English Affair since early 2019 came to a halt at the site of her maiden victory when she edged clear of pacesetter She'sonthewarpath to take the $99,834 Kentucky Downs Preview Ladies Turf Stakes by 1 1/2 lengths.

Since breaking through to capture the 2018 edition of the Cardinal Handicap (G3T) at Churchill Downs, it had been anything but ideal going for English Affair. The daughter of English Channel  only made one start in 2019 before going to the sidelines for more than a year with a hind-end injury. 

When she resurfaced in the Feb. 29 The Very One Stakes (G3T) at Gulfstream Park, the 6-year-old mare could only manage a 10th-place finish. Though she came into the Ladies Turf off two more losses at Churchill Downs, English Affair drew upon some back class specifically at the Pea Patch.

In addition to breaking her maiden at Ellis Park in July 2017, she finished second in the 2018 Preview Ladies Turf Stakes.

"This filly has shown quality on the right days," winning trainer Rusty Arnold said. "It seemed like she relished the soft going, got across it good, and ran really, really well. She won the (2018) Cardinal on soft ground, and she ran the same way, a really, really impressive race.

"She has been so good to use. She had a rear-end injury at Gulfstream two years ago. I've got to thank the Calumet group for letting her bring us back. Not many people would let you bring a graded stakes winner back at 6, and they did. And it kind of paid off today, which is great. If we could run well at Kentucky Downs, it would really pay off."

With jockey Rafael Bejarano in the irons, English Affair got away at the back of the 11-horse field but was able to save ground and spurted clear coming into the top of the lane.

The final time for the Ladies Turf was 1:37.35. She'sonthewarpath held for second with Frond getting third.

Out of the Colonial Affair mare Lady Melesi, English Affair gets a fees-paid berth in the Three Chimneys Ladies Turf (G3T) and also improved her record to four wins from 17 starts with $265,179 after coming home at odds of 14-1. Arnold's original plan was to run her in the Kentucky Downs Ladies Marathon at 1 5/16 miles, but his charge might have just made a case otherwise.

"We don't know now," he said with a laugh. "We were thinking the mile and five-sixteenths but maybe not now. She sure handled the mile today."

Into Mystic Too Good in Ladies Sprint

In her first competitive outing since joining the shedrow of trainer Brendan Walsh, Into Mystic made the best possible impression when she wore down pacesetter Ambassador Luna to prevail by 1 1/2 lengths and earn her first career stakes win in the $94,250 Kentucky Downs Preview Ladies Sprint. The 4-year-old daughter of Into Mischief  was also her sire's 75th black-type winner.

Owners G. Chris Coleman and Brad King sent Into Mystic into Walsh's care following her fourth-place finish for trainer Jeff Mullins in the May 25 Monrovia Stakes (G2T) at Santa Anita Park. She was beaten just 1 3/4 lengths by the winner that day and used a last-to-first rally to win by 5 1/2 lengths going 5 1/2 furlongs Feb. 16 at Sunland Park.

"Hats off to Brendan. He gave me all the confidence in the world riding her today," jockey Joe Talamo said. "I watched her replays, and she ran some pretty impressive races. When I went to the paddock, he said, 'Man, she's training tremendously.' He pretty much said, 'Ride her the way you want. Just get her in a good spot.' She was there for me the whole way.

"She broke really sharp. That other outside filly cleared, and we were pretty content where we were. Five-sixteenths pole, quarter pole, I kind of tipped her out, and from there on she was pretty impressive."

Sent off as the 8-5 favorite in the eight-horse field, Into Mystic covered the distance in 1:04.18. Dance Rhythms was third, 2 1/2 lengths behind Ambassador Luna.

"She's a nice filly. She's done nothing but impress us since she came to us," said Walsh, adding that the Spendthrift Farm Ladies Sprint (G3T) would be next for Into Mystic. "Her last run in California was very good. That form has stood up since. I was quite concerned about the ground because I think she'll be a better filly on faster ground. I think she has some big days ahead of her.

"She's a lovely filly and she's got a lot of heart. I think she showed that today to fend them off."

Spectacular Gem and Carotari Shine in Respective Stakes

Multiple stakes winner Spectacular Gem proved he could string together consecutive top outings as he cut the corner coming off the far turn and had enough to hold off graded stakes winner Mr. Misunderstood for the victory in the $100,000 Kentucky Downs Preview Tourist Mile Stakes.

The 4-year-old son of Can the Man earned back-to-back victories when he made good on his 9-5 favoritism in the 11-horse field. A late run by Mr. Misunderstood made things interesting, but Spectacular Gem had plenty in reserve as he crossed the wire 1 1/4 lengths in front. 

The final time for the one-mile test was 1:37.37 on a course rated soft.

Mr. Misunderstood, who won the 2018 Tourist Mile and finished third in the race last year, held for second by another 1 1/4 lengths over Hembree.

"Turning for home, I guess he hit it sharp enough where he kind of spurted out a little bit, opened up a couple," said trainer Jimmy Baker, who added that Spectacular Gem would point to the $750,000 Tourist Mile at Kentucky Downs. "They were kind of running at him the last little part of it. I was glad the wire came when it came. Usually if he gets the lead by himself, he'll finish a little better. Today he didn't. He probably got a little tired, but he ran good enough to win it."

Spectacular Gem tipped his hand on what was to come Sunday with his effort in a one-mile allowance-level race at Churchill Downs in June when he also bested Mr. Misunderstood by a clear margin. Owned by Candie Baker, Spectacular Gem now boasts a record of six wins from 16 starts with $307,281 in earnings.

Under heady handling from jockey Julien Leparoux, Carotari stalked and pounced his way to his second stakes victory when he ran down High Crime in late stretch to prevail by a length over Tiger Blood in the $95,000 Runhappy Preview Turf Sprint Stakes.

The 4-year-old gelded son of Artie Schiller had been worse than third only once in his past six starts, a level of consistency noted by the betting public that sent him off at 3-1 odds.

Tiger Blood rallied from last in the seven-horse field to get up for place honors by a head over High Crime, who held third over Tell Your Daddy.

Trained by Brian Lynch for owner William Branch, Carotari opened his 2020 campaign with a runner-up finish in the World of Trouble Turf Sprint Stakes at Gulfstream Park in January. He took the March 7 Silks Run at Gulfstream and came into his Ellis Park test off a third-place finish in a June 27 allowance race at Churchill Downs.

Lynch said Carotari would point for the Sept. 12 Runhappy Turf Sprint (G3T) at Kentucky Downs. 

Carotari was bred in Kentucky by Tom Evans and Pam Clark out of the Rahy mare Soother and improved his record to five wins from 15 starts with $311,588 in earnings.