American Turf Attracts Highly Competitive Field

Good luck separating the top three contenders in the $500,000 American Turf Presented by Smithfield (G2T) being run at 1 1/16 miles Sept. 5 at Churchill Downs.

Morning-line favorite Smooth Like Strait,shipping in from the West Coast with trainer Michael McCarthy, and a pair of Kentucky-based challengers with trainer Mike Maker—Field Pass (2-1) and Fancy Liquor (9-2)—all have multiple wins this year, all won or placed at the American Turf distance, and all have run first or second at Churchill.

"It is very competitive," Maker said of the race that attracted eight entries. "The last time Fancy Liquor and Field Pass meet, they were separated by a neck."

Field Pass, a 3-year-old son of Lemon Drop Kid , and Fancy Liquor, a 3-year-old colt by Lookin At Lucky , ran first and third, respectively, in the July 12 Kentucky Utilities Transylvania Stakes (G3T) at Keeneland. Field Pass won by a nose over Street Ready, who was a neck in front of Fancy Liquor.

Maker said Field Pass has a slight edge over Fancy Liquor because he has more racing experience and better tactical speed. He said Fancy Liquor is a talented horse but it has taken him longer to learn his job.

"Fancy Liquor likes to be forwardly placed but there looks like a fair amount of speed to keep him company," Maker said.

Smooth Like Strait, a 3-year-old son of Midnight Lute , will be one entrant providing company. A homebred for Cannon Thoroughbreds, Smooth Like Strait has won in or near gate-to-wire fashion in three of his eight lifetime starts. In the May 23 War Chant Stakes at Churchill Downs, he was a mere head behind the front-runner Island Commish for the first half of the mile race and then shook free to win by 1 3/4 lengths. Field Pass was third in the War Chant.

Smooth Like Strait comes into the American Turf off a 2 1/2-length win Aug. 9 in the La Jolla Stakes (G3T), where he wired the field in a final time of 1:40.29. The La Jolla was Smooth Like Strait's first race at 1 1/16 miles.

"I thought he was very good here in the War Chant, very good in the La Jolla at Del Mar. I am looking for the same thing more or less here at Churchill Downs," said McCarthy.

Both Smooth Like Strait and Field Pass have been assigned top weight of 120 pounds for the American Turf. John Velazquez has the mount on Smooth Like Strait, like he had in the War Chant, while Tyler Gaffalione will be riding Field Pass.

Field Pass' last start was a seventh in the 1 3/16-mile Saratoga Derby Invitational Aug. 15 where he got bumped at the start and had a shot to recover but flattened in the last furlong.

"I don't know what happened," said Maker. "Maybe it was the distance, maybe the competition, maybe the bump, but he is back home and doing well."

For the year, Field Pass has won four of his six starts for owner Three Diamonds Farm, which include victories in the Dania Beach Stakes at Gulfstream Park, the Jeff Ruby Steaks (G3) at Turfway Park, the Audubon Stakes at Churchill Downs, and the Transylvania. Gaffalione was aboard for the win in the Audubon.

Unraced at 2, Fancy Liquor this year has compiled a 2-1-2 record from his five starts for owner Skychai Racing and Sand Dollar Stable. The colt got a stakes win in the Aug. 12 Caesars Stakes on the grass at Indiana Grand Race Course. He will carry 118 pounds in the American Turf and be ridden by Florent Geroux.

Entries: American Turf S. presented by Smithfield (G2T)

Churchill Downs, Saturday, September 05, 2020, Race 8

• Grade IIT
• 1 1/16m
• Turf
• $500,000
• 3 yo
• 2:55 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	1Taishan (KY)	Julien R. Leparoux	118	Richard Baltas	15/1
2	2American Butterfly (KY)	Joseph Talamo	118	D. Wayne Lukas	12/1
3	3Sugoi (KY)	Joseph Rocco, Jr.	118	Michael A. Tomlinson	8/1
4	4Field Pass (MD)	Tyler Gaffalione	120	Michael J. Maker	2/1
5	5Smooth Like Strait (KY)	John R. Velazquez	120	Michael W. McCarthy	8/5
6	6Sunsation (KY)	Shaun Bridgmohan	118	Kelsey Danner	15/1
7	7King Theo (KY)	Corey J. Lanerie	118	Carlo Vaccarezza	12/1
8	8Fancy Liquor (KY)	Florent Geroux	118	Michael J. Maker	9/2