Factor This Sets Sights on Old Forester Turf Classic

Gaining Ground Racing's Factor This has barely put a foot wrong in 2020. With four consecutive victories already this season, his connections are hopeful that the 5-year-old son of The Factor  will keep his streak alive Sept. 5 in the $1 million Old Forester Bourbon Turf Classic Stakes (G1T) at Churchill Downs. 

A picture of consistency on the grass, his only misstep this year—if it can be classified as such—came in his debut when he finished third in the Jan. 18 Colonel E.R. Bradley Stakes at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots. From that point on it's been smooth sailing for the Brad Cox trainee. He notched two more victories in Louisiana, the Feb. 15 Fair Grounds Stakes (G3T) and the March 21 Muniz Memorial Classic Stakes (G2T), before heading to Kentucky, where he took the Wise Dan Stakes (G2T) June 20 at Churchill by a neck. 

Factor This enters off an Aug. 2 victory in the Kentucky Downs Preview Turf Cup Stakes at Ellis Park, where he prevailed by a half-length. His most recent work was Aug. 30 at Churchill, where he breezed four furlongs on the grass in :50 2/5. 

"Brad said he's been really good, and in the last workout he was on the turf and it wasn't really fast, but Brad told us he was very pleased with it," said Gaining Ground Racing's Tom Cutshall, who plans to attend the race with his brother Brian, who is also a partner in Gaining Ground, and his sister-in-law. 

Factor This will leave from the rail in the 1 1/8-mile race under jockey Shaun Bridgmohan. Cutshall said he believes the inside line will be the most efficient spot for Factor This, whose sheer speed and class has helped him seal the deal in so many races this season. 

"I'm happy being in the first spot because that is a good spot for us," Cutshall said. "I think there is some other speed in the race that has drawn outside, so maybe we will pop out on the lead. We should be in a pretty good position. 

"He proved in his last race that he doesn't have to lead right away, so that gives us a little bit of flexibility. I think we're ready to go. It's a very tough race. In grade 1s, they don't just give you the money, they make you run for it. We're happy where we are, and we think we have a shot." 

With dry weather forecast Saturday, Cutshall is hopeful the turf will be firm come post time. The course was rated as good by track officials Sept. 4 after midweek rain. 

"We were looking at the weather, and it looked like on Saturday it should be good," Cutshall said. "We like the turf a little firm, but he ran at Ellis Park last time and the turf was soft, but he did win. But if it dries out a little bit more, we aren't going to be unhappy." 

Four-time Eclipse Award-winning trainer Chad Brown will send out three against Factor This. Leading the charge will be Madaket Stables, Michael Dubb, Wonder Stables, Michael Kisber, and Bethlehem Stables' Rockemperor. The son of Holy Roman Emperor will be making his fourth start of the year and comes off a runner-up finish in the July 4 Manhattan Stakes (G1T) at Belmont Park. 

John Velazquez will have the call on Rockemperor from post 3. 

Leaving post 4 under Javier Castellano will be Digital Age, who has not had a stakes win since May 2019. The Invincible Spirit colt owned by Klaravich Stables enters off an allowance optional claiming win July 18 over 1 1/16 miles on the inner turf at Saratoga Race Course. 

Rounding out the Brown trio is Sacred Life, who is owned and campaigned by the same partnership (excluding Kisber) as Rockemperor. The 5-year-old son of Siyouni has fared reasonably well in his two starts this season. He was fourth in the Jan. 25 Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational Stakes Presented by Runhappy (G1T) at Gulfstream Park and returned Aug. 9 to take the Oceanport Stakes at Monmouth Park. Paco Lopez will partner from post 8. 

Newspaperofrecord Headlines Distaff Turf Mile 

Klaravich Stables' Newspaperofrecord will look to make it 3-for-3 this year when she takes on seven others Saturday in the $500,000 Longines Churchill Distaff Turf Mile Stakes (G2T) for older fillies and mares.

Trained by Brown, Newspaperofrecord blew away the racing world in 2018 when she won all three of her starts, including the Miss Grillo Stakes (G2T) and Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (G1T). But as a sophomore, the daughter of Lope de Vega was winless in three starts. 

Returning to the grass for the first time in nearly a year, Newspaperofrecord once again looked in top form June 6 when she won the Intercontinental Stakes (G3T) at Belmont by four lengths. One race later, she added another grade 1 to her tally with a solid three-length score in the Just A Game Stakes (G1T) at the same track. 

Castellano has the call from post 4. 

Hoping to throw a wrench into Newspaperofrecord's plans are a pair of runners from the Cox barn. Slam Dunk Racing and Medallion Racing's Beau Recall has not fared as well as her rival this season. Now 6, the mare ran second to Newspaperofrecord in the Just A Game before finishing off the board one start later in the Aug. 8 Yellow Ribbon Handicap (G2T) at Del Mar. The oldest mare in the field, Beau Recall will leave post 6 with Manny Franco in the irons. 

Juddmonte Farms homebred Juliet Foxtrot is also seeking her first win of the year. The mare's best finish in 2020 for Cox came July 11 at Keeneland, where she ran third in the Coolmore Jenny Wiley Stakes (G1T). Tyler Gaffalione has the call from post 3. 

Entries: Longines Churchill Distaff Turf Mile S. (G2T)

Churchill Downs, Saturday, September 05, 2020, Race 11

• Grade IIT
• 1m
• Turf
• $500,000
• 4 yo's & up Fillies and Mares
• 4:39 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	1She'sonthewarpath (KY)	Chantal Sutherland	118	Steve Margolis	15/1
2	2Daddy Is a Legend (PA)	Florent Geroux	118	George R. Arnold, II	6/1
3	3Juliet Foxtrot (GB)	Tyler Gaffalione	118	Brad H. Cox	5/1
4	4Newspaperofrecord (IRE)	Javier Castellano	123	Chad C. Brown	4/5
5	5Harmless (KY)	Mike E. Smith	118	Philip D'Amato	12/1
6	6Beau Recall (IRE)	Manuel Franco	118	Brad H. Cox	5/1
7	7La Signare (FR)	Ricardo Santana, Jr.	118	Brendan P. Walsh	10/1
8	8Belle Laura (KY)	Miguel Mena	118	Juan Carlos Avila	30/1

Entries: Old Forester Bourbon Turf Classic S. (G1T)

Churchill Downs, Saturday, September 05, 2020, Race 13

• Grade IT
• 1 1/8m
• Turf
• $1,000,000
• 4 yo's & up
• 5:50 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	1Factor This (KY)	Shaun Bridgmohan	124	Brad H. Cox	3/1
2	2Bowies Hero (KY)	Florent Geroux	119	Philip D'Amato	6/1
3	3Rockemperor (IRE)	John R. Velazquez	119	Chad C. Brown	7/2
4	4Digital Age (IRE)	Javier Castellano	119	Chad C. Brown	6/1
5	5Dontblamerocket (KY)	Julien R. Leparoux	119	Norm W. Casse	15/1
6	6Mr Dumas (KY)	Manuel Franco	119	Michael J. Maker	12/1
7	7True Valour (IRE)	Rafael Bejarano	119	H. Graham Motion	12/1
8	8Sacred Life (FR)	Paco Lopez	119	Chad C. Brown	6/1
9	9Somelikeithotbrown (NY)	Tyler Gaffalione	124	Michael J. Maker	8/1
10	10Spectacular Gem (KY)	James Graham	119	James E. Baker	10/1