Totally Boss Aims for Kentucky Downs Turf Sprint Repeat
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Photo: Coady Photography
Totally Boss wins the 2019 Turf Sprint Stakes at Kentucky Downs
A trio of horses who came up just short in top turf sprints in their previous starts will look to secure victory in the $700,000 Runhappy Turf Sprint Stakes (G3T) Sept. 12 at Kentucky Downs.
The six-furlong test has attracted Totally Boss, who finished second, a head behind Leinster, in the July 11 Shakertown Stakes (G2T) at Keeneland and will try to win the Turf Sprint for the second consecutive year. Also entered out of that 5 1/2-furlong test is Bound for Nowhere, who was a neck back in third.
Saturday's race also attracted the runner-up from the Jaipur Stakes (G1T), Kanthaka, who rallied from seven lengths back in that six-furlong test at Belmont Park but came up a neck short to mare Oleksandra.
Susan and Jim Hill's Totally Boss is the 9-2 morning-line favorite. Trained by Rusty Arnold, the 5-year-old son of Street Boss pressed the pace early in last year's Turf Sprint, then drew off to a 1 1/4-length victory over Smart Remark.
Arnold likes the idea of Totally Boss stretching out and returning to Kentucky Downs.
"He loved it down there last year," Arnold said of Totally Boss, who has six wins from 18 starts. "He likes the (six furlongs) I think, better than the five-eighths. He gets to relax a little bit, get his spot, and he is really doing well. I don't think he's a natural five-eighths horse. He's trained good for this and he's ready to go."
In his past eight starts, Totally Boss has four wins and two close second-place finishes. His lone off-the-board finishes were at five furlongs, including a 10th in last year's Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint (G1) at Santa Anita Park.
"(Totally Boss) just never runs bad. He never runs bad, other than the Breeders' Cup race. It's really the only time," Arnold said. "But he got the 1 hole that day and had no chance. So you take out that race and he doesn't have a bad race."
The Turf Sprint is a Breeders' Cup Challenge Series race, awarding the winner with an automatic berth to the Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint Nov. 7 at Keeneland.
Also on the card Saturday is the $500,000 Kentucky Downs Juvenile Turf Sprint Stakes at 6 1/2 furlongs. Favored in the expected field of 10 is Breeze Easy's Outadore, who earned a 2 3/4-length win in his debut July 26 on the turf at Saratoga Race Course. A son of Outwork trained by Wesley Ward, Outadore tracked early before pulling away to complete his initial test in 1:02.36 on firm turf.
Ward, who also entered Lindy Farms and Ice Wine Stable's Fauci in the Juvenile Turf, has taken both runnings of this race since it was inaugurated in 2018. Stonestreet Stables' Cambria won in 2019 following Ken and Sarah Ramsey's Moonlight Romance the year before.
Kentucky Downs, Saturday, September 12, 2020, Race 11 Kentucky Downs, Saturday, September 12, 2020, Race 9Entries: Runhappy Turf Sprint S. (G3T)
PP
Horse
Jockey
Wgt
Trainer
M/L
1
1Renaisance Frolic (KY)
James Graham
121
Saffie A. Joseph, Jr.
50/1
2
2Stubbins (KY)
Joel Rosario
121
Doug F. O'Neill
6/1
3
3Front Run the Fed (KY)
Javier Castellano
121
Chad C. Brown
5/1
4
4Totally Boss (KY)
Florent Geroux
121
George R. Arnold, II
9/2
5
5Bombard (KY)
Flavien Prat
121
Richard E. Mandella
20/1
6
6Kanthaka (KY)
Jose L. Ortiz
121
H. Graham Motion
5/1
7
7American Anthem (KY)
Tyler Gaffalione
121
Michael J. Maker
12/1
8
8Bon Raison (KY)
Adam Beschizza
121
Jack Sisterson
30/1
9
9Imprimis (FL)
Irad Ortiz, Jr.
121
Joseph F. Orseno
8/1
10
10Richiesinthehouse (IL)
Brian Joseph Hernandez, Jr.
121
Larry Rivelli
15/1
11
11Archidust (KY)
Ricardo Santana, Jr.
121
Steven M. Asmussen
12/1
12
12Bound for Nowhere (KY)
Julio A. Garcia
121
Wesley A. Ward
5/1
13
13Tiger Blood (FL)
Tyler Gaffalione
121
Michael J. Maker
20/1
14
14Fast Boat (KY)
Adam Beschizza
121
Joe Sharp
15/1
15
15Hollis (KY)
Gabriel Saez
121
John Alexander Ortiz
30/1
16
16Admiral Lynch (KY)
Luis Saez
121
Michael J. Maker
15/1
Entries: Kentucky Downs Juvenile Turf Sprint S.
PP
Horse
Jockey
Wgt
Trainer
M/L
1
1Baytown Bear (KY)
Jack Gilligan
120
Paul McEntee
50/1
2
2Perfect Mistake (KY)
Rafael Bejarano
120
John Alexander Ortiz
20/1
3
3Petit Verdot (KY)
Joseph Talamo
120
John Ennis
15/1
4
4County Final (KY)
Jose L. Ortiz
120
Steven M. Asmussen
9/2
5
5Boss Bear (NY)
Luis Saez
118
Michael J. Maker
20/1
6
6Bodenheimer (WA)
Brian Joseph Hernandez, Jr.
120
Valorie Lund
6/1
7
7Scorsese (KY)
Tyler Baze
120
James K. Chapman
50/1
8
8Cowan (KY)
Ricardo Santana, Jr.
120
Steven M. Asmussen
8/1
9
9Outadore (KY)
Irad Ortiz, Jr.
120
Wesley A. Ward
2/1
10
10Fauci (KY)
Tyler Gaffalione
120
Wesley A. Ward
5/2
