Set Piece Returns to Turfway for Kentucky Cup Classic

Juddmonte Farms' Set Piece will ship back up to Kentucky from New Orleans with the aim to keep his Turfway Park record in tact. The winner of a Dec. 3 allowance optional claiming race and Dec. 31 Prairie Bayou Stakes in his two starts on the Northern Kentucky track's Tapeta surface, Set Piece is now entered back in the $150,000 TwinSpires Kentucky Cup Classic Stakes March 27.

An overflow field of 13 horses aged 4 and up are entered in the 1 1/8-mile race, including a pair of Mark Casse trainees with Tapeta success at Woodbine.

Set Piece was fourth in his 5-year-old debut for Brad Cox, finishing fourth over yielding turf in the Feb. 13 Fair Grounds Stakes (G3T) at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots. The Dansili gelding was a stakes winner over the synthetic track at Kempton Park in his native Britain before transitioning to the United States in 2020. He won three of five starts last year, including the two Turfway races, both of which he rallied from 11th to win. In the Prairie Bayou, a sixteenth of a mile shorter than the Kentucky Cup Classic, he pulled away by 3 1/4 lengths. 

Casse has two runners for Gary Barber in the field. Skywire, co-owned with Lucio Tucci, will make his 5-year-old debut in the race. The Afleet Alex  gelding won the Autumn Stakes (G2) last November at Woodbine and will try to rebound from his seventh-place finish in the Prairie Bayou. Casse also has Lookin to Strike, who stretches out after rallying for a close third racing 6 1/2 furlongs in the Jan. 15 Forego Stakes at Turfway.

One-eyed Finnick the Fierce, Visitant, and Super Sol all enter off allowance-level wins at Turfway. Crafty Daddy, Empty Tomb, Lamartine, Plus Que Parfait, Blanket of Roses, and Bama Breeze complete the main body of the field. Cullum Road is also eligible. 

Turfway has also carded the $100,000 Rushaway Stakes for 3-year-olds going 1 1/16 miles on the main track for Saturday. 

Editor in Chief Back for Rushaway

WinStar Farm and China Horse Club's Editor in Chief was entered in the Rushaway after breaking his maiden in his fourth start at a mile March 17 at Turfway. The Curlin  colt trained by Rodolphe Brisset wired the field on his way to a 3 1/2-length victory. He was a $650,000 purchase out of the Bluewater Sales consignment to The Saratoga Sale, Fasig-Tipton's select yearling sale in New York and is out of a half sister to Justwhistledixie, dam of graded stakes winners New Year's Day, Mohaymen , Kingly, and Enforceable.

Augustin Stable's homebred Be Here also returns off a Turfway maiden win. The Ghostzapper  colt trained by Jonathan Thomas won on debut racing a mile March 4 after stalking the pace early. He is out of Informed Decision, the 2009 champion female sprinter. 

Godolphin's Cave Hill and Donegal Racing's Donegal Bay will try for a stakes breakthrough in the Rushaway. Cave Hill finished third and sixth, respectively, in the Dania Beach Stakes and Palm Beach Stakes on the Gulfstream Park turf this season. Donegal Bay was a far back seventh in the Feb. 6 Withers Stakes (G3) at Aqueduct Racetrack following a frontrunning maiden win at Gulfstream. 

Shady McGee will make his U.S. debut after racing at Kempton. Scales of Justice and Extrasexybigdaddee complete the field.