Big Churchill Card Serves up Some Stakes of Interest

In the biggest day of racing at Churchill Downs since the first Saturday in May, there are six $150,000 stakes to be run in the shadows of the twin spires May 29, Saturday of Memorial Day weekend, along with a $110,000 overnight stake.

Heading the program are the Regret (G3T) for 3-year-old grass fillies and the Matt Winn (G3) for 3-year-old males. Also of note is the Shawnee Stakes, which features a rematch between Envoutante  and Paris Lights , 4-year-old fillies who were major stakes winners in 2020.

There is a graded stakes tripleheader at Santa Anita Park, although enthusiasm was somewhat dampened when the Daytona (G3T), Charles Whittingham (G2T) and Triple Bend (G2) attracted a total of 14 runners.

The day's only other graded event is the Pennine Ridge (G2T) at Belmont Park, a prelude to New York's Turf Triple Series that begins with the $1 million Belmont Derby Invitational (G1T) July 10.

We have four potential plays listed in chronological order, all times Eastern.

Regret (CD, race 8, 4:22): An evenly matched field of nine will go 1 1/8 miles on a turf course that will likely be in a drying-out state after anticipated rain Friday. 

Spanish Loveaffair  (4) and Barista  (5) have both won on "good" ground.

Spanish Loveaffair was disqualified from first and placed fourth in the Herecomesthebride Stakes (G3T) first time out this year. She looks to rebound after steadying after the start and giving futile chase to Jouster , who waltzed around the Keeneland course on an easy lead in the Appalachian Stakes Presented By Japan Racing Association (G2T).

Barista has run four times on turf, earning progressively faster speed figures, capped by a new top for a second-place finish in the $300,000 Edgewood Stakes Presented by Newport Racing & Gaming (G2T).

Oyster Box  (1), third in the Florida Oaks (G3T) two back, and Saranya  (9), fourth in the Appalachian, are entered off bullet workouts that suggest rebound potential.

A - 4, 5

B - 1, 9

Matt Winn (CD, race 9, 4:55): O Besos  (3) is a slight choice over Helium  (2) after they respectively crossed the wire fifth and eighth in the Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve (G1) four weeks ago.

Fulsome  (5) also ran May 1, winning the $300,000 Oaklawn Stakes for his second victory in as many starts on dirt. The Juddmonte Farms homebred by Into Mischief   has worked twice on the main track at Churchill for Brad Cox since then. It's worth mentioning that Fulsome's dam, Flourish , notched her lone dirt win on this surface.

A - 5

B - 2, 3

Pennine Ridge (Bel, race 9, 5:12): Weather may also be a factor here, as rain Friday was expected to linger into Saturday morning.

Hard Love  (4) and Safe Conduct  (8) each ran well in their only attempts on non-firm turf, the former finishing second in the Central Park Stakes last fall at Aqueduct Racetrack and the latter posting a front-end maiden score at Saratoga Race Course.

Hard Love is from the connections of Catholic Boy  , whose win in the 2018 Pennine Ridge preceded victories in the Belmont Derby and Travers (G1) for trainer Joanthan Thomas.

The B team consists of Shaftesbury  (3) and Sainthood  (5), both saddled by Todd Pletcher; and Public Sector (7), runner-up in the Pilgrim Stakes (G2T) on this course for Chad Brown last fall.

Sainthood finished off the board in the Kentucky Derby, and now makes his initial start on grass with some appealing bloodlines. His sire, the classy and versatile Mshawish  , won grade 1 stakes on turf and dirt for Pletcher; second dam Bright Gold was a multiple stakes winner sprinting on grass.

A - 4, 8

B - 3, 5, 7

Triple Bend (SA, race 8, 7:52): The quintet signed on for this seven-furlong sprint includes Magic On Tap  (4) and Eight Rings  (5) from the barn of Bob Baffert; along with Exaulted  (1) and Shooters Shoot  (3) for trainer Peter Eurton.

Those four figure to be chasing Lambeau  (2), who has posted all of his wins in front-running style for John Shirreffs, but makes his first start in a one-turn race and first at less than one mile.

Eight Rings  won the American Pharoah (G1) at 2, but had a forgettable sophomore campaign finishing off the board in his only two appearances. However, Baffert-trained Cezanne recently returned from a similar layoff and romped in the 6 1/2-furlong Kona Gold Stakes by nearly 10 lengths at odds of 9-5. With the trainer-pattern match and many handicappers understandably suffering from Baffert Fatigue, perhaps we can get a halfway decent price on Eight Rings, who projects to track Lambeau from outside under leading rider Flavien Prat.

Shooters Shoot, formerly a speed horse, offers intrigue after a change-of-pace win from dead last when cut back to this distance. He previously has shown the ability to win back-to-back starts.

A - 5

B - 2, 3