Helium Tries Turf in War Chant, Fillies Race in Tepin

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Helium Tries Turf in War Chant, Fillies Race in Tepin
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Photo: Anne M. Eberhardt
Helium trains at Churchill Downs April 26 prior to the May 1 Kentucky Derby

Though the closing-day June 26 card at Churchill Downs lacks a dirt stakes race for 3-year-olds, one participant from the Kentucky Derby Presented Woodford Reserve (G1), D. J. Stable's Helium , is still in stakes action.

The Lambholm South Tampa Bay Derby (G2) winner races on turf for the first time in the $150,000 War Chant Stakes, one of two stakes for 3-year-olds on the grass Saturday at Churchill. The other such stakes race, the $150,000 Tepin Stakes, is a turf contest for sophomore fillies.

The one-mile War Chant for 3-year-olds is slated as the seventh race with a post time of 3:50 p.m. ET, while the Tepin, also at a mile, goes as the nightcap on a 12-race program at 6:27 p.m.

Trained by Mark Casse, Helium finished eighth in the $3 million Kentucky Derby, a race he followed with a third in the Matt Winn Stakes (G3), also on dirt. Prior to his 3-year-old season, he won twice on Woodbine's synthetic Tapeta surface, a maiden race and the Display Stakes.

Video: Matt Winn S. (G3)



He is bred for grass, being by multiple turf graded stakes winner Ironicus   and out of the Thunder Gulch mare Thundering Emilia , a stakes winner on turf and a producer of winners on that surface. Helium's half sister Mighty Scarlett  (Scat Daddy) ran third in the 2018 Wonder Again Stakes (G3T) on grass.

Leading rider Tyler Gaffalione rides Helium from post No. 7.

Already a stakes winner on turf is Steve Landers Racing's Royal Prince . Trained by Brad Cox, the Cairo Prince   colt finished third in his last start in the May 29 Audubon Stakes at Churchill. Jockey Florent Geroux has the mount from post 5.

Other leading contenders include Accredit , Starrininmydreams , Dyn O Mite , and Next .

Later on the card, Cox tests Godolphin's homebred Adventuring  on grass in the Tepin following a poor showing on dirt when eighth and eased in the George E. Mitchell Black-Eyed Susan Stakes (G2) at Pimlico Race Course May 14. Previously, she won the Bourbonette Oaks on synthetic at Turfway Park, one of two victories she has from five starts

The daughter of Pioneerof the Nile  is out of the Hard Spun   mare Questing , North America's champion 3-year-old fillly of 2012. Questing won overseas on turf prior to her dirt success in the U.S. She produced Romantic Pursuit  (Medaglia d'Oro  ), a dual winner on turf and twice graded-placed on the surface.

Hall of Fame jockey John Velazquez, in town from New York to ride the Saturday card at Churchill Downs, is aboard Adventuring.

A number of fillies stretch out from recent starts in grass sprints in the Tepin, including Invincible Gal  and Tobys Heart , who were second and fifth, respectively, in the seven-furlong Soaring Softly Stakes at Belmont Park May 15. The Graham Motion-trained Invincible Gal races for Mike Ryan, Jeff Drown, and Team Hanley. She also has also been runner-up twice going 8 1/2 furlongs on grass. Brian Lynch trains Tobys Heart for the partnership of Terry Hamilton, Lynch, and Gary Barber, who is a two-time stakes winner in turf sprints and sheds blinkers on the stretch out.


Entries: War Chant S.

Churchill Downs, Saturday, June 26, 2021, Race 7

  • STK
  • 1m
  • Turf
  • $150,000
  • 3 yo
  • 3:50 PM (local)
PP Horse Jockey Wgt Trainer M/L
1 Accredit (KY)Keeneland Sales Graduate Sophie Doyle 118 Pavel Matejka -
2 Starrininmydreams (KY) Jose L. Ortiz 118 Dallas Stewart -
3 In Effect (KY) Adam Beschizza 118 Jack Sisterson -
4 Dyn O Mite (KY) Brian Joseph Hernandez, Jr. 118 J. Keith Desormeaux -
5 Royal Prince (KY)Keeneland Sales Graduate Florent Geroux 118 Brad H. Cox -
6 El Kabong (KY)Keeneland Sales Graduate James Graham 118 George R. Arnold, II -
7 Helium (KY) Tyler Gaffalione 118 Mark E. Casse -
8 Next (KY) John R. Velazquez 118 Wesley A. Ward -


Entries: Tepin S.

Churchill Downs, Saturday, June 26, 2021, Race 12

  • STK
  • 1m
  • Turf
  • $150,000
  • 3 yo Fillies
  • 6:27 PM (local)
PP Horse Jockey Wgt Trainer M/L
1 Invincible Gal (GB) Jose L. Ortiz 118 H. Graham Motion -
2 Sylvia Q (KY)Keeneland Sales Graduate Ricardo Santana, Jr. 118 Philip A. Bauer -
3 Fairchild (KY) Gabriel Saez 118 Mark E. Casse -
4 Town Avenger (KY)Keeneland Sales Graduate Drayden Van Dyke 118 Brian A. Lynch -
5 Navratilova (KY) Brian Joseph Hernandez, Jr. 118 George R. Arnold, II -
6 Bullseye Beauty (KY)Keeneland Sales Graduate Julie Burke 118 Andrew McKeever -
7 Adventuring (KY) John R. Velazquez 118 Brad H. Cox -
8 Tobys Heart (KY) Javier Castellano 118 Brian A. Lynch -
9 Malloy (KY)Keeneland Sales Graduate Joseph Talamo 118 Wayne M. Catalano -
10 New Boss (KY)Keeneland Sales Graduate Adam Beschizza 118 W. Bret Calhoun -
11 Commanders Palace (KY)Keeneland Sales Graduate Florent Geroux 118 Mark E. Casse -
12 Barista (KY)Keeneland Sales Graduate James Graham 118 James E. Baker -
13 Arm Candy (KY) Tyler Gaffalione 118 Steven M. Asmussen -