Somelikeithotbrown Cuts Back to a Mile for Mint Million

Somelikeithotbrown  has served up two strong efforts in his last two outings, one of which resulted in a course record, and will next make his Kentucky Downs debut in the $1 million WinStar Mint Million Stakes (G3T) Sept. 6.

The 5-year-old son of Big Brown   is conditioned by Mike Maker, the all-turf track's winningest trainer.

Though Somelikeithotbrown was off the board in his seasonal debut, the April 9 Maker's Mark Mile (G1T) at Keeneland, he rebounded to win the May 15 Dinner Party Stakes (G2T) at Pimlico Race Course, where he completed 1 1/16 miles on the turf in a record time of 1:40.09. The Skychai Racing and Sand Dollar Stable runner was then caught by half a length to finish second after setting the pace in the June 26 Wise Dan Stakes (G2T) run at 1 1/16 miles at Churchill Downs.

"I thought he tried really hard all the way to the wire," Skychai partner Harvey Diamond said of the Wise Dan. "That race was a mile and a sixteenth around two turns. This will be a one-turn race, so we're looking forward to giving it a shot down there. We think he's a really nice horse, and he doesn't owe us a thing. So let's see how he runs at Kentucky Downs. 'Hotbrown' doesn't need to take his track with him. He's won at multiple tracks, and he's good at the distance. So we're looking forward to running him at this European-style course."

The Mint Million will be the third time the New York-bred will have run a mile in what will be his 21st career start. He was third at the distance in the 2018 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf (G1T).

Somelikeithotbrown will only be able to compete for part of the $550,000 base purse, as the other $450,000 from the Kentucky Thoroughbred Development Fund is for Kentucky-bred and -sired horses.

The base is still higher than the $250,000 Albany Stakes that was for New York-breds Aug. 27 at Saratoga Race Course, a race Maker bypassed for the Mint Million. 

"We figured with the difference in the purses, we might as well stay home where he's doing well," Maker said. "He's run on hard ground, yielding ground, and performed well at different places. I do like the one turn for him."

Maker will also saddle Michael Hui and WSS Racing's late-running Monarchs Glen , who won his first North American stakes in the July 7 Jonathan B. Schuster Memorial at Indiana Grand and was second in the Aug. 7 West Virginia House of Delegates Speaker's Cup at Mountaineer Casino Racetrack & Resort.

Juddmonte homebred Flavius , trained by Chad Brown, won this race last year when it was conducted as the Tourist Mile. The 6-year-old War Front   ridgling lost his next four starts, though was second beaten less than a length twice, but came through as the favorite when he wired the Aug. 7 restricted Fasig-Tipton Lure Stakes at Saratoga. Flavius is the 9-5 morning line favorite for the Mint Million.

Hernandez Racing Stable's Betwithbothhands , who won the Aug. 8 KY Downs TVG Preview Mint Million Stakes at Ellis Park, will step back up to graded company Monday. He was fourth in the July 17 Arlington Stakes (G3T) and a June 19 allowance optional claimer at Arlington International Racecourse. Both of those races were won by fellow Mint Million contender Bizzee Channel , who was fifth in the Aug. 14 Mr. D. Stakes (G1T).

Kentucky Ghost  and graded stakes winner Pixelate , who were second and third, respectively, in the July 26 Buckland Stakes at Colonial Downs, Argentello , Renaisance Frolic , Vintage Print , and Mutakatif  complete the field.

Entries: WinStar Mint Million S. (G3T)

Kentucky Downs, Monday, September 06, 2021, Race 10

• Grade IIIT
• 1m
• Turf
• $1,000,000
• 3 yo's & up
• 5:25 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	1Betwithbothhands (KY)	Rocco Bowen	126	Armando Hernandez	30/1
2	2Argentello (IRE)	Brian Joseph Hernandez, Jr.	122	Conor Murphy	30/1
3	3Renaisance Frolic (KY)	Edgard J. Zayas	126	Saffie A. Joseph, Jr.	15/1
4	4Kentucky Ghost (KY)	Rafael Bejarano	122	Victoria H. Oliver	12/1
5	5Monarchs Glen (GB)	Tyler Gaffalione	126	Michael J. Maker	12/1
6	6Pixelate (KY)	Joel Rosario	126	Michael Stidham	10/1
7	7Bizzee Channel (KY)	Florent Geroux	126	Larry Rivelli	8/1
8	8Vintage Print (KY)	Adam Beschizza	122	Paulo H. Lobo	10/1
9	9Somelikeithotbrown (NY)	Jose L. Ortiz	126	Michael J. Maker	5/2
10	10Mutakatif (IRE)	Mitchell Murrill	122	Sherman S. Mitchell	30/1
11	11Flavius (KY)	Javier Castellano	126	Chad C. Brown	9/5