Mott Trainees South Bend, Penalty in Divisions of TVG

A $400,000 purse alone often makes a stakes race popular—apparently, even more so when a favorable condition is in the mix.

Evidence in point: The Sept. 8, $400,000 TVG Stakes at Kentucky Downs, which was split into two divisions. The stakes events, limited to 3-year-olds and upward that have not won a sweepstakes in 2021, collectively drew 21 runners. Ten are in the first division, called the TVG2, 11 in the second division, the TVG.

Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott has horses in both heats, which will be contested at a mile and 70 yards on turf, the only surface at Kentucky Downs.

South Bend  is an 8-1 shot on the morning line in the first division, where Three Diamonds Farm's Forty Under , trained by Mike Maker, is the 5-2 favorite. A 4-year-old Algorithms  colt, South Bend will make his second-straight start on turf for the partnership of Gary Barber, Wachtel Stable, Peter Deutsch, and Pantofel Stable. He was sixth in the Lure Stakes Aug. 7 at Saratoga Race Course and has since turned in a pair of bullet works.

"The group voted that they wanted to try that," Mott said. "He's run well on the turf, but he's never won a race on the turf."

Joel Rosario will ride South Bend, while Jose Ortiz has the mount on Adele Dilschneider's Penalty  in the second division for Mott. Penalty is at 4-1 odds as one of the favorites behind Bloom Racing Stable's Kentucky Downs-loving Snapper Sinclair , who is 5-2.

A 6-year-old son of Dilschneider's 2010 Breeders' Cup Classic (G1) winner and champion older male Blame  , Penalty starts from post 10. In his most recent start, he was sixth in the one-mile Poker Stakes (G3T) June 20 at Belmont Park.  

"He's run good at seven-eighths and a mile and this is restricted to horses that haven't won a stakes this year. So he's eligible," Mott said. "The conditions, the distance, and the purse money all come into play."

Entries: TVG2 S.

Kentucky Downs, Wednesday, September 08, 2021, Race 8

• STK
• 1m 70y
• Turf
• $400,000
• 3 yo's & up
• 4:15 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	1Sole Volante (KY)	Florent Geroux	122	Patrick L. Biancone	30/1
2	2Brown Storm (CHI)	Hector Berrios	122	Amador Merei Sanchez	12/1
3	3Beat Le Bon (FR)	Jose L. Ortiz	122	Ignacio Correas, IV	10/1
4	4Kentucky Ghost (KY)	Rafael Bejarano	122	Victoria H. Oliver	8/1
5	5In Love (BRZ)	Alex Achard	122	Paulo H. Lobo	10/1
6	6Tut's Revenge (KY)	David Cabrera	122	Shea Stuart	12/1
7	7South Bend (KY)	Joel Rosario	122	William I. Mott	8/1
8	8Street Ready (KY)	Chris Landeros	122	Ian R. Wilkes	8/1
9	9Forty Under (KY)	Tyler Gaffalione	124	Michael J. Maker	5/2
10	10Hierarchy (KY)	Luis Saez	122	Joe Sharp	10/1

Entries: TVG S.

Kentucky Downs, Wednesday, September 08, 2021, Race 9

• STK
• 1m 70y
• Turf
• $400,000
• 3 yo's & up
• 4:50 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	1Strong Tide (IN)	Florent Geroux	122	Michael E. Lauer	20/1
2	2Mr Dumas (KY)	Ricardo Santana, Jr.	122	John Alexander Ortiz	15/1
3	3Split the Wickets (KY)	Rafael Bejarano	122	Thomas L. Van Berg	20/1
4	4Eron Do Jaguarete (BRZ)	Luan Machado	122	Paulo H. Lobo	30/1
5	5Hemp Hemp Hurray (ON)	Brian Joseph Hernandez, Jr.	122	Robert C. Cline	20/1
6	6Necker Island (KY)	Mitchell Murrill	122	Chris A. Hartman	12/1
7	7Majestic Eagle (KY)	Joel Rosario	122	Neil D. Drysdale	5/1
8	8Snapper Sinclair (KY)	Julien R. Leparoux	122	Steven M. Asmussen	5/2
9	9Bob and Jackie (KY)	John R. Velazquez	122	Richard Baltas	6/1
10	10Penalty (KY)	Jose L. Ortiz	122	William I. Mott	4/1
11	11Midnight Tea Time (KY)	Luis Saez	122	Joe Sharp	8/1