King Fury Tops Inaugural Running of Bourbon Trail

Fern Circle Stables and Three Chimneys Farm's King Fury  headlines a field of seven 3-year-olds entered for the Sept. 25 inaugural running of the $275,000 Bourbon Trail Stakes at Churchill Downs.

Run at 1 3/16 miles, the Bourbon Trail is set to go as Race 9 at 4:55 p.m. ET on a Saturday program that also features the $275,000 Dogwood Stakes (G3) and the $275,000 Harrods Creek Stakes.

Winner of the Stonestreet Lexington Stakes (G3) at Keeneland, King Fury has run against some of the nation's top 3-year-old colts this year, including his most-recent fifth behind division leader Essential Quality  in the $1.25 million Runhappy Travers (G1) at Saratoga Race Course. Trained by Kenny McPeek, the son of Curlin   broke his maiden at Churchill on debut and scored a half-length victory in the $98,000 Street Sense Stakes there last fall.

King Fury's 3-year-old campaign includes his 2 3/4-length victory in the $200,000 Lexington and a runner-up finish to Masqueparade  in the $500,000 Ohio Derby (G3). He will be reunited in post 4 with jockey Brian Hernandez Jr., who has been aboard for all three of his victories.

Also entered is Rupp Racing's stakes winner Gagetown . Trained by Brad Cox, the son of Exaggerator   most recently finished third Aug. 28 in the $250,000 St. Louis Derby Sponsored by FanDuel Sportsbook. He won the $50,000 Prairie Mile Stakes in June. Martin Garcia has the call from the rail.

Entries: Bourbon Trail S.

Churchill Downs, Saturday, September 25, 2021, Race 9

• STK
• 1 3/16m
• Dirt
• $275,000
• 3 yo
• 4:55 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	1Gagetown (KY)	Martin Garcia	118	Brad H. Cox	4/1
2	2King's Ovation (KY)	Joseph Talamo	118	Dale L. Romans	15/1
3	3Dr Jack (KY)	Tyler Gaffalione	118	Steven M. Asmussen	4/1
4	4King Fury (KY)	Brian Joseph Hernandez, Jr.	120	Kenneth G. McPeek	6/5
5	5Angkor (KY)	Adam Beschizza	118	Philip A. Bauer	20/1
6	6Bourbon Thunder (KY)	Chris Landeros	118	Ian R. Wilkes	5/1
7	7Sermononthemount (KY)	James Graham	118	Thomas M. Amoss	5/1

Irish Unity Tops Harrods Creek

Clearview Stable's recent $250,000 St. Louis Derby runner-up Irish Unity  tops a competitive field of 10 3-year-old colts and geldings that was entered in Saturday's first running of the $275,000 Harrods Creek Stakes.

The seven-furlong Harrods Creek will go as Race 10 with a post time of 5:26 p.m. 

Irish Unity, conditioned by leading trainer Steve Asmussen, has not finished worse than second in four career starts. The son of Pioneerof the Nile won his first two starts in June at Lone Star Park before shipping to Asmussen's Kentucky string. Irish Unity finished second to Beaver Hat  in a conditioned allowance event at Ellis Park before his runner-up effort to Flash of Mischief  in last month's St. Louis Derby. Hernandez has the mount from post 7.

Wayne Davis' Louisiana-based gelding Emerald Forest  will look to break through in his first Churchill outing. Trained by Shane Wilson, Emerald Forest dominated his two most recent starts by a combined 18 lengths at Evangeline Downs and Louisiana Downs. Louisiana Downs-based Jose Guerrero travels to Kentucky to ride from post 5.

Entries: Harrods Creek S.

Churchill Downs, Saturday, September 25, 2021, Race 10

• STK
• 7f
• Dirt
• $275,000
• 3 yo
• 5:26 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	1Dreamer's Disease (KY)	David Cohen	118	Robertino Diodoro	5/1
2	2Ram (KY)	Rafael Bejarano	118	D. Wayne Lukas	15/1
3	3Bob's Edge (KY)	Adam Beschizza	118	J. Larry Jones	8/1
4	4He'smyhoneybadger (KY)	Martin Garcia	118	Brad H. Cox	6/1
5	5Emerald Forest (KY)	Jose Andres Guerrero	118	Shane Wilson	7/2
6	6Shadow Matter (KY)	Corey J. Lanerie	118	Dallas Stewart	8/1
7	7Irish Unity (KY)	Brian Joseph Hernandez, Jr.	118	Steven M. Asmussen	3/1
8	8Wolfie's Dynaghost (KY)	Tyler Gaffalione	118	Thomas Albertrani	6/1
9	9Flags Up (KY)	James Graham	118	James E. Baker	20/1
10	10Everett's Song (KY)	Pablo Morales	118	Dale Bennett	15/1

Carribean Caper Looks to Streak On

Columbine Stable's undefeated 3-year-old filly Carribean Caper  will attempt to land her fifth consecutive victory Saturday as the likely favorite in the 46th running of the $275,000 Dogwood Stakes.

The seven-furlong Dogwood drew a compact field of seven 3-year-old fillies and was carded as Race 8 with a post time of 4:22 p.m. ET.

Trained by Al Stall Jr., Carribean Caper began her career at Fair Grounds Race Course with a scintillating eight-length score. The daughter of Speightstown   then cruised to a 4 1/2-length first-level allowance victory at Keeneland.

After three months away from the races, Carribean Caper returned in a conditioned allowance event at Ellis Park where she dominated four rivals by 4 1/2 lengths. In her most recent start, the Kentucky-bred defeated Magic Quest  by a length in the $100,000 Runhappy Audubon Oaks at Ellis. Colby Hernandez, who has been aboard Carribean Caper for all four of her lifetime starts, will ride from post 2.

The Dogwood field also includes Joel Politi's Li'l Tootsie  and Let It Ride Stables' Shesa Mystery , both graded stakes -placed contenders. 

Entries: Dogwood S. (G3)

Churchill Downs, Saturday, September 25, 2021, Race 8

• Grade III
• 7f
• Dirt
• $275,000
• 3 yo Fillies
• 4:22 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	1Coppelia (KY)	Martin Garcia	118	Philip A. Bauer	15/1
2	2Carribean Caper (KY)	Colby J. Hernandez	120	Albert M. Stall, Jr.	1/1
3	3Li'l Tootsie (KY)	James Graham	118	Thomas M. Amoss	3/1
4	4Malloy (KY)	Joseph Talamo	118	Wayne M. Catalano	10/1
5	5Shesa Mystery (KY)	Miguel Mena	118	Jeff A. Hiles	10/1
6	6Patty H (KY)	Julien R. Leparoux	118	Michael Miceli	7/2
7	7Someone Said So (KY)	Adam Beschizza	118	Coty W. Rosin	15/1