Stitched, Alms Favored at Kentucky Downs Meet Finale

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Stitched, Alms Favored at Kentucky Downs Meet Finale
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Photo: Coady Photography
Stitched wins the Mystic Lake Derby at Canterbury Park

Kentucky Downs looks to close out its meet Sept. 14 with some serious purses that have drawn solid entries.

Stitched , the 7-2 favorite in the $400,000 Pepsi Gun Runner Stakes, wheels back after a fifth-place showing in his first graded stakes. He finished 6 3/4 lengths back in the Sept. 10 Franklin-Simpson Stakes (G2T) Saturday at Kentucky Downs but prior to that start, the son of Mizzen Mast  won five of his last seven, including the June 22 Mystic Lake Derby at Canterbury Park. The Greg Foley trainee races for Nathan McCauley, Michael W. Olszewski, and William J. Minton.

Among his challengers in the mile race will be American Mayhem , who comes in at 4-1 on the morning line. He's taken his last two outings—an allowance and a maiden special weight—both at Ellis Park. 

Tyler Gaffalione will be aboard Fuerteventura  (9-2) with a chance to take the Kentucky Downs riding title for the second time in three years. Fuerteventura comes in off a pair of grade 3 efforts: the Marine Stakes (G3T) at Woodbine, where he finished sixth, and a second in the Saranac Stakes (G3T) at Saratoga Race Course. 

Rounding out the field are Fort Washington  (5-1), Be Better (6-1), Castle Leoch  (6-1), Camp David  (8-1), Play Action Pass  (10-1), Ice Blast  (12-1), St. Anthony (12-1), Wicked Fast  (15-1), Credibility  (20-1), Dowagiac Chief  (20-1), and Rome  (30-1).

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Meanwhile, Alms  comes into the $400,000 Pepsi One Dreamer looking to end a long winless streak. The race at a mile and 70 yards is for fillies and mares 3 and up who have not won a stakes in 2022. The 7-2 choice on the morning line, Alms hasn't won since the 2020 Shantel Lanerie Memorial Overnight Stakes.

Despite her extended slump, the Godolphin homebred has added some respectable outings to her resume this year. She lost by 2 1/2 lengths to Regal Glory in the TAA Pegasus World Cup Filly and Mare Turf Invitational Stakes presented by Pepsi (G3T). In that race, she led for the first half-mile before being overtaken and finishing second for trainer Michael Stidham. 

Rocking Redhead  (9-2) is coming off a fifth-place showing in her graded stakes debut, the Aug. 13 Yellow Ribbon Handicap (G2T) at Del Mar. Navratilova  (5-1) has raced in graded stakes three of her last times out, including the Jenny Wiley Stakes (G1T) at Keeneland, where she was fifth. Another entrant with grade 1 experience is Burning Ambition  (6-1). The Pepsi One Dreamer is her 2022 debut. She last ran third in the Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup Stakes presented by Dixiana (G1T)

Completing the field are Poca Mucha  (8-1), Petricor  (10-1), Curly Ruth  (12-1), Justify My Love  (12-1), Caroline's Story  (15-1), Sunny One  (20-1), Tightly Twisted  (20-1), and Ylikedis  (20-1). Also Eligible is Gogo Shoes  (12-1).

The biggest purse of the meet's final day is the $500,000 Kentucky Downs Juvenile Mile Stakes. In that race, favored Really Good  (5-2) hopes to live up to his name for trainer Mike Maker. The son of Hard Spun   broke his maiden at first asking in Saratoga Race Course in July and aims to go 2-for-2 for Paradise Farms, David Staudacher, and Jason Ash.

He will face stiff competition from Mayfield Strong  (4-1), who is coming off a win in his second start. Castleknock  (9-2) broke his maiden on his third try and comes east after his three career starts have all come in California. Reckoning Force  (5-1) is looking for his first win in his fourth start. 

Bourbon Therapy  (6-1), Laver  (8-1), Deer District  (10-1), Mikey Bananas  (12-1), King Ice  (30-1), and Steele Money  (30-1) round out the field. 


Entries: Pepsi Gun Runner S.

Kentucky Downs, Wednesday, September 14, 2022, Race 10

  • STK
  • 1m
  • Turf
  • $400,000
  • 3 yo
  • 5:31 PM (local)
PP Horse Jockey Wgt Trainer M/L
1 1Credibility (KY)Keeneland Sales Graduate Brian Joseph Hernandez, Jr. 118 Mark E. Casse 20/1
2 2Dowagiac Chief (KY)Keeneland Sales Graduate Edgar Morales 122 Thomas M. Amoss 20/1
3 3Rome (KY)Keeneland Sales Graduate Francisco Arrieta 118 Schuyler Condon 30/1
4 4Play Action Pass (KY) Jose Lezcano 120 Robert Medina 10/1
5 5Castle Leoch (KY)Keeneland Sales Graduate Irad Ortiz, Jr. 118 Wesley A. Ward 6/1
6 6Fuerteventura (KY)Keeneland Sales Graduate Tyler Gaffalione 122 Jonathan Thomas 9/2
7 7Stitched (KY)Keeneland Sales Graduate Florent Geroux 122 Gregory D. Foley 7/2
8 8St Anthony (KY) Gerardo Corrales 122 Neil D. Drysdale 12/1
9 9Fort Washington (KY) Joel Rosario 122 Claude R. McGaughey III 5/1
10 10Ice Blast (KY) Vincent Cheminaud 118 Steven M. Asmussen 12/1
11 11Wicked Fast (KY) James Graham 118 Joe Sharp 15/1
12 12American Mayhem (KY)Keeneland Sales Graduate Gabriel Saez 118 James P. DiVito 4/1
13 13Camp David (KY)Keeneland Sales Graduate Tyler Gaffalione 118 Michael J. Maker 8/1
14 14Be Better (KY) Paco Lopez 118 Todd A. Pletcher 6/1


Entries: Pepsi One Dreamer S.

Kentucky Downs, Wednesday, September 14, 2022, Race 11

  • STK
  • 1m 70y
  • Turf
  • $400,000
  • 3 yo's & up Fillies and Mares
  • 6:05 PM (local)
PP Horse Jockey Wgt Trainer M/L
1 1Tightly Twisted (KY)Keeneland Sales Graduate Joseph Rocco, Jr. 122 Juanita Bennett 20/1
2 2Burning Ambition (KY) Florent Geroux 122 Brad H. Cox 6/1
3 3Rocking Redhead (KY)Keeneland Sales Graduate Joe Bravo 122 George Papaprodromou 9/2
4 4Sunny One (KY) Julien R. Leparoux 122 Conor Murphy 20/1
5 5Ylikedis (KY) Vincent Cheminaud 124 Ignacio Correas, IV 20/1
6 6Curly Ruth (KY)Keeneland Sales Graduate Rafael Bejarano 122 Eddie Kenneally 12/1
7 7Alms (KY) Jose L. Ortiz 122 Michael Stidham 7/2
8 8Navratilova (KY) Martin Garcia 122 George R. Arnold, II 5/1
9 9Caroline's Story (KY)Keeneland Sales Graduate Adam Beschizza 122 Christopher Davis 15/1
10 10Poca Mucha (KY)Keeneland Sales Graduate Joel Rosario 124 William I. Mott 8/1
11 11Petricor (GB) Tyler Gaffalione 122 William I. Mott 10/1
12 12Justify My Love (BRZ) Joseph Talamo 122 Paulo H. Lobo 12/1
13 13Gogo Shoes (KY)Keeneland Sales Graduate Irad Ortiz, Jr. 122 Michael J. Maker 12/1


Entries: Kentucky Downs Juvenile Mile S.

Kentucky Downs, Wednesday, September 14, 2022, Race 9

  • STK
  • 1m
  • Turf
  • $500,000
  • 2 yo
  • 4:57 PM (local)
PP Horse Jockey Wgt Trainer M/L
1 1Mayfield Strong (KY) Corey J. Lanerie 120 Kenneth G. McPeek 4/1
2 2Really Good (KY)Keeneland Sales Graduate Tyler Gaffalione 120 Michael J. Maker 5/2
3 3Deer District (KY)Keeneland Sales Graduate Martin Garcia 120 Dale L. Romans 10/1
4 4King Ice (IN) James Graham 118 George Leonard, III 30/1
5 5Castleknock (KY)Keeneland Sales Graduate Gerardo Corrales 120 Peter Miller 9/2
6 6Bourbon Therapy (KY) Ricardo Santana, Jr. 118 Michael J. Maker 6/1
7 7Steele Money (KY)Keeneland Sales Graduate Adam Beschizza 118 Hutch Holsapple 30/1
8 8Reckoning Force (KY) Joel Rosario 118 Joseph Patrick O'Brien 5/1
9 9Laver (KY) Chris Landeros 118 George R. Arnold, II 8/1
10 10Mikey Bananas (KY)Keeneland Sales Graduate Irad Ortiz, Jr. 118 Timothy E. Hamm 12/1