Warrior Johny to Battle Saint Tapit in Bourbon Trail

Rigney Racing's Warrior Johny , an eye-catching 8 1/2-length allowance winner one month ago at Saratoga Race Course, will test stakes company for the first time in the $275,000 Bourbon Trail Stakes Sept. 24 at Churchill Downs.

Warrior Johny demolished a field of seven in a first-level allowance at Saratoga. The Phil Bauer-trained son of Cairo Prince   broke his maiden by 12 3/4 lengths June 18 at Churchill Downs.

Two weeks later, Warrior Johny returned in a first-level allowance beneath the Twin Spires and closed from 13 lengths off the early pace to finish just two lengths behind fellow Bourbon Trail rival Gilded Age .

"This is a horse that will get better with age," Bauer said. "It shows in his past performances that when he was a 2-year-old we couldn't get him to work (a half-mile in) :50. He just started getting better and better over the winter and is as honest as they come as far as numbers are concerned."

Jockey Joe Talamo will have the mount Saturday night.

"You've got to hand it to Phil. He's been doing so well—from us going 6-for-13 at Saratoga and the owner's title at Churchill Downs—our team is so great," owner Richard Rigney said.

Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher entered Saint Tapit  in the Bourbon Trail to try two turns for the first time. Owned and bred by Mandy Pope's Whisper Hill Farm, Saint Tapit is out of 2011 Horse of the Year Havre de Grace .

The regally bred son of Tapit   began his career June 26 at Belmont Park with a convincing four-length victory in a maiden special weight contest. Six weeks later, Saint Tapit scored a 1 1/2-length first-level allowance win at Saratoga.

Tyler Gaffalione rides.

Completing the field are Maximum Impact , Home Brew , War Campaign , Ethereal Road , Creative Minister , and Big Blue Line .

Gunite Vies for Victory in Harrods Creek Stakes

Early on the evening card at Churchill Downs, Winchell Thoroughbreds' grade 1-winning sprinter Gunite  will meet Patricia's Hope and Mark Farrar's speedy Conagher  for the third time as the headliners in the second running of the $275,000 Harrods Creek Stakes at Churchill Downs.

Trained by Hall of Famer Steve Asmussen, Gunite was defeated 1 1/4 lengths by one of the nation's best 3-year-olds, Jack Christopher , in the $500,000 H. Allen Jerkens Memorial Stakes (G1). Prior to that start, the son of Gun Runner   narrowly defeated Accretive  in the $200,000 Amsterdam Stakes (G2) and My Prankster  in the $160,000 Maxfield Overnight Stakes.

Last season, Gunite stormed home to a 5 3/4-length romp in the $300,000 Hopeful Stakes (G1). Gunite has only finished outside the top three once when he was a disappointing fifth in the $500,000 Champagne Stakes (G1).

Gaffalione is aboard.

Conagher faced Gunite last out in the Jerkens where he scampered to an early two-length lead from the rail but faded to fourth in deep stretch. The Mike Tomlinson-trained son of Jimmy Creed   defeated Gunite four starts ago at Churchill Downs when he scorched seven furlongs in 1:20.62.

Tomlinson tested Conagher at two turns following his aforementioned victory against Gunite but he tired late to finish second in the $300,000 Iowa Derby. Following the Iowa Derby, Conagher returned to sprinting and found the winner's circle in the $101,000 Housebuster Overnight Handicap at Colonial Downs.

Jockey Joe Rocco Jr. has been the regular pilot for Conagher for eight of his 10 starts and has the call.

Other entries include Friar Laurence , Double Thunder , Hippodrome , Editorial Comment , and Strava .

Entries: Bourbon Trail S.

Churchill Downs, Saturday, September 24, 2022, Race 10

• STK
• 1 3/16m
• Dirt
• $275,000
• 3 yo
• 10:42 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	1Maximum Impact (KY)	Rafael Bejarano	118	Norman L. Cash	30/1
2	2Home Brew (KY)	Ricardo Santana, Jr.	118	Brad H. Cox	5/2
3	3Saint Tapit (KY)	Tyler Gaffalione	118	Todd A. Pletcher	9/2
4	4Warrior Johny (KY)	Joseph Talamo	118	Philip A. Bauer	3/1
5	5War Campaign (KY)	Corey J. Lanerie	118	Philip A. Sims	15/1
6	6Ethereal Road (KY)	Mitchell Murrill	118	D. Wayne Lukas	12/1
7	7Gilded Age (KY)	Junior Alvarado	118	William I. Mott	7/2
8	8Creative Minister (KY)	Brian Joseph Hernandez, Jr.	118	Kenneth G. McPeek	9/2
9	9Big Blue Line (MD)	Martin Garcia	118	Paul J. McGee	20/1

Entries: Harrods Creek S.

Churchill Downs, Saturday, September 24, 2022, Race 8

• STK
• 7f
• Dirt
• $275,000
• 3 yo
• 9:39 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	1Friar Laurence (KY)	Mickaelle Michel	118	Ben Colebrook	20/1
2	2Double Thunder (KY)	Javier Castellano	118	Todd A. Pletcher	12/1
3	3Hippodrome (KY)	Jon Kenton Court	118	Norman L. Cash	30/1
4	4Conagher (KY)	Joseph Rocco, Jr.	118	Michael A. Tomlinson	6/5
5	5Editorial Comment (ARG)	Julien R. Leparoux	122	Kenneth G. McPeek	20/1
6	6Strava (KY)	Brian Joseph Hernandez, Jr.	118	Dallas Stewart	6/1
7	7Gunite (KY)	Tyler Gaffalione	122	Steven M. Asmussen	1/1