Sir Dudley Digges Set for Churchill Debut

After a break that followed starts in all three Canadian Triple Crown races, Queen's Plate Stakes winner Sir Dudley Digges is scheduled to make his racing return Nov. 12 in the Commonwealth Turf Stakes (gr. IIIT) at Churchill Downs.

Ken and Sarah Ramsey's Sir Dudley Digges hasn't raced since finishing second to Camp Creek in the Breeders' Stakes Aug. 21 at Woodbine. That 1 1/2-mile turf race closed out the Canadian Triple Crown season where Sir Dudley Digges won the Queen's Plate on the synthetic surface at Woodbine and finished off the board in the Prince of Wales Stakes on the dirt at Fort Erie Racetrack.

Trained by Mike Maker, the son of Gio Ponti   will be making his Churchill debut against an expected 10 other 3-year-olds in Saturday's 1 1/16-mile turf test. Since Oct. 16, Sir Dudley Digges has completed four works on the Churchill Downs training track, including a five-furlong move in 1:01 4/5 on Nov. 6. From six career turf starts, Sir Dudley Digges has a record of 1-3-1, with that win coming in a maiden race in April at Keeneland.

The 3-1 morning-line favorite for the Commonwealth is L.T.B. Inc. and Hillerich Racing's One Mean Man, a son of Mizzen Mast   who has won four of his past five races including wins in the American Derby (gr. IIIT) July 9 on the Arlington International Race Course turf, the Mystic Lake Derby Aug. 27 on the Canterbury Park turf, and the Jefferson Cup Oct. 1 at Churchill, which was moved from the turf to the wet-fast main track.