Golden Soul in Allowance at Kentucky Downs
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Golden Soul, who finished second in the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I), comes to Kentucky Downs Sept. 18, where he tops a full field of 14 in the featured race.
The first-level allowance tilt will be run as the 11th of 13 races at 1 1/2 miles on turf. The program was expanded to give horsemen more racing opportunities after a lightning storm forced the cancellation of six races Sept. 11. To accommodate the longer program, post time for the first race Wednesday has been moved to 12:35 p.m. CT.
When last seen in Kentucky, Golden Soul was charging through the stretch at Churchill Downs to finish 2 1/2 lengths behind Orb in the first event of the famed Triple Crown series. A winner of $532,400 in his career for owner/breeder Charles Fipke, Golden Soul most recently finished eighth in the Travers Stakes (gr. I) at Saratoga.
Wednesday, he'll make his first start on turf, where his sire, Perfect Soul , won multiple stakes including the Shadwell Keeneland Turf Mile (gr. IT), and earned more than $1.5 million.
"We worked him on the turf once at Churchill Downs, and he seemed to like it," said Golden Soul's trainer, Dallas Stewart, about the handsome chestnut colt who also ran fourth in the Louisiana Derby (gr. II). "So when we saw this race, with a purse of $94,000, we thought it looked like the perfect spot. I think he'll like the course and the distance. And he's doing great."
Robby Albarado has the mount on Golden Soul. Also among those entered are Eriugena and Posse Attack, recent winners at Saratoga Race Course, and Gun Point, a two-time winner who finished fifth in the Jersey Derby and will be ridden by Rosie Napravnik.
Unique for North America, Kentucky Downs offers only turf racing, with an undulating 1 5/16-mile course.