Bucchero to Try Twin Spires Turf Sprint

Less than a week after Beckford won a Churchill Downs stakes sprinting on the turf to prep for a group 1 at Royal Ascot, Bucchero will look to do the same as the veteran is expected to face 10 rivals in the Twin Spires Turf Sprint Stakes presented by Twinspires.com (G3T).

Beckford scored a victory opening night of the meet in the five-furlong William Walker Stakes April 28 and his connections plan to stretch him out to six furlongs against other 3-year-olds at Royal Ascot in the Commonwealth Cup Stakes (G1) June 22.

In his first start of the season Bucchero enters the May 4 Turf Sprint, also at five furlongs but for 3-year-old and older horses, with an eye toward Royal Ascot, where he's entered in both the five-furlong King's Stand Stakes (G1) and the six-furlong Diamond Jubilee Stakes (G1).

Bucchero, owned Ironhorse Racing Stable, finished second in the Shakertown Stakes (G2T) April 7 at Keeneland, his most recent effort.

While the Keeneland effort marked the fourth straight defeat for the 6-year-old son of Kantharos , during that stretch he finished fourth in the Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint (G1T), just one length behind winner Stormy Liberal. Trained by Tim Glyshaw, Indiana-bred Bucchero will be starting at Churchill for just the third time in his career. He earned a stakes-placing there sprinting on the turf in the 2016 Mighty Beau Stakes.

The highweight at 122 pounds in Friday's test will be Vision Perfect, who most recently scored by 4 3/4 lengths in the Silks Run Stakes March 10 at Gulfstream Park. That win, in which Bucchero finished third, marked the first stakes score since 2015 for the 6-year-old son of Pollard's Vision .

Trained by Jason Servis for Mr. Amore Stable, Vision Perfect has won five of 27 starts—including three stakes wins—and has earned $490,784.

Entries: Twin Spires Turf Sprint S. presented by Twinspires.com (G3T)

Churchill Downs, Friday, May 04, 2018, Race 7

• Grade IIIT
• 5f
• Turf
• $200,000
• 3 yo's & up
• 2:00 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	1Delectation (GB)	John R. Velazquez	115	Wesley A. Ward	6/1
2	2Flashaway (KY)	Corey J. Lanerie	120	Mark E. Casse	5/1
3	3Restless Rambler (KY)	James Graham	120	Bernard S. Flint	10/1
4	4Riser (OH)	Aaron T. Gryder	120	Blaine D. Wright	20/1
5	5Latent Revenge (KY)	Joe Bravo	120	Gregory D. Foley	15/1
6	6Kid Perfect (KY)	Florent Geroux	120	Angel O. Montano, Sr.	20/1
7	7Vision Perfect (KY)	Paco Lopez	122	Jason Servis	3/1
8	8Frisky Magician (NY)	Ricardo Santana, Jr.	120	Jorge R. Abreu	15/1
9	9Bucchero (IN)	Fernando De La Cruz	120	Tim Glyshaw	7/2
10	10Will Call (KY)	Shaun Bridgmohan	120	Brad H. Cox	6/1
11	11Sonic Boom (KY)	Julien R. Leparoux	120	Ian R. Wilkes	10/1