Restoring Hope Targets Pat Day Mile

With a record of 1-1-2 in four starts, Gary and Mary West's Kentucky-bred Restoring Hope is unaccustomed to finishing off the board. Faced with the largest field he's ever encountered, the son of the late Giant's Causeway will try his luck for the first time in Kentucky when he takes to the Churchill Downs track for the May 5 $300,000 Pat Day Mile Stakes presented by LG and E and KU (G3). 

Trained by Hall of Famer Bob Baffert, the 3-year-old colt may have never made the trip to the Bluegrass, but he's certainly no stranger to steep competition.

In a complicated game of bait-and-switch preps that led fellow Baffert trainees Justify to the Santa Anita Derby (G1) and Solomini to the Arkansas Derby (G1), Restoring Hope suddenly found himself in an interesting spot; specifically post 8 in the Wood Memorial Stakes Presented by NYRA Bets (G2). 

In his only out against graded company, Restoring Hope ran third to not one, but two Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve (G1) hopefuls, Vino Rosso and Enticed, finishing a respectable 5 1/4 lengths behind. 

On Saturday as part of the undercard of the Kentucky Derby, the 9/2 morning line favorite will make his third start of the season in the Pat Day Mile Stakes against a field of 11. Breaking from post 12, Hall of Fame jockey Mike Smith—who did not ride Restoring Hope in the Wood Memorial—will take the mount. 

Fresh from an impressive four-length win in the April 7 Bay Shore Stakes (G3) at Aqueduct Racetrack, Todd Pletcher-trained stakes winner National Flag will break from the rail with morning line odds of 4-1. 

Owned by WinStar Farm, China Horse Club, and SF Racing, the Speightstown  colt will be looking to claim his second career graded stakes victory and third straight win of his 2018 campaign.  Flavien Prat—who rode National Flag to victory in the Bay Shore Stakes—will have ride.