Oscar Nominated Back to Defend Kentucky Turf Cup Title

The rolling hills of Kentucky Downs figure to be a welcome sight for Oscar Nominated, who aims to win the Calumet Farm Kentucky Turf Cup Stakes (G3) a second straight year and to extend his unbeaten record at the unique course.

Ken and Sarah Ramsey's millionaire runner has two wins in as many starts on the undulating course at Kentucky Downs. Last year, he rallied from seventh to score a narrow victory in the Kentucky Turf Cup. That win followed his 2016 score in the Exacta Systems Dueling Grounds Derby.

Oscar Nominated has dropped his previous three starts, including a sixth-place finish in the June 30 United Nations Stakes (G1T) at Monmouth Park in his most recent start. But in previous runs at Kentucky Downs, recent form has meant little in terms of the son of Kitten's Joy 's chances. He snapped an eight-race losing streak in last year's Kentucky Turf Cup and a four-race skid in the 2016 Dueling Grounds Derby.

While rested from racing in July and August, Oscar Nominated has worked seven times since July 21, including a bullet breeze Aug. 27 on the Churchill Downs Trackside training track, where he completed five furlongs in 1:00 4/5, fastest of 14 at the distance.

The well-traveled Oscar Nominated has raced in 10 states, but in Kentucky he's earned $937,050 of his $1,480,631 in purses. That's 63% of his earnings in a state he's made just 26% of his starts. As the purse of the Kentucky Turf Cup has been increased this year to $750,000, a victory Sept. 8 would be his most lucrative yet.

While Oscar Nominated searches for more riches in the Bluegrass, trainer Mike Maker has entered four other runners: 2017 United Nations winner Bigger Picture, stakes winner Bronson, first-level allowance winner Soglio, and Markitoff, a first-level allowance winner who is on the also-eligible list.

Like Oscar Nominated, Union Rags Racing's Big Bend has a previous stakes win at Kentucky Downs and will look to end a losing streak Saturday. At this time last year, Big Bend delivered some of the top efforts of his career as he capped a three-race win streak with victories in the Dueling Grounds Derby at Kentucky Downs and the Sycamore Stakes (G3T) on the Keeneland turf.

Big Bend has not earned a placing in five races since the Sycamore, but he did post a close fourth in the July 7 Cape Henlopen Stakes at Delaware Park. As his best race since last fall, the 4-year-old son of Belmont Stakes (G1) winner Union Rags  could build on that effort in Saturday's 1 1/2-mile test.

Donegal Racing, Joseph Bulger, and Peter Coneway's Arklow punched his ticket to Saturday's race when he scored a narrow victory in the Kentucky Downs Preview Calumet Farm Turf Cup Stakes Aug. 5 at 1 1/4 miles on the Ellis Park turf. A son of Arch, Arklow won the 2017 American Turf Stakes Presented by Ram Trucks (G2T).

The dozen horses safely in Saturday's field are entered off starts at eight tracks in seven states: Saratoga Race Course, Arlington International Racecourse, Del Mar, Monmouth, Ellis, Churchill Downs, Canterbury Park, and Delaware (New York, Illinois, California, New Jersey, Kentucky, Minnesota, and Delaware).

Entries: Calumet Farm Kentucky Turf Cup S. (G3T)

Kentucky Downs, Saturday, September 08, 2018, Race 10

• Grade IIIT
• 1 1/2m
• Turf
• $750,000
• 3 yo's & up
• 5:59 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	1Bronson (KY)	Ricardo Santana, Jr.	121	Michael J. Maker	30/1
2	2Nessy (KY)	Julien R. Leparoux	123	Ian R. Wilkes	15/1
3	3Manitoulin (KY)	James Graham	121	James J. Toner	6/1
4	4Bigger Picture (KY)	Tyler Gaffalione	123	Michael J. Maker	9/2
5	5Multiplier (KY)	Joel Rosario	121	Peter Miller	5/1
6	6Oscar Nominated (KY)	Jose L. Ortiz	123	Michael J. Maker	7/2
7	7All Right (KY)	Adam Beschizza	121	Kellyn Gorder	30/1
8	8Arklow (KY)	Florent Geroux	123	Brad H. Cox	12/1
9	9Soglio (KY)	Luis Saez	121	Michael J. Maker	12/1
10	10Some in Tieme (BRZ)	Brian Joseph Hernandez, Jr.	121	Kenneth G. McPeek	12/1
11	11My Bariley (KY)	Chris Landeros	123	Anthony J. Granitz	20/1
12	12Big Bend (KY)	Drayden Van Dyke	121	Thomas F. Proctor	10/1
13	13Patterson Cross (KY)	Junior Alvarado	123	William I. Mott	12/1
14	14Markitoff (KY)	Kendrick Carmouche	121	Michael J. Maker	15/1
15	15Twenty Four Seven (KY)	Florent Geroux	121	Roger A. Brueggemann	12/1
16	16Bandua (KY)	Adam Beschizza	118	Dermot K. Weld	8/1