Proforma Makes Grade in Kentucky Downs Turf Sprint

When jockey Joe Bravo perfectly timed a long drive by Proforma to help the Munnings  gelding to his first graded stakes win Sept. 8 in the $500,000 Kentucky Downs Turf Sprint Stakes Presented by Coca-Cola (G3T), it backed the advice the New Jersey-based rider gave the connections about a year ago.

Campaigned by David A. Ross' DAARS, Proforma won a pair of black-type stakes on the dirt at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots and Monmouth Park, but after Bravo guided him to a third-place finish in the Allied Forces Stakes Sept. 10, 2017, on the inner turf at Belmont Park, the veteran jockey advised trainer Michael Stidham that the gelding was better on grass.

Proforma entered the 6 1/2-furlong Kentucky Downs Turf Sprint off a third-place finish in the Wolf Hill Stakes at 5 1/2 furlongs on the Monmouth turf. Stidham also liked stretching out a bit from that effort.

"Bravo was the one who told us, "Man, I think this horse is going to be better on the grass,'" Stidham said. "At 5 1/2 furlongs, he was running good but not quite far enough, and I think the mile is stretching it a little bit. When we saw the 6 1/2, with that kind of purse, we had to try it."

In Saturday's race, Bravo confidently asked Proforma late in the turn, and he surged past four rivals, edging White Flag by a head. Proforma set a course record in 1:15.72—the third time that record fell Saturday.

James Bredin, racing manager for DAARS, said Proforma always showed intelligence on the track.

"He's a really cool horse," Bredin said. "He's always showed up; he has a great demeanor. He turned him loose from the pony. He just really tries. He's a fabulous horse to be around."

Though Proforma made his debut at the hilly Kentucky Downs, Bredin said the gelding, bred in Kentucky by Reggie and Tim Beeson, likely benefited from his training base.

"He's been training at Fair Hill in Maryland where they have a couple of regular tracks and they can take him up and down the hills behind the barns," Bredin said. "I think that was a great prep."

Stidham said Proforma, who returned $17.60 to win, is a favorite around the barn.

"Of all the horses that I've trained over the years, he's one of the cooler horses that just does everything right," Stidham said. "He loves his job and he's cool around the barn—a real professional."

Because the connections believe Proforma prefers a longer turf sprint than 5 1/2 furlongs, they weren't ready to commit to the Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint (G1T), but Stidham said Saturday's performance means they at least have to think about it.

White Flag, the 5-2 favorite, was followed by third-place Vici, who entered off a clear victory in an optional-claiming allowance race Sept. 1 at Kentucky Downs.

In the $450,000 Kentucky Downs Ladies Sprint (G3T), Ruby Notion showed toughness in securing her second straight stakes win as she forged between rivals to edge favored runner-up Lull and Brielle's Appeal in a three-way photo.

Silverton Hill homebred Ruby Notion prevailed by a neck under Florent Geroux, completing the 6 1/2 furlongs in what was, at the time, a course-record 1:15.80. A 5-year-old daughter of Great Notion , Ruby Notion entered the test off an upset victory in the Caress Stakes, sprinting on the turf at Saratoga Race Course.

Silverton Hill's Tom and Bonnie Hamilton made the trip down from Springfield, Ky., to enjoy the win. Tom Hamilton said the victory was extra special as Ruby Notion is by Great Notion, a grade 1-placed stakes winner who was campaigned by Silverton Hill, and out of Modena Bay (NZ). Bonnie Hamilton said Ruby Notion reminds her of Modena Bay, who won a stakes in New Zealand and placed in a stakes when campaigned by Silverton Hill in North America.

"I've never, ever seen her quit. I've seen her get beat, but I've never seen her quit," Bonnie Hamilton said. "Her mother was just like that. She never didn't give it all. She really threw that quality on to this filly. She's cool about everything. She's just focused, confident. I swear the older she gets, the better she gets. I know that some people talk about by the time they're 6, they don't want to be racehorses. I'm not sure she's just now decided ... We love her."

The Kentucky Downs Ladies Sprint was listed as a $450,000 purse, but $200,000 of that was Kentucky Thoroughbred Development Fund money. With West Virginia-bred Ruby Nation winning, some of that money will revert to the fund.

The five stakes at Kentucky Downs began with the $500,000 Kentucky Downs Juvenile Turf Sprint Stakes, where filly Moonlight Romance posted a three-length win over males in the 6 1/2-furlong test to secure her first stakes win.

Sent off the 8-5 favorite under Jose Ortiz, Ken and Sarah Ramsey's Moonlight Romance opened a four-length advantage in midstretch and cruised home to the easy win. Trainer Wesley Ward said the daughter of Liaison  would train up to the inaugural Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint at Churchill Downs.

Moonlight Romance secured her maiden win May 24 on the turf at Belmont, her second start overall and first start on the turf. She then finished off the board in the Windsor Castle Stakes at Royal Ascot June 23, and Saturday marked her return.

"I had a lot of confidence in her going to the Royal Ascot race," Ward said. "Mr. Ramsey has a yearning desire to win over there, and I was second the first year we went with Cannonball. Of all the ones I ever brought since, this is the one I thought would win. Unfortunately, there was a horse that lost a shoe. There are so many things that can go wrong before, even during, the race. But there was a filly that lost a shoe in the paddock, so she was walking behind the gate with 27 other horses for about 20 minutes, and she just sort of got hot and nervous, and the gate opened and she got left at the gate and forget it.

"Fortunately for us today, she rebounded and won a big purse for Mr. Ramsey, and we're on to the Breeders' Cup now."

The race saw Chattel, under Kendrick Carmouche, fall in the stretch. Conscious and complaining of leg pain, Carmouche was transported to TriStar Skyline Medical Center in Nashville, Tenn. Chattel suffered a broken right shoulder and was euthanized.

The stewards disqualified Sovereign Impact, Adam Beschizza up, to last for interference. Sovereign Impact came off the rail, forcing Chattel out where he clipped heels with Blame the Frog and fell.

Video: Kentucky Downs Juvenile Turf Sprint S. (BT)

Video: Kentucky Downs Turf Sprint S. Presented by Coca-Cola (G3T)