Morticia Heads Stakes Action on 'Thurby' Card

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Morticia Heads Stakes Action on 'Thurby' Card
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Photo: Keeneland Photo/Photos by Z
Morticia (inside) holds off Excessivespending to win the Giant's Causeway Stakes at Keeneland

Churchill Downs' May 2 "Thurby" program offers the $125,000 Unbridled Sidney Stakes and $115,000 Opening Verse Overnight Stakes on its 11-race card leading up to the Longines Kentucky Oaks (G1) and Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve (G1) over the following two days.

Seven-times stakes winner Morticia heads a field of 10 in the Unbridled Sidney for fillies and mares 3 and up sprinting 5 1/2 furlongs on the turf. The 5-year-old Twirling Candy  mare struck last out with a neck victory in the Giant's Causeway Stakes April 13 at Keeneland. A homebred for owner G. Watts Humphrey Jr. and trainer Rusty Arnold, Morticia has finished in the money in 17 of her 20 starts. 

Giant's Causeway runner-up Excessivespending will take another shot at the consistent runner. The 5-year-old daughter of Shackleford  owned by Joey Keith Davis has been on the board her last four starts. She nabbed her first stakes victory in the Nelson J. Menard Memorial Overnight Stakes Feb. 2 at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots.

Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint (G1T) fourth-place finisher Ruby Notion makes her 6-year-old debut Thursday. The Great Notion  mare picked up back-to-back stakes victories last summer in the Caress Stakes at Saratoga Race Course and the Kentucky Downs Ladies Sprint Stakes (G3T) at Kentucky Downs. Painting Corners represents a new stakes winner in the field, having won the Mizdirection Stakes at Santa Anita Park April 13.

Surrender Now, Ms Meshak, A Little Bit Me, Luvin Bullies, Lady Suebee, and Spy Ring complete the field.

The Opening Verse, for 3-year-olds and up going a mile on the turf, has an overflow field of 10 with four also-eligibles. Woodford Racing's Hot Springs, who is 4-for-4 over the Matt Winn Turf Course, will attempt to keep his record intact and rebound from his first start of the year.

The 4-year-old Uncle Mo  colt won the Jefferson Cup Stakes during the September meet and returned to the winner's circle in the November meet's Commonwealth Turf Stakes (G3T). Hot Springs debuted this season at trainer Steve Asmussen's Fair Grounds winter base, finishing fifth in the Muniz Memorial Handicap (G2T) won by Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational Stakes (G1T) victor Bricks and Mortar.

A competitive group of stakes winners will be looking to end Hot Springs' record under the Twin Spires. Among them are Sareen Family Trust's millionaire Om, who has not won since leading every step of the Thunder Road Stakes (G3T) in February 2018 and makes his first start for trainer Peter Miller; last fall's Nearctic Stakes (G2T) winner, Hembree, who rallied to win the El Prado Stakes at Gulfstream Park Feb. 9; and Monarchs Glen, a group 3-winning son of Frankel who last finished seventh to Cracksman in the QIPCO Champion Stakes (G1) on Ascot's British Champions Day in October.

Rounding out the field are First Premio, Uno Mas Modelo, Siem Riep, Ballagh Rocks, Kencumin, and Profiteer. All Right, Parlor, Sabador, and Hollywood Hideaway are also eligible should there be any scratches.


Entries: Unbridled Sidney S.

Churchill Downs, Thursday, May 02, 2019, Race 10

  • STK
  • 5 1/2f
  • Turf
  • $125,000
  • 3 yo's & up Fillies and Mares
  • 5:45 PM (local)
PP Horse Jockey Wgt Trainer M/L
1 1Painting Corners (FL) Luis Saez 123 Peter Miller 5/1
2 2Surrender Now (KY)Keeneland Sales Graduate Drayden Van Dyke 121 Peter Miller 9/2
3 3Ms Meshak (FL) Adam Beschizza 121 Joseph F. Orseno 30/1
4 4A Little Bit Me (KY) John R. Velazquez 121 Richard Baltas 12/1
5 5Luvin Bullies (KY)Keeneland Sales Graduate Chris Landeros 121 McLean Robertson 12/1
6 6Lady Suebee (KY)Keeneland Sales Graduate Joel Rosario 121 John W. Sadler 8/1
7 7Morticia (KY) Irad Ortiz, Jr. 123 George R. Arnold, II 3/1
8 8Ruby Notion (WV) Florent Geroux 121 Darrin Miller 9/2
9 9Excessivespending (KY)Keeneland Sales Graduate Julien R. Leparoux 123 Chris A. Hartman 4/1
10 10Spy Ring (IRE) Tyler Baze 121 James M. Cassidy 20/1


Entries: Opening Verse Overnight S.

Churchill Downs, Thursday, May 02, 2019, Race 8

  • STK
  • 1m
  • Turf
  • $115,000
  • 3 yo's & up
  • 4:37 PM (local)
PP Horse Jockey Wgt Trainer M/L
1 1Hembree (KY)Keeneland Sales Graduate Jose L. Ortiz 122 Michael J. Maker 8/1
2 2Hot Springs (KY)Keeneland Sales Graduate Luis Saez 122 Steven M. Asmussen 9/2
3 3Monarchs Glen (GB) Joel Rosario 122 William I. Mott 6/1
4 4First Premio (KY) Brian Joseph Hernandez, Jr. 122 Mark E. Casse 5/1
5 5Uno Mas Modelo (KY)Keeneland Sales Graduate Adam Beschizza 122 Anthony T. Quartarolo 30/1
6 6Siem Riep (KY)Keeneland Sales Graduate James Graham 122 Ben Colebrook 12/1
7 7Ballagh Rocks (KY)Keeneland Sales Graduate Irad Ortiz, Jr. 122 William I. Mott 4/1
8 8Kencumin (FR) Florent Geroux 122 Peter Eurton 8/1
9 9Om (KY)Keeneland Sales Graduate Julien R. Leparoux 122 Peter Miller 9/2
10 10Profiteer (KY) John R. Velazquez 122 Claude R. McGaughey III 8/1
11 11All Right (KY) Adam Beschizza 122 John Alexander Ortiz 20/1
12 12Parlor (KY)Keeneland Sales Graduate Flavien Prat 122 Eddie Kenneally 10/1
13 13Sabador (FR) James Graham 122 Conor Murphy 20/1
14 14Hollywood Hideaway (KY) Tyler Baze 122 Barbara J. Minshall 15/1