Kentucky Downs Preview Day 1 Stakes Advances

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Contact: Kevin Kerstein
Kentucky Racing Communications
Churchill Downs, Ellis Park, Turfway Park
(610) 420-6971 (mobile)
(502) 635-4712 (office)
Kevin.Kerstein@KyDerby.com

*Please credit photo to: Coady Photography/Ellis Park

AMERICAN DERBY WINNER WADSWORTH RETURNS IN 
KY DOWNS PREVIEW DUELING GROUNDS DERBY

Kentucky Downs Preview Weekend Will Feature Seven Stakes Across Two Days of Racing at Ellis Park

HENDERSON, Ky. (Saturday, July 29, 2023) – Godolphin’s newly-minted turf specialist Wadsworth will return to Ellis Park and headline a field of 12 entered in Saturday’s second running of the $200,000 Ky Downs Preview Dueling Grounds Derby.

    The Dueling Grounds Derby Preview, run at 1 1/8 miles on turf, is one of seven stakes contests that will be held next Saturday-Sunday at Ellis Park as part of Kentucky Downs Preview Days. The Ky Downs Dueling Grounds Preview will go to post in Race 8 with a post time of 3:22 p.m. (all times Central) The nine-race card has a first post of 11:45 a.m.

    Saturday’s stakes trio also includes the $200,000 Ky Downs Preview Mint Ladies Turf Sprint and the $200,000 Ky Downs Preview Mint Millions Mile. The winner of the Dueling Grounds Derby Preview will receive an automatic entry to the $1 million Dueling Grounds Derby (Grade III) on Sunday, Sept. 3 at Kentucky Downs. 

    Trained by Brad Cox, Wadsworth dug in late to defeat five rivals in the American Derby by one length. The 3-year-old gelded son of Quality Road is a three-time winner from 10 starts. Prior to the American Derby Wadsworth finished second by a scant nose to Gigante in the Caesars Stakes. Wadsworth spent his winter at Turfway Park where he impressively broke his maiden by 10 lengths and won a first level allowance by 2 ½ lengths on the Tapeta surface. Jockey Florent Geroux will once again have the mount from post No. 10.

Richard Ravin and Patricia’s Hope’s Act a Fool will be in search of his fifth-consecutive victory when he breaks from post 6 in the Dueling Grounds Derby Preview. Act a Fool’s only blemish in his young career was in his debut when he didn’t show much run over the Tapeta surface at Turfway. Since then, the Larry Rivelli-trained son of Oscar Performance has won four straight starts by open lengths including a 4 ½-length score in the Hawthorne Derby. Jockey Gerardo Corrales will have the call.

    Another accomplished 3-year-old that entered the Ky Downs Preview Dueling Grounds Derby is Barry and Joni Butzow’s Golden Bandit. Trained by Coty Rosin, Golden Bandit was a former $12,500 claim but has since won the Canterbury Derby. Jockey Adam Beschizza will retain the mount from post 2. 

    Here is the complete field for the Ky Downs Preview Dueling Grounds Derby from the rail out (with jockey and trainer):

1. Highway Robber (Mitchell Murrill, Brian Lynch)
2. Golden Bandit (Beschizza, Rosin)
3. Hidden Path (Corey Lanerie, Todd Pletcher)
4. Worthington (Gerardo Corrales, Mike Maker)
5. Lincoln Highway (Rafael Bejarano, Vicki Oliver)
6. Act a Fool (Torres, Rivelli)
7. Anglophile (Declan Cannon, Brian Lynch)
8. Tall Boy (Rey Gutierrez, Doug O’Neill)
9. Georgie W (Alex Achard, Will Walden)
10. Wadsworth (Geroux, Cox)
11. Desert Duke (Francisco Arrieta, Chris Hartman)
12. Sharar (James Graham, Todd Pletcher)
13. Manciata d'Oro (Martin Chuan, Cox)

Ellis Park Racing Analyst Joe Kristufek will be live on-site for Kentucky Downs Preview Weekend. Kristufek will offer analysis and post-race interviews for the stakes events throughout the weekend on the simulcast signal while analyst Scott Shapiro will offer his expert thoughts from the studio. Fans can also watch Kentucky Downs Preview Weekend on FanDuel TV.

    For more information about racing and wagering from Ellis Park, visit www.ellisparkracing.com. 

MULTIPLE STAKES WINNER FUERTEVENTURA TOPS KY DOWNS MINT MILLIONS TURF MILE PREVIEW – Multiple stakes winner Fuerteventura leads a competitive cast of 12 older horses that entered Saturday’s seventh running of the $200,000 Ky Downs Mint Millions Mile Preview as part of Kentucky Downs Preview Weekend at Ellis Park Racing and Gaming.

    Saturday-Sunday is Kentucky Downs Preview Weekend at Ellis Park where the winners of each of the seven stakes events across the two days of racing will receive automatic berths, with their entry fees waved, into the corresponding races at Kentucky Downs. 

    The Mint Millions Turf Mile Preview, which will award the winner a spot in the Sept. 2, $2 million Mint Millions, was made the finale on the nine-race card. The field for the one-mile turf contest will go to post at 3:55 p.m. (all times Central). First post is 11:45 a.m.
    
    Trained by Jonathan Thomas, Fuerteventura has competed at eight tracks across North America in just 10 starts. The 4-year-old son of Summer Front won the Brooks Fields Mile Stakes at Canterbury in late June and his resume also includes a gutsy victory in last year’s Jersey Derby at Monmouth Park. Jockey Florent Geroux will have the call from post 7.

    The competitive field for the Mint Millions Preview also includes Porch Light Racing, Brandon Tucker, Raul Bras, Haugh Stables and Highlight Thoroughbreds’ narrow runner-up in the Schuster Memorial Underdressed; trainer Mike Maker’s duo of last-out allowance winner Heaven Street and stakes winner Max K.O.; and Lothenbach Stables dominant dirt allowance winner Minnesota Ready.

    Here is the complete field for the Mint Millions Turf Mile Preview from the rail out (with jockey and trainer): 

1. Minnesota Ready (Corey Lanerie, Neil Pessin)    
2. Trafalgar (Edgar Morales, Chris Hartman)
3. Big Dreaming (James Graham, Wayne Catalano)
4. Gray's Fable (Declan Cannon, Brian Lynch)
5. Heaven Street (Cristian Torres, Maker)
6. Hozier (Julien Leparoux, Rodolphe Brisset)
7. Fuerteventura (Geroux, Thomas)
8. Greyes Creek (Adam Beschizza, Paulo Lobo)    
9. Play Action Pass (Joe Ramos, Robert Medina)    
10. Santos Dumont (Francisco Arrieta, Chris Hartman)    
11. Underdressed (Orlando Mojica, Rey Hernandez)
12. Max K. O. (Gerardo Corrales, Maker) 

Ellis Park Racing Analyst Joe Kristufek will be live on-site for Kentucky Downs Preview Days. Kristufek will offer analysis and post-race interviews for the stakes events throughout the weekend on the simulcast signal while analyst Scott Shapiro will offer his expert thoughts from the studio. Fans can also watch Kentucky Downs Preview Days on FanDuel TV.

    For more information about racing and wagering from Ellis Park, visit www.ellisparkracing.com. 

CLASSY MARE GOIN GOOD HEADLINES $200,000 KY DOWNS PREVIEW MINT LADIES TURF SPRINT – Klein Racing’s classy mare Goin Good tops a field of 10 filly and mare sprinters that were entered in Saturday’s fifth running of the $200,000 Ky Downs Preview Mint Ladies Turf Sprint at Ellis Park Racing & Gaming.

    Goin Good and her combatants will go to post in Race 7 of 9 at 2:50 p.m. (all times Central.) First post is 11:45 a.m. The stakes-laden day of racing is the first part of Kentucky Downs Preview at Ellis Park. Along with the Mint Ladies Turf Sprint, the other stakes on the card are the $200,000 Ky Downs Preview Mint Millions Turf Mile and the $200,000 Ky Downs Preview Dueling Grounds Derby. 

    The winner of the Ky Downs Mint Ladies Turf Sprint, run at 5 ½ furlongs on turf, will receive an all-fees paid entry to the Sept. 9, $1 million Ladies Turf Sprint (Grade II) at Kentucky Downs.

    Owned by longtime family stable Klein Racing, Goin Good will be in search of her second stakes victory after nearly missing in the Clarksville Handicap last time out at Horseshoe Indianapolis. Goin Good, who races for trainer Brad Cox, won the Coronation Cup two years ago at Saratoga and has been stakes placed eight times in her 18-race career. Goin Good will be ridden by Cristian Torres from post No. 3.

    Bridlewood Farm’s Bay Storm will be in search of her fifth-lifetime victory in the Ky Downs Preview Mint Ladies Turf Sprint. Trained by Jonathan Thomas, Bay Storm has yet to find the winner’s circle this season but has been stakes placed in the Megahertz (GIII) and Wishing Well Stakes at Santa Anita and the Unbridled Sidney at Churchill Downs. The ultra-consistent Bay Storm has only finished outside the Top 3 twice from 15 starts. Her record stands at 15-4-6-3 with purse earnings that total $590,080. Jockey Florent Geroux will have the mount from the rail.
    
    Here is the complete field for the Ky Downs Preview Mint Ladies Turf Sprint (with jockey and trainer):

1. Bay Storm (Geroux, Thomas)
2. Love and Money (Joe Ramos, Cherie DeVaux)
3. Goin' Good (Cristian Torres, Cox)
4. Linguistic (Gerardo Corrales, Eric Foster)
5. Miner's Queen (Rafael Bejarano, Rey Hernandez)
6. Showgirl Lynne B (James Graham, Joe Sharp)
7. Souper Munnings (Chris Landeros, Ian Wilkes)
8. New Boss (Rey Gutierrez, Bret Calhoun)
9. Semble Juste (IRE) (Corey Lanerie, Kenny McPeek)
10. Quaria Comet (Joe Talamo, Paulo Lobo)

Ellis Park Racing Analyst Joe Kristufek will be live on-site for Kentucky Downs Preview Weekend. Kristufek will offer analysis and post-race interviews for the stakes events throughout the weekend on the simulcast signal while analyst Scott Shapiro will offer his expert thoughts from the studio. Fans can also watch Kentucky Downs Preview Weekend on FanDuel TV.

    For more information about racing and wagering from Ellis Park, visit www.ellisparkracing.com. 

ABOUT ELLIS PARK RACING & GAMING
Ellis Park, Racking and Gaming (“Ellis Park”) located north of the Ohio River and just south of Evansville, Indiana, has been the home of summer Thoroughbred racing in Kentucky for over 100 years. Ellis Park also features a gaming entertainment venue with approximately 300 historical racing machines.

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