Three Chimneys Farm’s 2021 Lexington Stakes (Grade 3) winner King Fury headlines a field of seven 3-year-olds that were entered in Saturday’s inaugural running of the $275,000 Bourbon Trail Stakes at Churchill Downs.
The Bourbon Trail, run at 1 3/16 miles, will go as Race 9 at 4:55 p.m. First post is 12:45 p.m. The Saturday program also features the $275,000 Dogwood (Listed) and $275,000 Harrods Creek.
King Fury has run against some of the nation’s top 3-year-old colts this year, including his most-recent fifth-place effort behind top Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1) rated horse Essential Quality in the $1.25 million Travers (G1). Trained by Kenny McPeek, the son of Curlin broke his maiden at Churchill Downs on debut and scored a half-length victory in the $98,000 Street Sense last fall.
King Fury’s 3-year-old campaign includes a 2 ¾-length victory in the $200,000 Lexington (G3) and a runner-up finish to Masqueparade in the $500,000 Ohio Derby (G3). King Fury will be reunited with jockey Brian Hernandez Jr. for Saturday’s race, who has been aboard the chestnut colt for all three of his victories. The duo will break from post No. 4.
Also entered in the Bourbon Trail is Rupp Racing’s stakes winner Gagetown. Trained by Brad Cox, Gagetown most recently finished third in the $250,000 St. Louis Derby and $250,000 Iowa Derby. The son of Exaggerator won the $50,000 Prairie Mile in June. Martin Garcia will ride from the rail.
The complete field for the Bourbon Trail from the rail out (with jockey and trainer):
- Gagetown (Garcia, Cox)
- King’s Ovation (Joe Talamo, Dale Romans)
- Dr Jack (Tyler Gaffalione, Todd Pletcher)
- King Fury (Hernandez, McPeek)
- Angkor (Adam Beschizza, Phil Bauer)
- Bourbon Thunder (Chris Landeros, Ian Wilkes)
- Sermononthemount (James Graham, Tom Amoss)
Clearview Stable’s recent $250,000 St. Louis Derby runner-up Irish Unity tops a competitive field of 10 3-year-old colts and geldings that was entered in Saturday’s first-running of the $275,000 Harrods Creek at Churchill Downs.
The seven-furlong Harrods Creek will go as Race 10 with a post time of 5:26 p.m. First post for the 11-race program is 12:45 p.m. Along with the Harrods Creek, the Saturday card will feature the $275,000 Dogwood (Listed) and the $275,000 Bourbon Trail.
Irish Unity, conditioned by North American and Churchill Downs’ all-time leading trainer Steve Asmussen, has not finished worse than second in four career starts. The consistent son of Pioneerof the Nile won his first two starts in June at Lone Star prior to shipping to Asmussen’s Kentucky string. The homebred finished second to Beaver Hat in a conditioned allowance event at Ellis Park before his runner-up effort to Flash of Mischief in last month’s St. Louis Derby. Brian Hernandez Jr. will have the return mount from post No. 7.
Also entered in the Harrods Creek is Wayne Davis’ four-time Louisiana-based gelding Emerald Forest. Trained by Shane Wilson, Emerald Forest dominated his two most recent starts by a combined 18 lengths at Evangeline Downs and Louisiana Downs. In those starts, Emerald Forest earned stout Brisnet.com speed ratings of 100 and 105, respectively. Jose Guerrero, who’s based at Louisiana Downs, will travel to Kentucky for the mount and will break from post 5.
The complete field for the Harrods Creek from the rail out (with jockey and trainer):
- Dreamer’s Disease (David Cohen, Robertino Diodoro)
- Ram (Rafael Bejarano, D. Wayne Lukas)
- Bob’s Edge (Adam Beschizza, Larry Jones)
- He’smyhoneybadger (Martin Garcia, Brad Cox)
- Emerald Forest (Guerrero, Wilson)
- Shadow Matter (Corey Lanerie, Dallas Stewart)
- Irish Unity (Hernandez, Asmussen)
- Wolfie’s Dynaghost (Tyler Gaffalione, Tom Albertrani)
- Flags Up (James Graham, Jimmy Baker)
- Everett’s Song (Pablo Morales, Dale Bennett)
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