Churchill Downs, Race 1 – Friday, May 31, 2024
By The 2YO EdgeMan
CD1:053124 – 5 1/2f on the Dirt. The ladies get their turn on the dancefloor on Friday and eight of them are set to go. Six have never Cha Cha’ed before and two have tangoed one time each. The trainers that I’m giving extra weight to are Asmussen and Mark Casse (who each have two entries) and Ennis who will saddle one. The standout sires include Bernardini, Tapit, and City of Light. Additionally, Freshman sires abound – Isotherm, Authentic, and Maximum Security. Let’s zero in on the four baby girls that I find most interesting…
#3 – Toodle Loo (5/1) – This Arkansas-bred filly is by a little-known First-Crop sire (only 19 foals in his first year of stud duty) who stands in Indiana for a published fee of $1,500 – Isotherm (Lonhro). She was a $50,000 yearling purchase last year as a yearling (1/6). Her mom was somewhat better than average on the track, winning three races in 28 starts, and banking $116K. One of her three scores was in her third start in September of her juvenile campaign at Los Al when she sported a 94 EBSF. She’s tossed one other foal of racing age. Today’s FTS filly is one of the two runners from the barn of Steve Asmussen and he’s been prepping her down the road at Keeneland where she’s logged five works (16 furlongs). Her best may have been two drills back when she went a half mile in 48 seconds flat from the gate (6/101). Ricardo Santana, Jr. will slip his boots into the irons.
#4 – Midnight in Austin (9/2) – This filly is sired by Bernardini and thrown by a Medaglia d’Oro mare who won one of her six starts, earning $20,000. Today’s runner is her only foal of racing age. She was an RNA back in the fall of 2022 when she was offered as a weanling for the tidy sum of $490K. The first of two from conditioner Mark Casse, this gal will step onto the track in the afternoon for the first time today, but she’s had a total of five morning spins (the first four all at Casse’s Training Center with her most recent coming here under the Twin Spires) and four of the five have been at a half mile. Her last three drills were timed at 48 seconds flat (1/8, 1/12 and 30/134, respectively). Mark will give Jose a leg up on this youngster.
#5 – Adeera (4/1) – Another well-bred and pricey filly, this FTS from the barn of Steve Asmussen hails from the heavyweight, debut sire – Authentic. The hammer fell at $300K on her as a yearling in 2023 (29/92). Mama, who comes to us from Majestic Warrior, won two of her 19 efforts on the track, including a win at DMR in her second start in August while a 2YO, bringing her owners a total of $227K. She boasts four other foals, including the fantastic 4YO colt that I’m sure you recognize – Newgate (3/10, $535K, including a G1 win and a win at first asking while a juvenile in July at Del Mar when he flashed brilliance with an 89 EBSF). She has also produced a 3YO who has already captured a G2 event and scored in her first effort last year as a 2YO at Keeneland in the fall. Steve has pumped nine works into today’s runner – the first eight coming in Lexington at KEE prior to one, 3f spin around today’s CD oval for a total of 33 furlongs. She’s flirted with bullets on three occasions, with the sharpest of her works probably coming two back over a half mile – 47.8 seconds (4/83). Keith will be her guide in her debut today.
#6 – Salted (5/2) – The Morning Line favorite takes it up another level in class having been sired by the great Tapit. On the dam side, mama doesn’t take a backseat to anyone as she was thrown by a Quality Road mare who ‘only’ won $688K and boasts a G1 score as one of her four victories in 11 tries (she, like today’s competitor, was trained by Mark Casse). In the auction ring last year she demanded a cool $760K as a yearling (5/37). This is Mark’s second filly in this field and she’ll be trying her hand at racing for the first time after working four times for a total of 15 furlongs here at Churchill Downs. Her last drill was accomplished on 5/17/24 in 47.4 seconds over a half mile (10/34). Casse taps Jose’s bro, Irad, to be her pilot.
Pick – #5 Adeera – This would be Authentic’s first-ever winner and I think the honor is going to this filly today. She’s got two precocious half-siblings and mom also scored as a two-year-old in August with a fine 84 EBSF. She certainly has been training forwardly and I’m encouraged by the fact that she has over eight miles of morning training under her belt. And I don’t need to tell you again about my thoughts regarding Asmussen at CD in the spring. This is certainly a very competitive race and I’m already counting down the hours until it sets sail. Take care, stay safe and thank you again to my Edgie Nation!
