Churchill Downs, Race 1 – Thursday, June 6, 2024
By The 2YO EdgeMan
CD1:060624 – 5 1/2f on the Dirt. The dudes have center stage and we’ve got ten colts set to go in this unrestricted affair. Six are firsters, two have battled in the afternoon on one occasion, and two will be making their third start today. Trainers with a ring around their name on my sheet are Romans, Cox, Beckman, Asmussen, Christopher Davis, Amoss, and Mark Casse. On the sire front we have representatives from the likes of Hard Spun, Good Magic, Mendelssohn, Maclean’s Music, Not This Time, Daredevil, and Ghostzapper. Add to that nice list two Freshman sires – Game Winner and Tiz The Law. Anxious to get after this one, so let’s take a deep look at a number of these…
#1 – Keep It Easy (8/1) – Dale Romans is the conditioner of this FTS colt by Hard Spun who’s from an English Channel mare. Mom cashed in on the track for north of $1/4 million by going three for 11, including a score in September of her two-year-old season at Kentucky Downs in her second try (78 EBSF). She’s tossed one other foal of racing age – a 3YO colt by Gun Runner who has not yet made it to the races. Today’s athlete sold very well as a yearling, demanding $435K (2/61) and he’s owned by St. Elias, West Point, and C J Thoroughbreds. He’s had five total works, all in the month of May here under the Twin Spires and his drill on 5/19/24 was super impressive – a half mile in 47.6 seconds (1/113). Dale looks to Martin Chuan to steer him.
#3 – Summer Vibes (7/2) – Good Magic will send out this son who was produced by a More Than Ready dam who was a winner three times on the track in 22 tries, banking $117K. The cross is one for one with 2YOs in MSW events of $30,000 – that juvenile won at WO in their third start. Mama’s tossed two other foals – one being the fine three-year-old filly, She Feels Pretty who won at first asking in July of her two-year-old campaign at Ellis Park (83 EBSF) and also won a G1 even at two before finishing 3rd in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf. Her other offspring is a 4YO filly who also won as a firster at two in June of her freshman season at CD (61 EBSF). Today’s colt hammered hard as a yearling bringing a winning bid of $600K (3/45) from owner Boardshort Stables. This dude will be making his first attempt at the real thing in the afternoon with eight works and 29 total furlongs under his belt. His first three works were at Keeneland before vanning down to Churchill for his last five. His peppiest was his last when he covered four panels in 47.8 seconds from the gate (9/89). Brad looks to his ace – Florent – to tickle the reins.
#6 – Magnitude (3/1) – The Morning Line favorite comes from the Asmussen barn and his stallion is Not This Time (29 of 143 with firsters of 2YO MSW races with a purse of $30,000+, for a 20.3% strike rate). Bernardini is the broodmare sire, but mom was zero for one on the track with three foals of racing age – they are a combined 0 for 27. This colt originally sold for a nice $310K as a weanling in 2022 (4/18), but stepped it up a bit last year by bringing a winning offer of $450K (9/62) from Winchell at the Keeneland September Yearling sale. This colt is another First-Time starter and he put in six morning efforts (21 furlongs) at KEE before coming for one half mile prep over the CD strip. His last in Lexington was eye-catching – 47 seconds flat for 4f from the gate (3/54). Son Keith had been given the early assignment, but Steve will have to tap a different rider since Keith was badly hurt in a fall this weekend.
#7 – Conquering Cat (4/1) – This colt is from Newby Sire, Game Winner, who looks to get on the board with his first winner. His dam, by Hold than Tiger, was a fine runner in her own right winning five of the 25 races that she attempted and pulled down nearly $1/4 million in purse money. She has nine other foals of racing age with three winning in MSW races a juveniles. This guy has been through the auction ring twice – first as a yearling when he hammered for $80,000 (29/73) and then in March of this year down at Ocala he went for $100K as a 2YO (9/23). He’s done the racing thing once and ran well – on 5/16/24 at Churchill, he chased hard and finished one length back of the winner for the runner-up’s share of the purse. Trainer Christopher Davis then took him to northern KY for a half mile work at Turfway Park on 5/31/24. Luis Saez gets the return engagement in the saddle.
#9 – Munson (10/1) – Tom Amoss will sling the saddle across the back of this FTS colt who is sired by Ghostzapper. His broodmare sire is Distorted Humor and mom was two for nine in her racing days, amassing $47,000 in prize money. She has four other foals of racing age – her 5YO filly was a winner as a 2YO in September at Mountaineer, earning a 65 EBSF. In the auction ring, this guy sold for $70,000 as a weanling (5/7) and then was wheeled back as a yearling and brought the same amount (21/33). His first workout was on 4/13/24 over at Keeneland and his remaining six spins have been here at Churchill for a grand total of 29 furlongs, including his last two at 5/8 of a mile each. On 5/16/24 here at CD he covered four poles in 47.6 seconds from the gate (8/48). Edgar Morales will slip his feet into the irons.
#10 – Sing Sing (6/1) – Mark Casse will send this guy out for his second race. His first time out at CD on 5/1/24 he started slow, but made up ground finishing 3rd, 6 ½ lengths behind on the wire at odds of 7/1. His daddy is the Debut sire, Tiz The Law, and his mom hails from the mighty European star sire, Galileo. Speaking of mom, she was one for seven on the track winning $38,000. She has two other foals of racing age, nothing worth noting. Today’s runner only could muster a bid of $25,000 as a yearling (60/77) and then went for $90,000 when pinhooked back as a 2YO in March of this year down at Ocala (13/19). Mark has pumped two 4f works into him over the CD track since his last run. Jose will get to ride him for the second time.
Pick – #3 Summer Vibes – I’m impressed with the fact that this guy has two half-siblings who were both winners at two. She Feels Pretty was certainly extremely precocious, and even though Good Magic’s numbers aren’t off the page with the babies, he can certainly produce really stong youngsters (you don’t have to remember too far back to think of Dornoch). Cox is only one for 14 (7.1%) at the CD Spring meet in 2YO MSW events, but you don’t need me to tell you that he can get it done. He sold third in his class as a yearling and has worked quite solidly. We probably won’t get much of a price, but let’s hope some of these others take some money and allow this guy to get off at 3 or 4 to 1.
Friday features a fantastic unrestricted Two-Year-Old MSW affair for the young ladies and I will have an article up on the great www.PastThe Wire.com to break that event down, too – so be on the lookout! Take care, be well, and stay safe, my Legion of Edgies.
