Record-holder Ag Bullet winning last year’s Ladies Sprint in course-record time at Kentucky Downs under Umberto Rispoli. (Grace Clark-Sweet/Kentucky Downs photo)
Kentucky Downs’ first week stakes nominations out
Kentucky Downs Release
FRANKLIN, Ky. — Ag Bullet will return to Kentucky Downs to defend her victory in last year’s $2 million, Grade 2 Never Say Die Ladies Turf Sprint on Aug. 30. The 5-year-old mare is among the headliners for the first round of stakes nominations released today by the all-turf track that pays out America’s richest purses spread out over seven days.
The 34th Kentucky Downs meet runs Aug. 28, 30, 31 and Sept. 4, 6, 7 and 10.
Calvin Nguyen and Joey Tran’s gun-metal gray Ag Bullet (named for the symbol for the silver chemical element) won last year’s 6 1/2-furlong Ladies Turf Sprint by 5 1/4 lengths in course-record time (1:14.19) to stamp herself as the best female turf sprinter in the country. She nearly pulled off an upset in the $1 million Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint against the boys, finishing third by a total of a neck. In her last start this year, Ag Bullet mastered males in Saratoga’s Grade 1 Jaipur, whose winner earned a free berth in the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint.
“I think she’s a fresher horse, because I gave her the winter off,” said California-based trainer Richard Baltas by phone. “… We were trying to win a Grade 1 with her, so we took her to New York for the Jaipur. It rained off that day, and they delayed it a day. Johnny Velazquez wound up riding the horse — and she won. It was a big deal. She got the Grade 1 win against the boys, a Breeders’ Cup ‘Win and You’re In’ and we’ve been pointing for this race at Kentucky Downs.”
The Never Say Die Ladies Turf Sprint is the first of three stakes that will air live on NBC’s flagship network, 3-5 p.m. Central on Aug. 30, followed by the $2.5 million The Mint Kentucky Turf Sprint (G2) and the $3.5 million DK Horse Nashville Derby Invitational (G3). Also on the race card is the $2 million Resolute Racing Ladies Turf (G3) and the two-mile $1 million Mountain Dew Bowling Green Gold Cup Invitational.
Ag Bullet also is nominated to The Mint Kentucky Turf Sprint at six furlongs, also a Breeders’ Cup Challenge Series race. However, Baltas said he believes he’ll keep the mare with her own sex.
“The purse being as big as it, and her breaking the track record, we thought it would be a good move to try to do it again,” he said. “… I don’t know if she’s the best in the whole country (among turf sprinters), but I think she’s definitely up there. I mean, I wouldn’t trade places with anybody.”
The first week of stakes nominations are now on Equibase.com. With the proviso that nominations are not the same as entries, here’s a glimpse at some prominent names made eligible for Aug. 30’s three graded stakes that aren’t invitationals:
$2.5 million The Mint Kentucky Turf Sprint (G2)
The Grade 2 stakes is a “Win and You’re In” Breeders’ Cup Challenge Series race, meaning the winner gains a fees-paid berth in the $1 million Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint on Nov. 1 at Del Mar.
Howard Wolowitz, winner of last year’s Grade 1 Franklin-Simpson for 3-year-olds at Kentucky Downs, is expected to run. The nominations include British-based Khaadeem, the Charlie Hills-trained runner who was second in the stakes last year. Also: One Timer, Kentucky Downs’ 2022 Franklin-Simpson winner who was second in the Kentucky Turf Sprint in 2023 and his Larry Rivelli-trained stablemate Nobals, winner of the 2023 Breeders’ Cup Sprint. The Saffie Joseph-trained Implementation is 2 for 2 at Kentucky Downs and most recently won Gulfstream Park’s Smile Stakes on dirt.
$2 million Resolute Racing Ladies Turf (G3):
Multiple graded-stakes winner and $2 million-earner Simply in Front will return to the course over which she won last year’s Grade 2 AGS Music City for 3-year-old filly sprinters. Trained by Eddie Kenneally, Simply in Front won Churchill Downs’ Grade 2 Distaff Turf Mile on the Kentucky Derby undercard and most recently won Ellis Park’s $250,000 Kentucky Downs Preview Ladies Turf. Among Brendan Walsh’s nominees are 2024 Kentucky Downs allowance winner Special Wan, who in two starts this year won Gulfstream Park’s Honey Fox (G3) and was a good third in the Grade 1 Just a Game at Saratoga over yielding turf.
$2 million Never Say Die Ladies Turf Sprint (G2):
In addition to Ag Bullet, nominations expected to run include the Miguel Clement-trained Danse Macabre, winner of Kentucky Downs’ 2022 Untapable as a 2-year-old and second in the Music City at 3. Clement said he could also run last year’s Ladies Turf Sprint runner-up Dontlookbackatall back in two weeks since finishing second in a stakes at Saratoga.
Nominations also are out for the opening-day $500,000 Keeneland Tapit Stakes for horses that have not one a stakes race in 2025, along with Sunday’s $1 million Kentucky Downs Juvenile Fillies, $1 million Kentucky Downs Juvenile Sprint and the $500,000 National Thoroughbred League Tight Spot overnight handicap.
Nominations for the remaining stakes races (excluding invitationals) close tomorrow (Wednesday Aug. 20).
Nominations and past performances for first-week stakes (including invitationals)
