Ag Bullet and trainer Richard Baltas Friday at Kentucky Downs. (Tim Wilkin photo)
Ladies Turf Sprint
By Tim Wilkin
FRANKLIN, Ky. — Trainer Richard Baltas took a quick peek at the past performances for Saturday’s Grade 2, $1.5 million Exacta Systems Ladies Turf Sprint. He didn’t need to see much.
He’s only worried about one horse in the race. His own.
Baltas has brought his speedy 4-year-old filly Ag Bullet to run in the 6 ½ furlong race, which is for fillies and mares aged 3 and up.
“I’m not going to worry about what everyone else is going to do,” Baltas said after grazing his gray filly in a grassy area at Kentucky Downs Friday morning.
Baltas brought Ag Bullet to town from California, where she most recently won the listed Osunitas Stakes at Del Mar on July 21. She went gate-to-wire in that one and won by 3 ½ lengths, covering the mile in 1:34.73.
She will be cutting back in the Ladies Turf Sprint and is undefeated in three starts at 6 ½ furlongs. Jockey Umberto Rispoli, who rode her at Del Mar, is coming in for the ride.
For her career, she has five wins in eight starts for owners Calvin Nguyen and Joey C. Tran.
“She will be up close,” Baltas said. “She doesn’t have to have the lead. It’s just her nature to be up close; she could be third.”
This will be just the 12th horse that Baltas has started at Kentucky Downs. In his prior 11, he has three wins and two seconds. The last time he ran a horse at Kentucky Downs was 2021.
“The purses,” he said when asked why he is back. “And she won her last race pretty easily. I like my horse. She has a lot of determination, and she seems to be doing OK. Any time a horse is happy, they are going to run better. She seems happy.”
