Churchill Downs, Races 5 & 8 Thursday, September 12, 2024
By The 2YO EdgeMan
CD5:091224 – Six Furlongs on the Dirt. 15 Colts are entered, but only 12 will start. Eight of them are First-Time starters, one has raced one time previously, one has two starts and two have competed three times.
#2 – Mitty’s Griddy (5/1) – The stallion behind this colt is Mitole (ALL = 15.2%; FTS = 8/61, 13.1%). Mom is by Songandaprayer and she was victorious in three of her 12 starts, banking $107K. She has tossed seven other foals of racing age – two have won north of $100K and one won at second asking while a juvenile in a Maiden Claiming event. Today’s runner is a homebred by the Butzows and he’ll be making his debut performance. Hometown hero, Brad Cox (M = 22.2%; FTS = 20.5%), will cinch the saddle. To prep for this race Brad has given him nine works (35 furlongs), all at Ellis Park, and her last three have covered five poles. Her most recent two were both done in 1:01 flat (2/13 & 3/19). Brad will give his man, Florent, the leg up.
#3 – Free Country (9/2) – Dallas Stewart (M = 17.2%; FTS = 16.7%) trains this colt who is also a homebred and firster. Distorted Humor is his pops and mom (0/1) is by Sky Mesa – she has thrown seven others of racing age. Four of the seven have cashed in for over $100K in purse money and two were first out winners in their juvenile year. Outside of his first drill at Winstar’s training facility, he’s put in nine works (40 furlongs total) at Churchill Downs. Two of his last four morning moves earned a bullet – on 8/9/24, he zipped 5/8th of a mile in 1:00 flat (1/12) and then in his most recent effort he went four furlongs in 47.2 seconds (1/56). Tyler will tickle the leather.
#9 – El Prestigio (7/2 ML fav) – This colt is conditioned by Steve Asmussen (M = 11.6%) and he’ll be making his third attempt at the racing thing today. He’s by Practical Joke (ALL = 16.5%) and comes from a winless Flatter mare who has only thrown one other foal of racing age. In the auction ring, this dude demanded $260K as a yearling last year (11/90). This guy’s first racing attempt was here at CD in June and he didn’t perform well that day, finishing 7th of nine starters. His most recent run was at Saratoga on 8/3/24 and he beat all the runners in the field except the winner – a horse you’ll likely know – Ferocious. Steve gave him three works over the SAR track after his last race, the most recent covered five furlongs. Steve’s son Erik gets the chance to ride him for the first time.
Final Analysis – It’s always hard not to pick Brad Cox’s charge (#2), but my pick is #3 Free Country. Stewart is no slouch, especially here at CD, and this colt has been working lights out. More than half of mom’s offspring have done well, eclipsing the $100K earnings mark, and two have won as firsters. Add Tyler into the mix and I’m happy to give this fella a roll.
CD8:091224 – Six Furlongs on the Dirt. 15 males are entered, but of course only 12 will start (Ten colts, one gelding and one ridgling). There’s not an abundance of experience in this one as eight will be making their debut start and the other four have only been out one time.
#1 – Furio (8/1) – Freshman sire, McKinzie (8 winners from 42 starters), is pops to this colt and he’s out of a Will Take Charge Mare that was 3/11 with $166K in track earnings. Mom also won on debut at age two and this is her first foal. This guy was well liked in the sales ring having sold for $300K in the fall of 2022 as a weanling (1/26) and then rang the bell for $400K as a yearling last year (9/120). Joe Sharp (M = 1/23, 4.4%; FTS = 0/14) will saddle this dude for a competitive spin in the afternoon for the first time. In prep for his first affair, he started working at Keeneland in early June, shipped up for more work at Saratoga in July, and has most recently put in two dandy 5f drills here at Churchill, including his next to last on 8/27/24 in 59.8 seconds (1/16). Tyler will be his pilot.
#3 – Zandvoort (9/2 ML fav) – One of the four with a race under their belt, this Good Magic (ALL = 13.9%) colt hails from a dam by Discreet Cat who was three for 13 in her racing days and ended with $102K of purse money. Of the three other foals of racing age that she’s produced, one has banked north of $100K. This guy sold for $220K as a yearling (18/45) and then was pinhooked back earlier this year and sold for a handsome $525K as a 2YO (1/13). On 8/5/24 at ELP, this fella rallied from midpack to end as the runner-up, less than two lengths shy of the winner. Since that initial race, trainer Steve Asmussen (M = 11.6%) has pumped three, five furlong works into him with the last two over today’s surface. Erik gets the return assignment to guide him.
#7 – Big Boat (8/1) – Nyquist (ALL = 18.3%; FTS = 16.9) is the stallion responsible for this FTS colt who was crossed with a Midnight Lute mare that won $163K by sporting a record of three for 24. She’s had three other foals of racing age – one earned $309K on the track. This guy was a disappointing RNA when to offer was $120K last year when he was a yearling, but earlier this year he demanded $460K as a two-year-old in training (7/25). James DiVito is his trainer and he’s won twice from just four starts (50.0%) at this level at this meet over the past five years. DiVito has only breezed him a total of six times – just 21 furlongs – all up at Hawthorne. He’s showed some potential in the mornings, however, with his last ending in 48 seconds flat after a half mile (2/10). Cristian Torres will climb aboard.
#12 – Sir Gallivant (5/1) – Brad Cox (M = 22.2%; FTS = 20.5%) is the conditioner of this colt who is by Practical Joke (ALL = 16.5%). Mama, who’s by Archarcharch, was unraced and she’s thrown four other foals of racing age – one that banked $465K, another that won $100K+, and one that won during their first start as a two-year-old, but that was a MCL race. Today’s runner is a Buztow homebred and he’ll be making his first appearance in the afternoon. Cox has worked him a dozen times (52 furlongs), all at ELP, and six of his last seven have been at 5/8th of a mile. His best effort may have been his last when he was timed in 1:01 flat (3/19). Florent will slip his boots into the irons.
Final Analysis – It’s difficult to pass on #1 who sold so well and is out of a first-out winner, and #2 a sale leader in his class by Good Magic earlier this year, and #12, trained by Cox, but my pick is #7 Big Boat. DiVito has historically only brought babies that can run to this meet and I’m thinking that this guy has really matured over the past year, based on his sales results. I’m a big fan of Nyquist and mom could run a bit and has thrown one that’s made $309K. His works look solid, although, yes, a bit thin. Let’s give him a shot at a health 8/1 on the ML.
Churchill has another 2YO MSW affair on tap, carded as the 8th race on Friday, so keep checking back to Past The Wire for my insight on that event. Until then, enjoy opening day at The Downs and I hope that you cash load of tickets. Take care and be well, my Fantastic Edgies.
