Churchill Downs, Race 6 Sunday, September 15, 2024
By The 2YO EdgeMan
CD6:091524 – One Mile and 1/16th on the Dirt. 10 fillies are set to compete with no First-Time starters in the field. Five have one start under their belt, four have been out twice, and one has started three times before.
#2 – Sunday Disruptor (3/1 ML fav) – This Not This Time (ALL = 20.6%; Dirt = 23.3%) filly will try to make her third start a winning one. She’s out of a mare by Great Notion that sported a record of six for 17 with a win in her second start as a 2YO. She ended with $176K worth of purse money and she’s tossed four other foals of racing age. One of her fillies won more than $1/2 million on the track, including a win at second asking while a juvenile and she also finished runner-up in a G2 event. $350K was the final bid last year when today’s runner was a yearling (17/62). Both of her starts were at Ellis Park and last out, she stalked the leaders a length back in fourth and finished ahead of all but one, two and half lengths short of the winner. Trainer Kenny McPeek has the second most wins at this meet in the past five years (10) in 50 starts (20.0%). In fact, when his runners have had 2+ previous starts at this level since 2019, his strike rate is 4/15 (26.7%). He’s given her one half mile work since her last run and goes back to Brian Hernandez, Jr.
#3 – Runnin N Gunnin (8/1) – You can likely guess the sire of this gal – yes, you’re right – Gun Runner (ALL = 19.8%; Dirt = 21.8%). Mama is by Empire Maker and she’s unraced, but has produced seven other foals of racing age. One of her babies was a filly who’s won $623K, including a win at first asking while a 2YO and also two G3 affairs, also as a juvenile. Additionally, she’s produced a gal who has banked $210K and she ran 3rd in a G3 event. Today’s competitor sold for $250K as a yearling (36/63) and she’s raced one time prior to today. That race, which was on 7/29/24 over a mile on dirt at ELP, she ran toward the back of the pack and finished in fifth, six lengths behind the winner. Since then, conditioner Steve Asmussen (M = 11.6%; 2nd time starters = 14.3%) out five times, all here at Churchill and four of them covered 5/8th of a mile. Keith’s son Erik gets the return mount.
#4 – Margot’s Angel (4/1) – Another making her second start is a Parkland Thoroughbred homebred filly by Practical Joke (ALL = 16.5%; Dirt = 18.2%). Her dam is by Scat Daddy (winless in two tries) and she’s thrown two other of racing age – one’s banked $239K on the track. Today’s runner earned a check in her first outing when she pressed the pace, only to finish third, less than four lengths behind the victor at SAR (6.5f on the dirt). HOFer Bill Mott (M = 2/16, 12.5%) worked her three times in upstate NY after her race, with her first back a three-panel, bullet effort in 35.8 seconds (1/20). Jose Ortiz is Mott’s choice to pilot her for the first time.
#7 – Aledean (8/1) – Freshman crop sire, Game Winner, has only seen two of his offspring step into the Winner’s Circle from 30 starters. This filly’s mama brought home $119K in purse money with a record of three for 13, including a win in her third start at age two. In the breeding shed, she’s produce five other foals of racing age – one that has won $574K, a G1, and a win as a firster at two. All told, she’s thrown three 2YO MSW winners and two $100K+ earners. In the sales ring, today’s filly was a $395K RNA in the fall of 2022 as a weanling, but then did sell as a yearling for the tidy sum of $600K which was the most in her class of 73 foals and was nearly $200K higher than the second highest. Her first race – 6f on dirt at ELP – was uneventful as she ran midpack and between horses for much of the early stages before ending in fifth place, 6+ lengths behind the winner. Tom Amoss (only 1/20 at this meet, 5.0%) then worked her 5f here at Churchill. Tyler will be in the saddle for the first time.
#9 – Alongcomesawoman (7/2) – Eddie Kenneally is looking for his first win at Churchill in a 2YO MSW event in September since at least 2019 after having started 17. This filly is by Frosted (ALL = 14.7%; Dirt = 15.6%), out of a good race mare by Lemon Drop Kid. She was three for 14 and won $280K, but hasn’t had much success with the two other foals of racing age that she had. Today’s gal hammered for $75,000 as a yearling (18/78) and then was pinhooked back as a 2YO for $150K (4/34). She’s competed twice previously at ELP on the turf and in her last outing she moved up to end only a length back in third. She’s been given three morning spins over the CD strip since her race. Luis Saez will get to handle her reins for the first time.
Final Analysis – This race feels somewhat evenly matched, but my pick is #7 Aledean. Her daddy has not started well with his first crop, but as all of my Edgies know, I always like a baby who sold high in her class. Amoss has historically not done well at this September meet at CD, but he’s too good with the juveniles not to do better. I like this gal’s dam and the produce that she has thrown and I’m glad to see that Aledean worked 5/8th of a mile under the Twin Spires. Tyler will certainly move her up some and I’m going to give her a go at nice odds of 8/1 on the ML.
There is a 2YO MSW Auction Restricted event here at CD on Wednesday, but then an open affair with 14 babies entered on Thursday. So, enjoy this one and I’ll be back at it next week. Many thanks to all of my Fantabulous Edgies, I really appreciate all of your support. Take care, be well, and I hope that you cash a boatload of tickets!
