Bango Aims For Record 12th Churchill Downs Win

Bango scoring the 2023 St. Matthews Overnight. (Coady Photography)

Batten Down Earns Career-Best 101 Brisnet Speed Rating While Shattering Track Record In Bourbon Flight Stakes  

Kevin Kerstein/Churchill Downs

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Tamaroak Partners’ Bango has been tied with Ready’s Rocket for the all-time wins record at Churchill Downs for more than a year. On Friday, the veteran sprinter will attempt to make history and claim the record outright against a compact field of four rivals in a conditioned allowance race.

Trained by Greg Foley, Bango has not returned to the winner’s circle since last year’s victory in the Louisville Thoroughbred Society Stakes at Churchill Downs. Friday’s race will be his third start of his 7-year-old season, following disappointing finishes in the St. Matthews Stakes and Kelly’s Landing Stakes during the Spring Meet.

“He’s shown us in the morning that he’s still training like he was when he was at the top of his game,” Foley said. “He had a great work on Saturday – a half-mile in 46 flat, out five furlongs in 58 and 3. He was rolling right along. We’re hoping the old guy can right the ship and get the record.”

A son of Congrats, Bango has made 37 career starts, earning 14 wins, four seconds, and four thirds. At Churchill Downs alone, he has banked more than $1.2 million, with another $500,000 coming from other tracks.

Friday’s allowance race is scheduled as Race 3 at 1:43 p.m. (all times Eastern). First post is 12:45 p.m. The field includes recent Forego Stakes (GI) third-place finisher Angkor, who is the 8-5 morning-line favorite. Bango, installed as the 2-1 second choice, will be ridden by September Meet leading rider Tyler Gaffalione.

Batten Down Earns Career-Best 101 Brisnet Speed Rating While Shattering Track Record In Bourbon Flight Stakes  

Juddmonte’s Batten Down delivered a brilliant performance Saturday at Churchill Downs in the Bourbon Flight Stakes, breaking Idol’s 1 3/16-mile track record and earning a career-high 101 Brisnet Speed Rating.

Ridden by Junior Alvarado and trained by Hall of Famer Bill Mott, the 3-year-old colt completed the 1 3/16 miles in 1:54.66, shattering the previous record of 1:55.97 set by Idol in 2020. While races at this specialized distance are rare at Churchill Downs, Mott’s team celebrated the achievement.

“This family has obviously shown a tremendous amount of talent, and we’re really excited this colt is on that same path,” Mott’s assistant Kenny McCarthy said. “He ran against some of the best 3-year-olds in North America this summer at Saratoga and I think yesterday’s race gave him a lot of confidence winning the way he did.”

Bred in Kentucky by Juddmonte, Batten Down is a son of Tapit out of the former Mott-trained champion mare Close Hatches. The 3-year-old is a full sibling to Tacitus, a three-time Grade II winner, and Scylla, who won the Fasig-Tipton Fleur de Lis (GI) and Shawnee Stakes (GIII) this spring at Churchill Downs.

DOWN THE STRETCH … ….. ………..

Racing resumed Sunday at Churchill Downs for a 10-race card and first post of 12:45 p.m. There was a $232,902 carryover in the 20-cent Derby City 6 Jackpot which spanned Races 5-10. … 

Godolphin’s talented 2-year-old colt East Avenue continues to train at Churchill Downs for a possible start in the Oct. 5 Breeders’ Futurity (GI) at Keeneland. An eight-length debut winner this summer at Ellis Park, East Avenue cruised a half-mile in :47 Saturday at Churchill Downs, working with two other Brendan Walsh stablemates. East Avenue started about two lengths behind his workmates, finishing even at the wire before galloping out several lengths in front around the clubhouse turn. … 

Trainer Kenny McPeek reported Thorpedo Anna will ship back to Saratoga on Sunday following her gutsy victory in Saturday’s Cotillion Stakes (GI) at Parx. …  

Following dark days Monday and Tuesday, the final week of the September Meet will commence Wednesday with a first post of 12:45 p.m.