FRANKLIN, Ky.— Stitched figures to be one of the horses that heavy favorite Big Invasion has to run down to win the $600,000, Grade 2 Franklin-Simpson Stakes on Kentucky Downs’ Super Saturday. Big Invasion has won six straight, but Stitched has his own little streak of three straight and four wins in his last five starts. He also backs up from a mile to 6 1/2 furlongs, which can be a betting angle.
Trainer Greg Foley had planned to run Stitched in the mile Secretariat on Aug. 13 before Churchill Downs canceled that turf stakes.
“We thought we’d take a shot at this race over at Kentucky Downs,” he said. “He’s done everything right, other than the first time we ran him at the Fair Grounds. Didn’t run that day, I should say. He got beat 30-some lengths. We were scratching our heads. We’d been bragging on him with the owners. We didn’t know what to say other than throw it out and try it again.”
Foley put Stitched on grass in a maiden $30,000-claiming race, winning in a dead heat. His only defeats in six starts since were in an off-the-turf allowance race and at 1 1/16 miles. He comes into the Franklin-Simpson off victory in a pair of $150,000 stakes at Canterbury Park and Horseshoe Indianapolis.
“He’s a really nice horse, pretty horse,” Foley said. “We like him a lot, actually.”
Stitched was cross-entered in Wednesday’s inaugural $400,000 Gun Runner Stakes at a mile. Travis Foley, his dad’s assistant, said that was just to keep options open but that the plan is to run Saturday.
“We think he’ll run good backing up to 6 1/2” furlongs, Greg Foley said. “Especially at Kentucky Downs, a different surface. We think he’s the type of horse that will like it over there. He doesn’t care much about where you take him or different surface.”
By Jennie Rees – Kentucky Downs Press Release
Photo: Stitched wins the Caesars Stakes at Horseshoe Indianapolis (Coady Photography)
