General Ledger winning a Gulfstream Park turf allowance race in July. (Coglianese Photography) 

‘The class is the question mark. Is he good enough?’ trainer says

By Tim Wilkin

FRANKLIN, Ky. — Kentucky Downs will host its first Grade 1 race ever on Saturday when the Aristocrat Franklin-Simpson Stakes is run, part of the blockbuster 12-race card which features six graded stakes, each worth $2 million for Kentucky-breds and $1 million for other horses.

Trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. is hoping that his entrant in the Franklin-Simpson can pull off a surprise in the race for 3-year-olds. 

He will run All in Line Stables’ General Ledger, who is 15-1 on Kentucky Downs oddsmaker Nick Tammaro’s morning line. The last time he ran, General Ledger set the pace in the one-mile Grade 2 Secretariat at Colonial on Aug. 11 before fading and finishing fourth. 

Joseph is confident that General Ledger, who will be ridden by Jose Ortiz, will be more comfortable at the 6 ½-furlong distance of the Franklin-Simpson even though it’s the first time he’ll try it.

“That is what he wants to do,” Joseph said Wednesday morning, his first day in the Kentucky Downs barn area. “The class is the question mark. Is he good enough?”

In the Secretariat, he set a moderate pace before fading. Joseph gave him an OK grade for the Secretariat effort.

“He got an easy lead and kind of looked like he was going to hold third,” Joseph said. “He weakened the last furlong. He doesn’t want to go that far.”

Heading into the Franklin-Simpson, Joseph said that his horse does not have to be in front. But he also says General Ledger, a Florida-bred son of Summer Front, has the speed to take the lead.

“If he leads, it won’t hurt him,” Joseph said. “The way the course was playing last week, having speed is very good.”

General Ledger will be making just his fifth start on grass. He has one turf win, that coming at Gulfstream Park on July 19 when he won at 1 1/16 miles. Still, Joseph says the sprint distance of the Franklin-Simpson, is what he thinks his horse will excel at.

“I think he will run as good as he can,” Joseph said. “It’s his first time on the course. You just hope he shows up.”

FANDUEL TV U.S. Open Turf Championships

$2 million, G3 The Light & Wonder Ladies Marathon, (Race 6, post 2:27 p.m. CT)
Distance: 1 5/16 miles. Division: Fillies & Mares, 3-year-olds & up
Post horse (weight) jockey/trainer odds
1 Three Priests (JPN) (122) Velazquez/Varian 8-1
2 Chop Chop (126) Prat/Cox 5-2
3 Angel Nadeshiko (122) I. Ortiz Jr./Joseph Jr. 10-1
4 Greenfinch (118) Dettori/A.O’Brien 3-1
5 Loved Reiko (122) J. Ortiz/Leitch 30-1
6 Vergara (122) Gaffalione/Motion 7-2
7 Neecie Marie (126) Rosario/Reid Jr. 4-1
8 Forever After All (122) Beschizza/Walsh 15-1
9 Viva La Red (122) Geroux/Biancone 30-1

$2 million, G2 The AGS Music City Stakes, (Race 7, post 3:04 p.m. CT)
Distance: 6 ½ furlongs. Division: 3-year-old fillies
Post horse (weight) jockey/trainer odds
1 Crown Imperial (122) Torres/Ortiz 30-1
2 Kairyu (IRE) (124) J. Ortiz/DeVaux 6-1
3 Time to Dazzle (124) Santana Jr./Casse 6-1
4 Pipsy (IRE) (124) Rosario/Walden 6-1
5 Visually (124) Corrales/Morey 30-1
6 Amidst Waves (122) Prat/Weaver 20-1
7 Pharoah’s Wine (118) Chuan/Romans 20-1
8 Buttercream Babe (118) I. Ortiz Jr./Maker 9-2
9 Pounce (124) D. Davis/Casse 7-2
10 Simply in Front (118) L. Saez/Kenneally 15-1 
11 Regulatory Risk (118) Geroux/Brown 15-1
12 Vive Veuve (122) Gaffalione/Sisterson 5-1
AE13 Gavea (GER) (118) Hernandez Jr./Stall 6-1
AE14 Uphill Dance (118) Geroux/Halden 20-1 
AE15 Twirling Queen (122) L. Saez/D’Angelo 4-1
AE16 Toupie (122) Prat/Motion 8-1

$2 million, G3 The Mint Millions (Race 8, post 3:41 p.m. CT)
Distance: 1 mile. Division: 3-year-olds & up
Post horse (weight) jockey/trainer odds
1 Emmanuel (126) J. Ortiz/Maker 6-1
2 Mountain Bear (118) Dettori/A. Obrien 10-1
3 Irish Aces (126) Gaffalione/Walsh 12-1
4 Cash Equity (122) (FR) Leparoux/Joseph Jr. 15-1
5 Tuft’s Revenge (126) Santana Jr./Maker 20-1
6 Strong Quality (126) Geroux/Casse 15-1
7 Funtastic Again (122) Corrales/Ward 5-1
8 Talk of the Nation (122) I. Ortiz Jr. /Pletcher 4-1
9 Reckoning Force (122) Machado/Walsh 15-1
10 Ancient Rome (122) Spencer/Hills 5-2
11 Goliad (S) (122) Prat/Mandella 10-1
S-supplement

$2 million, G1 The Aristocrat Franklin-Simpson (Race 9, post 4:18 p.m. CT)
Distance: 6 ½ furlongs. Division: 3-year-olds
Post horse (weight) jockey/trainer odds
1 Hedwig (120) L. Saez/Harty 10-1
2 Evade (FR) (122) Torres/Maker 12-1
3 General Ledger (118) J. Ortiz/Joseph Jr. 15-1 
4 Yellow Card (118) Velazquez/McCarthy 15-1
5 Bear River (118) Graham/Desormeaux 12-1
6 Apollo Ten (122) Gaffalione/Clement 6-1
7 Joe Shiesty (122) Cedillo/Foster 8-1
8 Please Advise (122) Prat/Weaver 8-1
9 Vote No (122) Corrales/Morey 20-1
10 Howard Wolowitz (118) I. Ortiz Jr./D’Angelo 9-2
11 Mansa Musa (IRE) (118) Alvarado/Mott 4-1
12 Smokey Smokey (122) Santana Jr./Maker 12-1
AE13 Barksdale (118) L. Saez/Walden 15-1
AE 14 Where Ya At Vince (118) Corrales/Rivelli 20-1
AE 15 Save The Trees (118) J. Ortiz/Maker 8-1
AE 16 How’s Ur Attitude (118) Dettori/Ennis 8-1

$2 million, G2 The Fanduel TV Kentucky Turf Cup (Race 10, post 4:55 p.m. CT)
Distance: 1 11/2 miles. Division: 3-year-olds & up
Post horse (weight) jockey/trainer odds
1 Highway Robber (124) Loveberry/Lynch 6-1
2 Integration (124) Carmouche/McGaughey 8-5
3 Cathkin Peak (IRE) (124) J. Ortiz/Maker 15-1
4 Get Smokin (124) De La Cruz/Casse 12-1
5 Sugoi (124) I. Ortiz Jr./Maker 20-1
6 King Curlin (124) Emigh/Vanden Berg 30-1
7 Tawny Port (122) Prat/Clement 8-1
8 Balladeer (122) Geroux/Papaprodromou 20-1
9 Anglophile (122) Cannon/Lynch 10-1
10 Grand Sonata (122) Gaffalione/Pletcher 12-1
11 Chief Little Rock (IRE) 118) Dettori/A.O’Brien 4-1

$2 million, G2 Ainsworth Turf Sprint (Race 11, post 5:31 p.m. CT)
Distance: 6 furlongs. Division: 3-year-olds & up.
Post horse (weight) jockey/trainer odds
1 Gear Jockey (121) Lezcano/Arnold 30-1
2 Axthelm (121) J. Ortiz/Joseph Jr. 30-1
3 One Timer (121) Loveberry/Rivelli 8-1
4 Cogburn (125) I. Ortiz Jr./Asmussen 6-5
5 Charcoal (121) Concepcion/Wisner 30-1
6 Coppola (121) Lanerie/Romans 15-1
7 Grooms All Bizness (121) D. Davis/Duarte Jr. 15-1
8 Khaadem (IRE) (125) Spencer/Hills 7-2
9 Noble Reflection (121) Dettori/Papaprodromou 20-1
10 Nobals (121) Corrales/Rivelli 6-1
11 Witty (121) Gaffalione/Merryman 20-1
12 Mo Stash (121) L.Saez/Oliver 30-1
AE13 Five O’Somewhere (118) Bermudez/Spraggins 50-1