FRANKLIN, Ky. (Friday, Aug. 28, 2020) — California-based trainer Richard Mandella expects to run horses at Kentucky Downs for the first time in his Hall of Fame career, nominating 10 different horses to a variety of stakes at the upcoming six-date meet offering some of the most lucrative purses in the world.
“Things just haven’t worked out timing-wise before, but I’ve always been anxious to go and see how it works,” Mandella said recently.
The RUNHAPPY Meet at Kentucky Downs kicks off Labor Day — two days after the delayed Kentucky Derby — and continues Sept. 9, 10, 12, 13 and 16.
Kentucky Downs on Friday released the names of the horses nominated to the seven stakes positioned during the first three days of racing, and it’s definitely a combination of quantity and quality with at least 50 horses made eligible to each stakes. Nominations, which were free, closed Wednesday for all 16 stakes, with nominees for the remaining nine stakes to be released in a couple of days.
“Nominations do not equate to entries, but they certainly are an indicator for the enthusiasm for a stakes and racing program,” said Ted Nicholson, Kentucky Downs’ senior vice president and general manager. “We’re thrilled with the escalating response we’re getting from trainers on both coasts. Having Kentucky Derby Week right before we begin will siphon off some horses who otherwise would have run with us. But at the same time, it also makes it easier for California and New York trainers shipping to run at Churchill Downs to bring along other horses to take advantage of our grass racing and big purses.”
Mandella’s nominees include LNJ Foxwood’s United, who has morphed into arguably the best turf horse in California. Mandella said the $1 million Calumet Farm Kentucky Turf Cup is “under consideration” for United, who dropped last November’s Longines Breeders’ Cup Turf by a head at 51-1 odds to favored Bricks and Mortar. He started this year ripping off victory in three Grade 2 stakes before narrowly losing the Grade 2 Del Mar Handicap on Aug. 23 to Red King. If not likely, Mandella hasn’t ruled out Kentucky Downs’ richest race, saying, “I’m not saying not.”
If United would run — and Red King also is nominated to the Kentucky Turf Cup — it would provide a dramatic showdown between the West Coast standout and the last two winners of the 1 1/2-mile stakes: 2019 hero Zulu Alpha and Arklow, who finished second last year. Those horses, who both won Grade 1 stakes after running at Kentucky Downs, are being geared for the race.
Mandella plans to run Rick Porter’s talented Jolie Olimpica in the $500,000 Kentucky Downs Ladies Sprint at 6 1/2 furlongs. As a Brazilian-bred horse, Jolie Olimpica is not eligible to compete for the $200,000 available for runners born in Kentucky and by a Kentucky sire. But Mandella notes that the $300,000 base purse is tough to top for female turf sprinters.
Calumet Farm’s Siberian Iris was made eligible for the $1 million Calumet Farm Kentucky Turf Cup along with the $500,000 TVG Stakes (originally called the Ladies Marathon) on Sept. 13. The 6-year-old Irish-bred mare finished second against males in Santa Anita’s Grade 3 San Juan Capistrano.
Mandella also nominated multiple stakes-winner Bombard to the Tourist Mile and the $700,000, Grade 3 RUNHAPPY Turf Sprint on Sept. 12, a Breeders’ Cup Challenge Series race whose winner gets a free berth in the $1 million Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint (G1) at Keeneland on Nov. 7.
Photo Credit- Benoit Photo
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