Damon’s Mound becomes a G2 winner in the Saratoga Special last summer at Saratoga (Susie Raisher)
Keeneland Press Release
LEXINGTON, Ky.— Michele and Cliff Love’s Damon’s Mound, winner of the Saratoga Special (G2) last summer, will make his grass debut Sunday when he headlines a field of 12 3-year-olds and one also-eligible for the 17th running of the $250,000 Palisades (L) going 5½ furlongs.
The Palisades will go as the seventh race on Sunday’s nine-race program with a 4:12 p.m. ET post time. First post Sunday is 1 p.m.
Trained by Michelle Lovell, Damon’s Mound won at first asking by 12½ lengths at Churchill Downs last June prior to winning at Saratoga. Sunday will mark the first start for Damon’s Mound since finishing sixth in the 1 1/16-mile Iroquois (G3) at Churchill on Sept. 17.
Gabriel Saez has the mount and will break from post position 12.
While Damon’s Mound is an unknown quantity on the grass, Mike McCarty’s Private Creed is not.
Trained by Steve Asmussen, Private Creed has compiled a 6-3-1-2 record on the grass that includes victories in the Indian Summer (L) Presented by Keeneland Select here and the Global Tote Juvenile Sprint (L) at Kentucky Downs and a third-place finish in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint (G1).
Joel Rosario, who was aboard in those three races, has the call Sunday and will break from post six.
Invading from Florida is AMO Racing USA’s Crispy Cat (GB). Twice group-placed in Europe last year, Crispy Cat won the Texas Glitter Stakes at Gulfstream Park on March 25 in his most recent outing for trainer Jorge Delgado. Paco Lopez has the mount from post four.
The field for the Palisades, with riders and weights from the rail out, is: Two of a Kind (Julien Leparoux, 118 pounds), Chiringo (Irad Ortiz Jr., 118), Fadethenoise (Frankie Dettori, 118), Crispy Cat (GB) (Lopez, 123), Gaslight Dancer (Tyler Gaffalione, 118), Private Creed (Rosario, 123), Bushido (Luis Saez, 123), No Nay Hudson (IRE) (John Velazquez, 118), Storm Daddy (Malcolm Franklin, 118), Golden Nugget (Flavien Prat, 118), New York Thunder (Jose Morelos, 118), Damon’s Mound (Gabriel Saez, 118). Also-Eligible: Olazabal (Florent Geroux, 118).
