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Annapolis ahead of his run in the Breeders’ Cup Mile (Courtney Snow/Past The Wire)
G1 Winner Annapolis Tops Field of 12 in Opening Verse
Kentucky Juvenile Attracts Six Youngsters
Horse for Course Bango Headlines St. Matthews Overnight
Churchill Downs Press Release/Edited
LOUISVILLE, Ky.— Bass Racing’s Annapolis, who emerged as one of the top 3-year-old turf runners in the nation last year, will make his 2023 debut Thursday when he headlines a field of 12 in the 18th running of the Opening Verse (Listed) going a mile over the Matt Winn Turf Course.
The Opening Verse will go as the 10th race on the 11-race Thurby card that begins at 12:45 p.m. (all times Eastern). Post time for the Opening Verse in 5:45 p.m.
Trained by Todd Pletcher, Annapolis was a three-time stakes winner in 2022 that included a victory in the Turf Mile (GI) at Keeneland. Annapolis finished the year beaten only 5 ¼ lengths in the Breeders’ Cup Mile (GI).
Irad Ortiz Jr. has the mount and will break from post position three.
Also making his 2023 debut is Juddmonte’s Set Piece (GB).
Trained by Brad Cox, Set Piece won two graded stakes last year and has won four of six starts at Churchill Downs including the Wise Dan (GII) in 2021. Florent Geroux has the mount and will break from post position five.
The field for the Opening Verse, with riders from the rail out, is: Native Thunder (Flavien Prat), Kentucky Ghost (Rafael Bejarano), Annapolis (Ortiz Jr.), Stitched (Joel Rosario), Set Piece (GB) (Geroux), Gray’s Fable (Javier Castellano), Churchtown (Luis Saez,), Camp Hope (Brian Hernandez Jr.), Sky and Sand (Tyler Gaffalione), English Bee (John Velazquez), Time to Party (Joe Bravo), Get Smokin (Ricardo Santana Jr.).
Kentucky Juvenile Attracts Six Youngsters
Two dazzling debut winners this month at Keeneland, Hibernacle and Youalmosthadme headline a field of six for the 29th running of the $200,000 Kentucky Juvenile for 2-year-olds going five furlongs on the main track.
The Kentucky Juvenile will go as the afternoon’s fourth race with a 2:17 p.m. post time.
Wesley Ward, a two-time winner of the race with fillies, owns and bred Hibernacle, a 7 ½-length winner in her first outing on April 12. Joel Rosario has the mount and will break from post one.
Donna Hancock, Richard Royer and Shaun Stone’s Youalmosthadme debuted a week later on April 19 and won by 8 ½ lengths. Trained by John Hancock, Youalmosthadme will be ridden by Tyler Gaffalione and break from post two.
The field for the Kentucky Juvenile, with riders from the rail out, is: Hibernacle (Rosario), Youalmosthadme (Gaffalione), Lil Anthony (Rafael Bejarano), Lou’s Legacy (Yarmarie Correa), Tranche (Edwin Maldonado), Who’s Snow Trouble (Luis Saez).
Horse for Course Bango Headlines St. Matthews Overnight
Tamaroak Partners’ Bango, one of the winningest horses in the history of Churchill Downs with nine victories beneath the historic Twin Spires, will go for No. 10 Thursday when he headlines a field of eight 4-year-olds and up in the second running of the $175,000 St. Matthews Overnight Stakes.
The St. Matthews, to be run over the main track at six furlongs, will be the afternoon’s ninth race with a 5:11 p.m. post time.
Trained by Greg Foley, Bango has won four stakes at Churchill Downs and comes into Thursday’s race off a three-month layoff following a runner-up finish in the Duncan Kenner Stakes (Listed) at Fair Grounds.
Tyler Gaffalione has the mount and will break from post position seven.
Another entrant with an affinity for Churchill Downs is Maribeth Sandford’s Bagboss.
Trained by Brendan Walsh, Bagboss has won three of four starts and will make his 2023 debut in the St. Matthews. Irad Ortiz Jr. has the mount and will break from post one.
The field for the St. Matthews, with riders from the rail out, is: Bagboss (Ortiz Jr.), Miles Ahead (Joe Talamo), Pirate Rick (Rafael Bejarano), Heart Rhythm (Rey Gutierrez), Willtorun (Luan Machado), Surveillance (James Graham), Bango (Gaffalione), Collaborate (Luis Saez).
