Utah Beach. (Renee Torbit/Coady Media)
Grade III, $250,000 Louisville Stakes at Churchill Downs
Darren Rogers/Churchill Downs
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Utah Beach won Saturday’s 88th running of the $250,000 Louisville Stakes (Grade III) at Churchill Downs by 1 ½ lengths over Verstappen in 2:26.70 for the 1 ½-mile marathon over the Matt Winn Turf Course.
Ridden by Vincent Cheminaud, Utah Beach had one horse beat in the early stages of the marathon as pacesetter Idratherbeblessed led the field of nine older horses through early fractions of :48.84, 1:13.64 and 1:39.12. Verstappen, who tracked in second, took over midway around the final as Utah Beach commenced his wide rally. Utah Beach caught Verstappen with an eighth of a mile to run and drew clear in the final yards.
The final time over firm turf was just .20 seconds off 1994 Breeders’ Cup Turf winner Tikkanen’s course record of 2:26.50.
Ignacio “Nacho” Correas IV trained the winner for Jeffrey S. Amling and Charles Noell’s Merribelle Stable.
The win was worth $151,520 and improved Utah Beach’s career earnings to $687,785 with a record of 5-5-1 in 15 starts. It was his second straight stakes victory after capturing the $400,000 Elkhorn (GII) at Keeneland on April 19.
Utah Beach returned $8.44, $4.52 and $2.72 as the 3-1 second betting choice. Verstappen, under Frankie Dettori, paid $7 and $4.04 at odds of 7-1. Missed the Cut, ridden by Brian Hernandez Jr. as the mild 3-1 favorite, was another three lengths back in third and paid $3.90 to show.
Defending champ Sugoi was fourth and was followed by Rock’n a Halo, Accredit and Idratherbeblessed.
Rebel Red (GB) appeared to clip heals with Missed the Cut, who veered out when Idratherbeblessed began to fade, and dropped rider Declan Cannon. Tapit Shoes was unable to avoid the fallen horse and rider and dropped jockey Rafael Bejarano. Both horses returned to their barns. Bejarano returned to the jockey’s quarters.
Cannon, who was alert and conscious, complained of back pain and was transported to University of Louisville Hospital for further evaluation.
Utah Beach is a 5-year-old gelded son of English Channel out of the Lasting Approval mare My Own Story and was bred in Kentucky by his owners.
One race later, a 26-year-old track record fell. 4 G Racing LLC, Lance Gasaway and Magdalena Racing’s 4-year-old Gould’s Gold ran 1 1/8 miles on the main track in 1:47.26, which shaved .02 seconds off Victory’s Gallop’s longtime mark of 1:47.28 while winning the 1999 Stephen Foster Handicap. Brian Hernandez Jr. rode the winner for trainer Kenny McPeek.
Racing at Churchill Downs continues Sunday with a nine-race card that begins at 12:45 p.m. (all times Eastern).
