Proud Jefe Ready for KY Cup Juvenile

Gold Mark Farm’s Proud Jefe hasn’t started yet around two turns, but a pair of sprint wins make him the one to beat in the Sept. 27 Kentucky Cup Juvenile Stakes (gr. III), worth $100,000, at 1 1/16 miles. The Proud Citizen   colt is the only one in the field of eight with as many as two wins.

Proud Jefe showed speed in his two victories, both at 5 1/2 furlongs. He led at every call in his first win, at Churchill Downs, then took the Brian Barenscheer Juvenile Stakes at Canterbury after getting the lead partway through the race. The latter effort earned the Tom Amoss trainee a spot in the Saratoga Special Stakes (gr. II), but he failed to mount much of a threat in the stretch and was beaten about eight lengths. Corey Lanerie rides for the first time.

Sir Bubba, by Five Star Day  , should get some support in that he is the sole runner in the field to have started at Turfway. Owned by Sherry Napier and trained by William Napier, he won over the Polytrack surface Sept. 3. Otto Thorwarth rides again.

Trainer Steven Asmussen’s charge Retap sports a pair of stakes-placings in his last two starts, the most recent being the Mountaineer Juvenile Stakes at six furlongs. Owned by Winchell Thoroughbreds, the son of Tapit   again will be ridden by Shaun Bridgmohan.

Gresham, who won over Arlington’s synthetic surface in his last start, figures to like the extra distance.Trained by James Baker, the son of Seeking the Goldmade up ground to win by about three lengths for Courtlandt Farms. Julien Laparoux rides for the first time.

Just Like Biscuit is the only one of the group with a race as far as 1 1/16 miles. The Sligo Bayrunner trained by Adrienne Moore didn’t break his maiden until he tried running as far as a mile, then ran a good fourth in the Miller Lite Cradle Stakes at the Kentucky Cup distance for owners Moorehaven Farms and Mistletoe Farms. Bonnie Castaneda rides him again.

The three remaining entrants are Tar Beach, who closed well to break his maiden at Saratoga last time out; Da Bear Facts, who won at a mile over Presque Isle’s synthetic track in his last race; and West Side Bernie, whose only race resulted in a victory at Monmouth Park at a mile and 70 yards after racing close to the pace.

The $100,000 Kentucky Cup Sprint Stakes (gr. III) precedes the Juvenile and pits 10 3-year-old speedsters going six furlongs. Fatal Bullet, by Red Bullet  , appears ready to be put to the test by virtue of consecutive wins in the Bold Venture Stakes at Woodbine in track-record time over a synthetic surface and the Tom Ridge Labor Day Stakes at Presque Isle in his last two starts.

Eaton’s Gift is the only other one in the race with as many as two stakes wins this year. The son of Johannesburg   won the Swale Stakes (gr. II) in the winter and the Matt Winn Stakes at Churchill Downs in the spring. 

$100,000 Kentucky Cup Juvenile (gr. III, Race 8, 4:55 p.m.) 2_year-Olds, 1 1/16 Miles
Post   Horse   Trainer   Jockey    Weight
1 Sir Bubba   William Napier   Otto Thorwarth   114
2 Gresham   James Baker   Julien Leparoux   114
3 Proud Jefe   Thomas Amoss   Corey Lanerie   118
4 Retap   Steven Asmussen   Shaun Bridgmohan   114
5 Tar Beach   Kenneth McPeek   Miguel Mena   114
6 Da Bear Facts   Timothy Hamm   Brian Hernandez Jr.   114
7 West Side Bernie   Kelly Breen   Stewart Elliott   114
8 Just Like Biscuit   Adrienne Moore   Bonnie Castaneda   114

$100,000 Kentucky Cup Sprint (gr. III, Race 7, 4:21 p.m.) 3-Year-Olds, Six Furlongs
Post   Horse   Trainer   Jockey    Weight
1. Nautical Storm   D. Wayne Lukas   Miguel Mena   118
2. Eaton’s Gift   Dale Romans   Shaun Bridgmohan   122
3. That’s Grand   Ray Tracy Jr.   Otto Thorwarth   118
4. Hatta Fort   Saeed bin Suroor   Julien Leparoux   118
5. Fatal Bullet   Reade Baker   Eurico Rosa Da Silva   122
6. Salute the Sarge   Eric Guillot   Corey Lanerie   118
7. Gentleman James   Myra Mora   Manny Aguilar   118
8. Beyond Ready   J. Larry Jones   Terry Thompson   118
9. Silver Sword   Shannon Ritter   Stewart Elliott   118
10 No Advantage   Doug O’Neill   Brian Hernandez Jr.   118