When he stops by Churchill Downs June 13 to pick up his trophy from American Pharoah 's Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I) win, Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert will send Juddmonte Farms' Fame and Power postward in the $100,000 Matt Winn Stakes (gr. III).
The 1 1/16-mile test, which drew a field of eight 3-year-olds, will be the second graded attempt for Fame and Power, who last time out went gate-to-wire in the May 16 Sir Barton Stakes at Pimlico Race Course on the undercard of the Xpressbet.com Preakness Stakes (gr. I), won by his more accomplished stablemate.
Fame and Power, a son of First Defence, ran third in the April 11 Coolmore Lexington Stakes (gr. III) prior to taking the Sir Barton, that show effort off a maiden-breaking March 8 run at Santa Anita Park in his fifth try.
Baffert has sent out four winners of the Matt Winn: Code West (2013), Shot of Gold (1998), Forestry (1999), and Danthebluegrassman (2002).
Victor Espinoza, who rode American Pharoah to Triple Crown glory in the June 6 Belmont Stakes Presented by DraftKings (gr. I), has the mount on Fame and Power from post 5. The duo carries co-highweight of 120 pounds, shared with George Mellon's Private Prospect.
Private Prospect, by Discreet Cat, looks to rebound from a sixth in the April 18 Illinois Derby (gr. III) for trainer Mike Campbell. Winner of the Prairie Meadows Juvenile Mile Stakes last season, he has not scored again in six tries since then. Channing Hill rides from the 4 hole.
Second in the Sir Barton, three lengths behind Fame and Power, was Bold Conquest, who bypassed a Kentucky Derby run to tackle the softer spot for trainer Steve Asmussen. Racing for Ackerly Brothers Farm, the Curlin colt hit the board in several key prep races, including thirds in the Rebel Stakes (gr. III) and Claiborne Breeders' Futurity (gr. I), and a second in the Iroquois Stakes (gr. II) last September at Churchill. Ricardo Santana Jr. has the mount for the colt's first start back at Churchill since the Iroquois, breaking from post 7 under 118 pounds.
Illinois Derby third-place finisher Phenomenal Phoenix and Sir Barton fourth-place runner Henry Jones are others with stakes experience. Island Town, Alabaster, and Nileator complete the field.
Churchill Downs, Saturday, June 13, 2015, Race 9Entries: Matt Winn S. (G3)
PP Horse Jockey Wgt Trainer M/L 1 1Phenomenal Phoenix (KY) Joel Rosario 118 Ron Moquett - 2 2Island Town (KY) Julien R. Leparoux 118 Ian R. Wilkes - 3 3Nileator (KY) Javier Castellano 118 Dale L. Romans - 4 4Private Prospect (KY) Channing Hill 120 Michael B. Campbell - 5 5Fame and Power (KY) Victor Espinoza 120 Bob Baffert - 6 6Henry Jones (KY) Mike E. Smith 118 D. Wayne Lukas - 7 7Bold Conquest (KY) Ricardo Santana, Jr. 118 Steven M. Asmussen - 8 8Alabaster (KY) James Graham 118 Eoin G. Harty -
