King David has a chance to prove his Jamaica Handicap (gr. IT) upset was no fluke when he joins an overflow field of 16 starters for the $100,000 Commonwealth Turf Stakes (gr. IIIT) Nov. 17 at Churchill Downs.
The 1 1/16-mile Commonwealth Turf, for sophomores, is race seven of 11 on a "Downs After Dark" night racing card at the Louisville oval with an approximate post time of 7:32 p.m. EST. The only "Downs After Dark" program offered during the fall meet will have a "Roaring 20s" theme.
One of the final local turf events of the season, it saw two, General Logan and Ol Army, wind up on the also-eligible list.
King David, who won the Jamaica at Belmont Park last out Oct. 6 at odds of 28-1, shares high weight of 123 with Hawthorne Derby (gr. IIIT) winner Two Months Rent. King David seeks his sixth straight victory in this race and will be running for trainer Mike Maker and Scarlet Stable for the second time after being claimed for $35,000 mid-September. The Kentucky-bred son of Hat Trick brought his connections a $240,000 share of the Jamaica purse.
King David, who will be ridden by Julien Leparoux and break from post 11 carrying 123 pounds, will face fellow graded stakes winners Two Months Rent, Finale and Quick Wit.
Two Months Rent enters the Commonwealth Turf following a narrow victory over Film Shot in the Hawthorne Derby for AJ Suited Racing Stable. It was the Jimmy Toner-trained runner's first stakes score.
Film Shot will also contest the Commonwealth Turf, sent out by Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott for Donald Adam. By Distorted Humor , he registered his most recent win in an allowance event going the Commonwealth distance back in May.
Mrs. John Magnier, Michael Tabor and Derrick Smith's Finale ran sixth in the Hawthorne Derby in his most recent start. Trained by Todd Pletcher, he seeks his first victory since a three quarter length win in the Summer Stakes (gr. IIIT) going a mile on the Woodbine lawn during his 2-year-old campaign in September 2011.
"Finale was one of the many horses that ran at Hawthorne under adverse condition—a driving rainstorm and very soft turf," Pletcher said. "I thought, considering he probably didn't love the going, he ran pretty well. Hopefully the third start off the layoff will be his best one."
Michael Bruder's Quick Wit also exits the Hawthorne Derby. The Dale Romans trainee ran ninth in that event following an eighth-place finish in the Saranac (gr. IIIT) at Saratoga Race Course. His biggest career victory came at the upstate New York oval in an off-the-turf edition of the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame (gr. II).
"I think you can draw a line through that race," Romans said of the Hawthorne Derby. "He's been doing really well since that race and he had a nice work here the other day (five furlongs on the main track in 1:02.80)."
Artest, winner of the Quick Call Stakes at Saratoga for Michelle Nihei, Skyring, who took the James W. Murphy Stakes for Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas back in May at Pimlico, and Lockout, trained by Mark Casse to a Remington Green Stakes score last out Sept. 30 at Remington Park, are among minor stakes victors entered.
Allowance winners Casual Trick, Any Given Royal, Lea (third in the Hawthorne Derby in his stakes debut), Burn the Mortgage, Excaper, and Finnegans Wake , the latter also trained by Romans, complete the field.
In his most recent start, and first race against older horses, Finnegans Wake ran fourth behind Point of Entry in the 1 1/2-mile Joe Hirsch Turf Classic (gr. IT) at Belmont.
"It's good that he's getting away from those older horses," Romans said. "Grade I's against older horses are pretty tough races, but I think he held his own. That was over a yielding racetrack and I don't think that's his best surface. He's also a victim of the pace and needs some pace in front of him. He should get more pace than he did going 1 1/2 miles."
$100,000 Commonwealth Turf Stakes (gr. IIIT, Race 7, approximate post 7:32 p.m. EST), 3YOs, 1 1/16 miles (turf)
PP., Horse, Jockey, Weight, Trainer
1. Film Shot (KY), L.R. Goncalves, 118, W I Mott
2. Casual Trick (KY), C.H. Borel, 118, N P Zito
3. Two Months Rent (KY), J. L. Castanon, 123, J J Toner
4. Finale (KY), J.R. Velazquez, 118, T A Pletcher
5. Any Given Royal (KY), J. Rocco, Jr. 118, B A Lynch
6. Lea (KY), B.J. Hernandez, Jr., 118, A M Stall, Jr.
7. Burn the Mortgage (KY), K.J. Desormeaux, 118, W M Catalano
8. Quick Wit (KY), V. Lebron, 118, D L Romans
9. Excaper (KY), D. Cohen, 118, I Black
10. Artest (KY), C.J. Lanerie, 118, M Nihei
11. King David (KY), J.R. Leparoux, 123, M J Maker
12. Skyring (KY), J.K. Court, 120, D W Lukas
13. Finnegans Wake (KY), R. Albarado, 118, D L Romans
14. Lockout (KY), S. Bridgmohan, 120, M E Casse
15. General Logan (KY) (AE), J.R. Leparoux, 118, H G Motion
16. Ol Army (KY) (AE), E. Martin, Jr., 118, C Peery
Equipment changes - Ol Army, blinkers off
