Trainer Bobby Frankel has three nominees – Citgo Distaff Turf Mile (gr. IT) winner Heat Haze, Jenny Wiley (gr. III) winner Sea of Showers, and Hollywood Park allowance winner Pertuisane.Other nominees include Affluent, Quick Tip, San Dare, Kiss The Devil, Snow Dance, Affirmed Dancer, Distant Valley and Turtle Bow.
South African champion Ipi Tombe and 2002 winner Voodoo Dancer head a list of 41 older turf fillies and mares nominated to Churchill Downs' $150,000-added Locust Grove (gr. IIIT) on June 28.The Locust Grove, at nine furlongs on the turf, would be the U.S. racing debut of Ipi Tombe, a 5-year-old mare now owned by Team Valor, WinStar Farm and Sunmark Partners and trained by Elliott Walden. A win over males in the $2 million Dubai Duty Free at Nad Al Sheba in March was her seventh consecutive win and her 11th victory in 13 races.Green Hills Stable's Voodoo Dancer won last year's Locust Grove under jockey Jose Santos. She has won 9 of 18 races and earned $1,007,952 for trainer Christophe Clement.