(From track report)
Churchill Downs brings down the curtain on its 113th Fall Meet on Saturday with a pair of $200,000-added stakes races for 2-year-olds, the Kentucky Jockey Club (gr. II) for colts and geldings and the Golden Rod (gr. II) for fillies.
Unbeaten Cat Genius heads a field of 12 in the 76th running of the $200,000-added Kentucky Jockey Club. But the unbeaten and unchallenged My Boston Gal figures to attract much of the crowd's attention to the eight fillies who will compete in this year's 59th renewal of the $200,000-added Golden Rod. Both races are run at 1 1/16 mile.The Golden Rod is scheduled to start at 3:30 p.m. (EST), with the Kentucky Jockey Club set to go an hour later.The career of My Boston Gal spans only two races, but those victories at Keeneland and Churchill Downs have been dominating. "As far as talent, I've never had anything quite like her," trainer Carl Nafzger said. "She's done things right. She has executed and the basis of our stable is to execute. She's done all that and she's still shown extreme talent."Jockey Calvin Borel has been aboard My Boston Gal in both of her races and is also an unabashed fan."She's awesome," he said. "She might be the best filly I've ever been on."Owned by Stoneledge Racing, Randall Bloch and Phil Milner, the daughter of 1996 juvenile champion Boston Harbor has been installed as the 7-5 morning line favorite.The race has also attracted the top two finishers from the $100,000-added Pocahontas Stakes. Ken Mahler and Jamie Schloss' Belle of Perintown overcame major traffic problems in the stretch to win that one-mile race by 3/4-lengths over W. Rodger Giles' Star of Atticus.Belle of Perintown opened her career with four losses, but the Pocohontas marked her second consecutive victory. Irish-born trainer Eddie Kenneally believes his filly is ready for another big effort in the Golden Rod as Belle of Perintown attempts a two-turn distance for the first time."She's doing super and I'm really happy with her," said Kenneally. "We'll just have to see if she can go a mile and a sixteenth. I think she can, but you never know until you try."Mark Guidry returns to the saddle aboard Belle of Perintown, who is listed as the 7-2 second choice in the Golden Rod morning line.Cat Genius Favored in Balanced Kentucky Jockey Club
John R. Parker's unbeaten Cat Genuis, a speedy Florida-bred son of Western Cat trained by Tom Amoss, is listed as the 7-2 morning line favorite for the Kentucky Jockey Club, although he drew the outside post in a field of 12.Cat Genius has won all three of his career starts -- including the Gilded Times Stakes at Arlington Park on Oct. 25 – and the combined margin of those front-running wins is 27 lengths. The Kentucky Jockey Club will be his first race at a two-turn distance."He really never has been challenged at any time," said Amoss. "But the question on him, because he's such a speedy type, is how far can he go?"Calvin Borel will ride Cat Genius, who will carry 119 pounds.Lloyd Madison Farms LLC's Iroquois Stakes (gr. III) winner Champali, unbeaten in three races for trainer Greg Foley, is another young star who will be attempting a two-turn distance for the first time."I think he'll handle it alright," said Foley. "He's going into it healthy and that's the main thing. He's showed he's got some talent. I like our chances."Champali will be without regular jockey Pat Day, the Fall Meet riding champion who will miss the final day of the meet to ride Firecracker Breeders' Cup (gr. IIT) winner Good Journey in the Citation Handicap (gr. IIT) at Hollywood Park. Apprentice John McKee will ride Champali, who will is the co-highweight in the Kentucky Jockey Club at 122 pounds.The co-highweight in the race is Tom Durant's Most Feared, a gelded son of Commanchero who won the Continental Mile at Monmouth Park and the Arlington-Washington Futurity (gr. III) at Arlington Park. The Ronny Werner-trained Most Feared finished sixth to Vindication in the $1 million Breeders' Cup Juvenile (gr. I) in his most recent start on Oct. 26.The Kentucky Jockey Club field includes a trio of contenders from the sizzling barn of trainer Ken McPeek. They are headed by Ken and Sarah Ramsey's Ten Cents A Shine, an Ohio-bred son of Devil His Due who scored an impressive win at seven furlongs in career debut at Churchill Downs on Nov. 2."He's a very, very nice horse," said McPeek. "If he's able to win in his first time at two turns in a $200,000-added stake, we might be holding on to a super, super star."Jockey Shane Sellers, who shares McPeek's optimism, will ride Ten Cents A Shine."I think he could be any kind of horse," he said. "I haven't been excited like that about a horse since Pulpit or Skip Away. Those are some strong words, but I'm really excited about this horse."$200,000-added Golden Rod Stakes (gr. II), 2-year-old fillies, 1 1/16 mile
1 Moonlight Sonata (KY), Shane Laviolette, 122
2 Red Cell (KY), Shane J. Sellers, 115
3 My Boston Gal (KY), Calvin H. Borel, 117
4 Holiday Lady (KY), Robby Albarado, 115
5 Belle of Perintown (KY), Mark Guidry, 122
6 Jodys Deelite (KY), Jon Kenton Court, 115
7 My Trusty Cat (KY), Terry J. Thompson, 115
8 Star of Atticus (KY, Lonnie Meche, 115$200,000-added Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes (gr. II), 2-year-olds, 1 1/16 mile
1 Champali (KY), John McKee, 122
2 Domestic Dispute (KY), David Romero Flores, 115
3 Collateral Damage (KY), Jose R. Martinez, Jr., 117
4 Eagle Eyrie (KY), Daniel Coa, 115
5 Most Feared (TX), Mark Guidry, 122
6 Sir Cherokee (KY), James Lopez. 115
7 Desert Warrior (KY), Jon Kenton Court, 117
8 Ten Cents a Shine (OH), Shane J. Sellers, 115
9 Soto (KY), Larry Melancon, 117
10 Midway Road (KY), Robby Albarado, 117
11 White Cat (KY), Craig Perret, 117
12 Cat Genius (FL), Calvin H. Borel, 119