Dollar Bill, winless in stakes competition this year, but with several strong graded placings, was installed the 3-1 morning line favorite for Saturday's Kentucky Cup Classic (gr. II) to be run at Turfway Park in northern Kentucky. Dollar Bill, owned by Gary and Mary West, will break from post 5 as the 117-pound highweight in the 1 1/8-mile Kentucky Cup Classic, and will face eight rivals. Post time for the Classic is 5:27 EDT.
The strongest threats to Dollar Bill, according to Turfway Park odds-maker Mike Battaglia, is Abreeze, listed at 4-1, and Tenpins, the 9-2 third choice. Abreeze, who will have Richard Migliore aboard, will break from post 3; the Donald Winfree-trained Tenpins will break from the outside post 9 under Robby Albarado.
Dollar Bill, trained by Dallas Stewart, will be making his seventh start of the year in the $400,000 Kentucky Cup Classic. It is also the seventh different surface he's run on. After winning an allowance race at Fair Grounds on March 8, Dollar Bill has yet to find the winner's circle, but has been running in grade I and grade II events exclusively, with only one off the board finish. He finished fourth behind Sky Jack in a westward trip to Hollywood Park for the July 14 Hollywood Gold Cup (gr. I), but has since bounced back with a third-place finish in the Saratoga Breeders' Cup Handicap (gr. II) on Aug. 17. Second in that race was Abreeze.
A winner of four of 18 lifetime starts, Dollar Bill has earned more than $1 million. Bred in Kentucky by Mr. and Mrs. Robert Courtney, Dollar Bill's stakes victories have come in the Brown and Williamson Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes (gr. II) at 2, and the Risen Star Stakes at 3. He finished 15th behind Monarchos in last year's Kentucky Derby (gr. I) and fourth in both the Preakness and Belmont Stakes (both gr. I).
Abreeze, trained by Kiaran McLaughlin for owners Alvin, Letty, and Neal Haynes, worked a half-mile in :50 1/5 over the Oklahoma training track at his base in Saratoga, N.Y. on Tuesday in preparation for the Classic. A 7-year-old son of Danzig, Abreeze was competing against $35,000 claiming stock in New York earlier this year. He won a pair of allowance races prior to his effort in the Saratoga Breeders' Cup.
Tenpins, owned by Joe Vitello, put together an impressive five-race win streak this year prior to running third behind Street Cry and Dollar Bill in the Stephen Foster Handicap (gr. I) at Churchill Downs. By Smart Strike, out of a winning Deputy Minister mare, Tenpins is a half-brother to three stakes winners.
Nothing Flat is the lone 3-year-old in the cast and is coming off a closing third-place finish in the Travers Stakes (gr. I) for trainer Nick Zito.
Kentucky Cup Classic (gr. II), $400,000, 1 1/8 miles, 3-year-olds and up; 5:27 p.m. EDT
Post Horse Wgt. Jockey Odds
1 Miner's Prize 113 Calvin Borel 20-1
2 Nothing Flat 112 Victor Espinoza 6-1
3 Abreeze 114 Richard Migliore 4-1
4 Pure Prize 115 Mike Smith 6-1
5 Dollar Bill 17 Pat Day 3-1
6 There's Zealous 114 Kent Desormeaux 5-1
7 Woodmoon 113 Mark Guidry 15-1
8 Hero's Tribute 113 Craig Perret 8-1
9 Tenpins 116 Robby Albarado 9-2
