Postulation will try for a third straight stakes win when he starts from the rail in the $600,000 Calumet Farm Kentucky Turf Cup Stakes (G3T) Sept. 9 at Kentucky Downs.
Runnymede Racing's gelded son of Harlan's Holiday finished off the board in his first two races this year but found his best stride when stretched out to 1 1/2 miles for just the second time in his career—scoring a six-length victory in the Cape Henlopen Stakes July 8 at Delaware Park.
Off that front-running score, trainer Edward Graham entered Postulation in the 1 11/16-mile American St. Leger Stakes (G3T) Aug. 12 at Arlington International Race Course. Distance again proved to be no problem, as the 5-year-old runner cruised to a 2 1/4-length victory.
Jockey Jorge A. Vargas Jr. secured his first graded stakes win in the American St. Leger and will make the trip to Kentucky Downs Saturday. The inside post could be favorable, as Vargas and Postulation hugged the rail in their American St. Leger score.
After skipping away from seven challengers at Arlington, Postulation will have to hold off an expected 13 rivals Saturday, including four horses trained by Mike Maker. After winning the past two editions of the Kentucky Turf Cup with Da Big Hoss, Maker this year will send out Ken and Sarah Ramsey's Oscar Nominated, Maxis Stable's Enterprising, Three Diamonds Farm's St. Louie, and Michael Hui's Taghleeb.
Enterprising enters off a close fourth-place finish in the Arlington Million XXXV Stakes (G1T) Aug. 12. Earlier in the year he captured the Muniz Memorial Handicap (G2T) and the Fair Grounds Handicap (G3T), both at the Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots turf to start the season. The 6-year-old Elusive Quality gelding will try 1 1/2 miles for the first time Saturday, looking to add to his seven career stakes wins.
Oscar Nominated finished eighth in the Arlington Million but did register a grade 1 placing in the spring when third behind Divisidero and Beach Patrol in the Woodford Reserve Turf Classic Stakes (G1T) at Churchill Downs. The grade 3-winning son of Kitten's Joy also boasts a stakes win over the unique undulating Kentucky Downs turf, as he scored a 6 1/2-length victory in last year's Exacta Systems Dueling Grounds Derby.
St. Louie, a 5-year-old son of Arch, will make his graded stakes debut after finishing third in the restricted John's Call Stakes Aug. 23 on the Saratoga Race Course turf; while Taghleeb, a 6-year-old son of Hard Spun , enters off a runner-up finish to Postulation in the American St. Leger.
The field also includes Shadwell Stable's Muqtaser, who will make his stakes debut off a pair of allowance level wins on the inner turf at Saratoga; Calumet Farm's Zulu Alpha, who enters off a maiden and allowance win at Indiana Grand; and Preston Stables and Prestonwood Racing's One Go All Go, winner of the 2015 Commonwealth Derby (G2T) at Laurel Park.
Kentucky Downs, Saturday, September 09, 2017, Race 10Entries: Calumet Farm Kentucky Turf Cup S. (G3T)
PP Horse Jockey Wgt Trainer M/L 1 1Postulation (KY) Jorge A. Vargas, Jr. 123 Edward L. Graham 9/2 2 2Lucky Ramsey (KY) Channing Hill 121 Randy L. Morse 30/1 3 3Muqtaser (KY) Joe Bravo 123 Kiaran P. McLaughlin 6/1 4 4Oscar Nominated (KY) Julien R. Leparoux 121 Michael J. Maker 7/2 5 5Crescent Drive (KY) Miguel Mena 121 Thomas M. Amoss 20/1 6 6Zulu Alpha (KY) Robby Albarado 121 Jose Fernandez 30/1 7 7Enterprising (FL) Corey J. Lanerie 123 Michael J. Maker 3/1 8 8Bullards Alley (KY) Marcelino Pedroza 121 Tim Glyshaw 12/1 9 9One Go All Go (VA) Declan Cannon 121 Pavel Matejka 20/1 10 10St. Louie (KY) Tyler Gaffalione 123 Michael J. Maker 30/1 11 11Taghleeb (KY) Jose L. Ortiz 123 Michael J. Maker 5/1 12 12Nessy (KY) Brian Joseph Hernandez, Jr. 121 Ian R. Wilkes 20/1 13 13Motivational (KY) Joseph Rocco, Jr. 121 Jack O. Fisher 30/1 14 14Tobias (KY) James Graham 121 Rafael A. Fernandez 30/1
