The May 19 $100,000 Louisville Handicap (G3T) will feature a field divided, as trainer Ken McPeek sends out last year's winner, Some in Tieme, along with two other South American-bred runners.
In a question of which hemisphere will prevail, McPeek's band of South American competitors—Vettori Kin, Some in Tieme, and Harlan Strong—will face off against trainer Mike Maker's three Kentucky-bred starters—Designed for War, Roman Approval, and Bronson—in the Churchill Downs starting gate.
Some in Tieme will break from post 7 in the 1 1/2-mile test for 3-year-olds and older. In last year's edition, the son of multiple group 1 victor Shirocco took the race by a comfortable three lengths. The highweight in Friday's race, Some in Tieme has competed in seven graded stakes—more than any other competitor in the eight-horse field—since his North American debut in February of last year. Although he has run exclusively in graded company in his last six outings, the bay 6-year-old has not returned to the winner's circle since his previous year's win over the Louisville oval.
Fellow Brazilian-bred Vettori Kin will make his fifth start since arriving in North America in November. A group 1 winner in his native Brazil, the 5-year-old finished third in his most recent test, a May 13 optional-claiming allowance at Churchill going 1 1/16 miles on the turf. The son of Vettori has yet to win since arriving stateside.
McPeek's final contender, Argentina-bred Harlan Strong, will break from the far outside of the field in post 8. The Louisville Handicap will be the second career start in graded company for the 4-year-old Harlan's Holiday colt, who has raced exclusively in the United States.
Stakes winner Bronson will represent the Maker barn from post 4. Along with Harlan Strong, the 4-year-old Medaglio d'Oro colt is one of the youngest in the field. Owned by Three Diamonds Farm, which also owns stablemate and 2017 Pan American Stakes (G2T) runner-up Designed for War, Bronson finished seventh in both of his two previous season outs and has yet to capture a graded stakes. Shaun Bridgmohan will have the mount. His lone stakes victory came at Gulfstream Park in the 2017 English Channel Stakes.
Michael Hui's Roman Approval is the final entry for Maker. The Louisville Handicap is a chance for redemption for the 7-year-old son of Roman Ruler who finished 11th during his season debut in the Jan. 28 John B. Connally Turf Cup Stakes (G3T) at Sam Houston Race Park—a race in which Some in Tieme and Harlan Strong finished second and sixth, respectively.
Cooptado and Cartoon round out the field for an even South American- Kentucky-bred split of the field.
Churchill Downs, Saturday, May 19, 2018, Race 10Entries: Louisville H. (G3T)
PP Horse Jockey Wgt Trainer M/L 1 1Designed for War (KY) Adam Beschizza 115 Michael J. Maker 7/2 2 2Roman Approval (KY) Corey J. Lanerie 114 Michael J. Maker 4/1 3 3Vettori Kin (BRZ) James Graham 115 Kenneth G. McPeek 5/1 4 4Bronson (KY) Shaun Bridgmohan 115 Michael J. Maker 12/1 5 5Cooptado (ARG) Declan Cannon 114 Thomas Morley 12/1 6 6Cartoon (KY) Jack Gilligan 114 Pavel Vashchenko 10/1 7 7Some in Tieme (BRZ) Manoel R. Cruz 118 Kenneth G. McPeek 5/2 8 8Harlan Strong (ARG) Brian Joseph Hernandez, Jr. 116 Kenneth G. McPeek 5/1
