Aristides, Dogwood highlight Churchill card
One of the few course-and-distance preps for this year’s Breeders’ Cup Sprint
(G1) will be held Saturday at Churchill Downs when six older males line up for
the $100,000
Aristides S. (G3) at six furlongs. ATTA BOY ROY (Tribunal), who enters off a
10-1 upset of the Churchill Downs S. (G2) on Derby Day, drew post 1 and will
carry top weight of 124 pounds.
Ridden by Calvin Borel, who will be back aboard the ridgling in the
Aristides, Atta Boy Roy showed speed from the start in the seven-furlong
Churchill Downs. At a time in the day when the sloppy track appeared to be
favoring those coming from behind, Borel found a favorable strip of ground close
to the rail and sent the Valorie Lund charge to the front. Despite setting fast
fractions, the five-year-old lasted over Warrior’s Reward (Medaglia d’Oro) by a
half-length. Borel would use the same favorable part of the track when aboard
Super Saver (Maria’s Mon) in the Kentucky Derby (G1) not long afterward.
Given Atta Boy Roy’s rise from relative obscurity in the Pacific Northwest,
bettors might be wary of backing him this time at drastically shorter odds. The
once-beaten CASH REFUND (Petionville) figures to get a lot of attention off a
stellar winter campaign at Fair Grounds, where he captured the Duncan F. Kenner
S. and F.W. Gaudin Memorial S. His only setback to date was in the Matt Winn S.
at Churchill last year, when he was beaten less than a length by eventual Grade
1 winner Capt. Candyman Can (Candy Ride [Arg]).
CHIEF OF AFFAIRS (Yonaguska) barely missed hanging on in the Count Fleet
Sprint H. (G3) two back, but rebounded with a comfortable triumph in the James
Whitcomb Riley S. over a sloppy Indiana Downs surface. The Texas-bred will again
square off with RILEY TUCKER (Harlan’s Holiday), who finished behind Chief of
Affairs in both efforts. LISSA’S STAR (Valid Expectations) and CASSOULET
(Distorted Humor) round out the field but do not appear to be viable players on
paper.
Eight three-year-old fillies will square off later in the card in the
$100,000
Dogwood S. (G3). AILALEA (Pulpit) has been unplaced in three starts this
season, but a return to a one-turn mile may benefit the Todd Pletcher pupil who
captured the Tempted S. (G3) at Aqueduct under similar conditions. Progressive
sorts VISAVIS (Indian Charlie), second in the Eight Belles S. (G3), and recent
Instant Racing S. runner-up VERTICAL VISION (Pollard’s Vision) might also
attract support.
TAP TAP TAPPING (Tapit), AGE OF HUMOR (Distorted Humor) and FUZZY BRITCHES
(Pollard’s Vision) have all placed in graded company previously, but have shown
inconsistency at times against lesser.