Churchill Downs, Humana Distaff attract leading sprint
stars
One of the stars of last year’s Kentucky Derby undercard, the veteran
sprinter Delaunay, seeks to preserve his undefeated mark under the Twin Spires
on Saturday when he defends his title in the Grade 2, $400,000
Churchill
Downs over seven furlongs.
Establishing himself as one of the premier sprinters in the country with a
four-length triumph in the 2013 edition of the race, his sixth consecutive
stakes win, Delaunay was unable to keep the positive momentum going the rest of
the season. Sidelined more than five months after back-to-back losses at Prairie
Meadows and Saratoga, the Smoke Glacken seven-year-old was a comeback winner of
the F.W. Gaudin Memorial at Fair Grounds in late January. However, he was left
in the wake of Heitai in the March 8 Duncan F. Kenner over the same track,
finishing five lengths adrift of that Louisiana-bred.
Delaunay, who break from post 10 in the field of 11, faces a stellar group of
older horses, including Sahara Sky, the 2013 winner of the Metropolitan
Handicap, San Carlos, and Palos Verdes. Another horse who missed much of the
second half of last season, Sahara Sky successfully defended his San Carlos
title on March 8, and was most recently second in the Carter Handicap at
Aqueduct for a second time.
Also exiting the Carter is Clearly Now, who finished third as the favorite
while making his first start since November. The four-year-old won or placed in
seven of eight starts last term, posting a swift victory over older rivals in
the Bold Ruler Handicap at Belmont Park.
Others who have finished behind Sahara Sky in recent outings are Shakin It Up
and Central Banker, the one-two finishers in last December’s Malibu at Santa
Anita. Shakin It Up went on to take the 1 1/16-mile Strub the following month,
but regressed to fifth when shortening up for the seven-furlong San Carlos.
Central Banker has made just one start since the Malibu, finishing sixth of
seven in the Carter.
The Churchill Downs field also includes Falling Sky, hero of the Gulfstream
Park Sprint Championship; Capo Bastone, 28-1 upset winner of the King’s Bishop
at Saratoga last August; Laugh Track, the Breeders’ Cup Sprint runner-up who was
third in the Commonwealth at Keeneland in his season debut; and Quiet Force, a
rough-trip fourth in the Commonwealth in his first start off the claim by Mike
Maker.
A strong renewal of the Grade 1, $300,000
Humana Distaff,
for fillies and mares at seven furlongs, features Grade 1 winners Judy the
Beauty and Midnight Lucky. A close second to Groupie Doll in last fall’s
Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Sprint, Judy the Beauty has shown signs this year of
being the heir apparent to that two-time champion, comfortably taking the Las
Flores at Santa Anita and the Madison at Keeneland by a combined margin of 7 1/4
lengths.
Midnight Lucky, an emphatic winner of the Acorn and Sunland Park Oaks last
season, makes her first start since the former win last May 27. The Bob
Baffert-trained filly has won three of four starts, her only loss coming in the
Kentucky Oaks when she didn’t see out the nine-furlong trip.
Several improving fillies in the Humana Distaff lineup include Scherzinger,
the Santa Monica heroine; Iotapa, who won the Santa Maria and finished second in
the Santa Monica and Santa Margarita; Heart Stealer, who captured the Inside
Information and Sugar Swirl at Gulfstream over the winter; and
Speedinthruthecity, a dominating winner of both starts this season at Oaklawn
including the $100,000 Carousel.
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