Seeking his first graded stakes victory, Long River is scheduled to arrive at
Churchill Downs on Wednesday morning for the Stephen Foster Handicap, according
to his New York-based trainer Kiaran McLaughlin.
McLaughlin said that regular rider Irad Ortiz Jr. will travel to Louisville
on Saturday to ride the four-year-old son of A.P. Indy.
“We’ve been pointing to this for a while because it’s an important Grade 1
race and he wants the mile and an eighth more than say the mile distance in the
Metropolitan Handicap or the mile and a half distance in the Brooklyn Handicap,”
McLaughlin said. “We’re happy to go there and in the handicap we’ve gotten some
weight off of a couple of big horses like Will Take Charge who’s giving us eight
pounds.”
Will Take Charge, last year’s champion three-year-old colt, was assigned 123
pounds to Long River’s 115.
“There are several reasons for going,” McLaughlin said. “He has one of the
best pedigrees in the world so if we could win a Grade 1 race it would be huge.”
In addition to being by the two-time leading sire and Horse of the Year A.P.
Indy, Long River is out of the Awesome Again mare Round Pond, winner of the 2006
Breeders’ Cup Distaff at Churchill Downs. Further back in the pedigree one will
find multiple Group 1-winners Black Minnaloushe and Pennekamp, and multiple
Grade 1-winner Nasr el Arab.
In his last four starts, Long River captured the Time for a Change and
Evening Attire at Aqueduct, finished second to stable mate Romansh in the
Excelsior and most recently finished fifth beaten three lengths in the Charles
Town Classic.
“There were really tight turns there and he just didn’t have a good night;
didn’t race well,” said McLaughlin when asked about the colt’s performance in
the Charles Town Classic. “It didn’t go that smoothly, he didn’t like the size
of the track and the company there was very tough. It was a good effort, but
just wasn’t what we were expecting. He was always close to the pace but just
wasn’t able to finish well. But at least he got schooled under the lights for
Saturday.”
Coin Broker is a possible starter for the Stephen Foster for trainer Dale
Romans. Romans also trains Prayer for Relief, who has been confirmed for the
featured race on Saturday night’s Downs After Dark card.
Romans indicated that both Prayer for Relief and Coin Broker were in good
shape coming out of workouts on Saturday. Both went five furlongs, Prayer for
Relief in 1:00, the fastest time of 32 workers at the distance, and Coin Broker
in 1:01 4/5. Romans said both horses had easy gallops Tuesday morning under the
Twin Spires.
“He’s in good shape and we’re ready to go,” said Romans when asked about
Prayer for Relief. “Johnny Velazquez will be here to ride and we’re excited.”
Velazquez was on board for Prayer for Relief’s last start, a runner-up effort
to Revolutionary in the Pimlico Special on May 17.
Coin Broker’s last start was a third-place finish in the Alysheba on Kentucky
Oaks Day.
“I was happy with his last race,” Romans said of Coin Broker. “I think he’s
getting really close to being able to compete with these types of horses and we
want to make sure he’s in the right spot whenever he decides he’s ready.”
Romans said that leading Churchill Downs rider Corey Lanerie would have the
mount on Coin Broker should he decide to run in the Foster.
In other Foster news, Revolutionary arrived at Churchill Downs on Monday
afternoon for trainer Todd Pletcher. The four-year-old son of War Pass galloped
1 1/4 miles at Churchill Downs on Tuesday morning under exercise rider Adele
Bellinger.
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