Louisville S. (G3) — Churchill Downs Race 11 (5:58 p.m. ET)
Aside from the goings on at Pimlico, graded stakes action in the U.S. on Saturday is otherwise limited to the $200,000 Louisville S. (G3) at Churchill Downs, a 12-furlong grass test for older horses.
On recent form, Another Mystery figures among the horses to beat. Although the Illinois-bred has retained a habit of some inconsistency, he’s run two strong races over 1 1/2 miles this term, winning the John B. Connally Turf Cup (G3) at Sam Houston in a dead heat in late January, and last time finishing second best in the Elkhorn (G2) at Keeneland behind former champion Channel Maker.
Looking to stretch his speed is Cavalry Charge, who produced a 35-1 upside of the Fair Grounds (G3) in February. The five-year-old was subsequently third in the Muniz Memorial (G2), also over nine panels in New Orleans, but was severely outclassed two weeks ago when finishing eighth of nine in the Old Forester Bourbon Turf Classic (G1) on Derby Day.
Strong Tide, third in last year’s Louisville, was beaten only a neck by Another Mystery in the Connally Turf Cup three back. He was based over the winter at Oaklawn, which has no turf course, where he won twice in three outings.
The stakes winners Shamrocket and Cellist have both placed in graded company before, Shamrocket most recently in the March 5 Mac Diarmida (G2) at Gulfstream. Cellist, who won his only prior start over the Churchill turf, finished third in the Belmont Derby (G1) last summer over 1 1/4 miles.
Camp Hope, who got hot last fall winning twice at the Keeneland meet, stretches out beyond nine furlongs for the first time. The Kenny McPeek trainee dominated fellow three-year-olds in the Bryan Station S., but didn’t transfer that form to Del Mar when finishing up the track in the Hollywood Derby (G1).
Camp Hope enters the Louisville off a photo-finish allowance win at Keeneland on April 20.
