Notes on the Kentucky Cup Program

By Jude T. Feld

All eyes are on Florence, Kentucky this afternoon as Turfway Park hosts the Kentucky Cup races. Always a fun day of racing, Saturday’s card features a “Classic” matchup between the first two finishers in this year’s Kentucky Derby (G1).

KADIRA exits two surprisingly strong River Downs races, including her game Pepsi Bassinet victory last time out. By Kafwain from a Rahy mare, she has the pedigree to stretch out and win again. Her 1:00 flat blowout at Churchill Downs Monday indicates she has retained her sharpness and could be posing for pictures after the Kentucky Cup Juvenile Fillies, TURFWAY PARK’s 6TH RACE.

The Kentucky Cup Sprint (G3) is TURFWAY PARK’s 7TH RACE. This year’s edition has lost its luster since it is being run a week before Keeneland’s “Win and your in” Phoenix Handicap (G3), the United States’ oldest stakes race. BASE COMMANDER looks like an up and comer on the verge of making the big time. The son of Officer is improving with racing for trainer Todd Pletcher and gets go-to rider Chris DeCarlo.

Pletcher and DeCarlo look formidable again in the Kentucky Cup Juvenile (G3), TURFWAY PARK’s 8TH RACE. Their entrant is CHITOZ who broke his maiden by 10 in the Monmouth slop on August 23. His two-turn experience and ability to rate give the son of Forest Wildcat a slight edge in a wide-open affair.

TURFWAY PARK’s 9TH RACE is the Kentucky Cup Distaff (G3). On paper, this race looks like it will be won by DANZON or KETTLEONEUP. Both fillies are Grade 3 winners but DANZON has slightly better speed figures and that might be her edge.

The Kentucky Cup Classic (G2) is TURFWAY PARK’s 10TH RACE. Track president Bob Elliston has to be tickled to death with a matchup between Kentucky Derby (G1) winner STREET SENSE and chief rival HARD SPUN. This week, the racing pundits have made a story out of the fact that STREET SENSE has yet to win on the Polytrack while HARD SPUN won his lone Polytrack start, the Lane’s End (G2) at Turfway. Trainer Carl Nafzger has used Polytrack to prep STREET SENSE for both his Bessemer Trust Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (G1) and Kentucky Derby (G1) victories. They were both losing efforts – interesting. If he loses this race, history would say to single him in the Breeders’ Cup Classic Powered by Dodge (G1) on October 27 at Monmouth Park.

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