Another two races are in the history books, and speed continues to perform well. In the fourth race of the card, jockey Victor Lebron and his mount, Night Party, went straight to the lead and never looked back en route to a two-length victory in a 1 1/16th miles allowance optional claiming race that was rained on to the main track. The Program made a mild run at him in the stretch, but just couldn't seriously threaten while coming from off the pace.
The fifth race of the day, a seven-furlong maiden special weight for three-year-olds, was won by Macho Macho, who rallied from slightly off the pace with a bold run around the far outside to win by about 1 3/4 lengths under jockey Corey Nakatani, who was winning his second race of the card. Thermal Cat finished second after dueling for the early lead with Mile High Magic, who wound up third as the heavy favorite. The final time was a quick 1:21.63, another sign that the track may be playing very fast today.
The main track is still labeled fast, and the turf course is still listed as good.
The next race on the card is the first of the day's stakes races, the $125,000 Twin Spires Turf Sprint Stakes (gr. III). Twelve were entered, and somewhat surprisingly, none have scratched. The current favorite with four minutes to post is Bridgetown at 8-5, with John Velazquez riding for trainer Todd Pletcher. But the highly talented sprinter enters this race off of a lengthy layoff, and if he isn't dead fit for his return, then there are a number of horses that could pick up the pieces.
One of those is Chamberlain Bridge, winner of the 2010 Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint (gr. II) here at Churchill. He hasn't been in the greatest form as of late, he always brings his late run, and it's hard to count him out.
Other logical contenders are Great Mills and Great Attack, the latter colt especially when one considers he is trained by Wesley Ward and ridden by Joel Rosario. Calvin Borel will be aboard the longshot City Stages, while Julien Leparoux has the mount on Great Mills.
-Keelerman
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