Battle-seasoned Grade 3 winner Lemon Muffin is an obvious standout on accomplishment in the field for Wednesday’s nominal feature at Churchill Downs, a $127,000 allowance race for fillies and mare who have never won a race other-than or who have never won two races. However, she’s not a standout on speed figures, making this bulky field – there are 12 in the main body, plus two also-eligibles on the program – a relatively wide-open affair as it begins this racing week.
Churchill enters the week with a $16,966 carryover in the pick six jackpot.
If Lemon Muffin breaks through with her first victory since winning the Grade 3 Honeybee in February, she could provide value; she is 12-1 on the morning line. The filly showed improvement in her most recent outing for D. Wayne Lukas, improving her position to be third behind two next-out winners in a seven-furlong allowance at Churchill. She gets more ground to work with here, at 1 1/16 miles. There is not excessive speed in this field, but there should be a fair pace for her to target.
For the first time since finishing seventh in the Kentucky Oaks, Lemon Muffin reunites with jockey Keith Asmussen, who rode her in the Honeybee.
Lemon Muffin’s top career Beyer Speed Figure is the 84 from the Honeybee. Little Jamie matched that number when second by a head in the Grade 3 Indiana Oaks, then ran an 85 when third in the Grade 3 Monmouth Oaks. But most recently, the filly was dull finishing seventh in the Seneca Overnight at Churchill Downs. Trainer Robbie Medina puts blinkers back on the filly; she wore them in earlier starts, but not in her past three stakes outings. She is drawn on the rail and could show the way if she sharpens up.
East Shore also holds one of the best figures in this field, with an 84 in an allowance win at this distance last time out at Keeneland.
Leo Toro’s only win came in an off-the-turf race at Indiana with an 80 Beyer. She is coming off a pair of solid turf allowance efforts and should transfer her form back to the dirt with aplomb. Not only is she by the red-hot Nyquist, primarily a dirt sire, but this dirt track is known to be kind to turf-type runners.
Stewart, Leparoux milestones
Locally based trainer Dallas Stewart and jockey Julien Leparoux both enter this week of racing approaching major North American milestones.
Stewart is one win away from his 1,000th career victory. He has one entrant on Wednesday’s card, four on Thursday’s card, and one each on Friday and Saturday.
Stewart’s career highlights include an upset of the 2006 Kentucky Oaks with Lemons Forever; a win in the 2017 Breeders’ Cup Distaff with that mare’s champion daughter Forever Unbridled; and another Distaff, in 2001 with Unbridled Elaine.
Meanwhile, Leparoux is two victories away from 3,000 wins in North America; he is already past that career mark when his overseas victories are included. Leparoux has one scheduled mount on the Wednesday and Thursday cards, and two on the Saturday card.
Leparoux, the Eclipse Award outstanding apprentice of 2006, is best known as the regular rider of Hall of Fame racemare and two-time Eclipse champion Tepin. She gave him one of his seven Breeders’ Cup wins in the 2015 Mile; Leparoux rode three Breeders’ Cup winners on the 2009 event weekend in Juvenile Fillies winner She Be Wild, Filly and Mare Sprint winner Informed Decision, and Dirt Mile winner Furthest Land.