The Kentucky Downs Preview Nashville Derby on Saturday at Ellis Park might be worth only $250,000 compared to the weekend’s other stakes for 3-year-olds on the turf – the Grade 2, $400,000 National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame on Friday at Saratoga and the Grade 1, $750,000 Saratoga Derby the following day. However, those playing the long game with their sophomores could be richly rewarded.
Saturday and Sunday are Ellis Park’s preview days for the brief but extremely lucrative Kentucky Downs meet, with each of this weekend’s seven stakes leading into a corresponding race at the Franklin, Ky., racetrack. The Preview Derby awards its winner an automatic berth into the Grade 3, $3.5 million Nashville Derby on Aug. 30 at Kentucky Downs. The race is the second-richest stakes for 3-year-olds in North America, trailing only the $5 million Kentucky Derby.
A well-matched field of nine will line up for the Preview Derby, with Native Runner and Siesta Key the lukewarm morning-line favorites. Native Runner was a good second to the well-regarded Minaret Station in the American Derby in June at Churchill Downs, overcoming a lack of pace in a scratched-down field to come on from fourth. In addition to having an ability to overcome race shape, Native Runner has also shown versatility. Earlier this year, he pressed the pace before taking over to win an allowance at Fair Grounds.
Siesta Key, a stakes winner at Colonial Downs last year, was outkicked in the American Derby and finished fourth. However, he can likely be forgiven for that effort, as it was his first start in nearly nine months.
Tomasello was third in the Audubon at Churchill to World Beater, an improving colt who goes in the Saratoga Derby. The lightly raced Esmark, who is coming off back-to-back victories over older horses at Churchill, could offer value.
One race later, the Kentucky Downs Preview Ladies Turf Sprint will award the winner an automatic berth into the Grade 2, $2 million Mint Ladies Sprint on Aug. 30 at Kentucky Downs.
Dueling for that berth on Saturday will be graded stakes winner Irish Maxima and Accomplished Girl. Both are hard-knocking multiple stakes winners, but Accomplished Girl has the edge both in post position – she will start outside of her fellow speedster on the rail – and in surface, as a strong turf performer. Irish Maxima, who is cross-entered in Sunday’s Kentucky Downs Preview Ladies Turf Mile, will be making her turf debut in either spot.
Irish Maxima is a four-time stakes winner on dirt, topped by the Grade 3 Distaff at Aqueduct. Accomplished Girl is a Grade 2 winner on Tapeta but was also a multiple stakes winner on turf over the winter.
Bling is not yet a stakes winner, but her eight career stakes placings include multiple strong efforts on the Ellis turf, where she has never missed the board. She was third in the Preview Ladies Sprint last year, beaten just a neck.
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