The Grade 1, $2 million Franklin-Simpson Stakes – purses at Kentucky Downs include contributions from the Kentucky Thoroughbred Development Fund for which only Kentucky-breds are eligible – has drawn an overflow field of 3-year-olds to go 6 1/2 furlongs on turf. The event is one of multiple upgrades the American Graded Stakes Committee awarded to Kentucky Downs last December, and is the Franklin, Ky., track’s first to achieve Grade 1 status.
The entrants in the main body of the field of 12 for the Franklin-Simpson – there are four also-eligibles – are a combined 0 for 13 in graded/group stakes. Only Mansa Musa, the lukewarm morning-line favorite at 4-1, and Evade and Vote No, potential overlays at 12-1 and 20-1, respectively, have prior graded/group stakes placings
Evade is the only member of the field to have started in a Group 1 race, and he was well-beaten in both tries. The stakes winners in the lineup are Apollo Ten (My Frenchman at Monmouth Park), Bear River (off-turf Dade Park Dash at Ellis Park), Evade (Surrey at Epsom Downs), Joe Shiesty (William Walker at Churchill Downs), Please Advise (Atlantic Beach at Aqueduct), Smokey Smokey (Paradise Creek at Aqueduct), and Vote No (Juvenile Sprint at Kentucky Downs, Turfway Prevue at Turfway Park)
There should be a fair amount of pace up front as the Franklin-Simpson field breaks into the sweeping far turn at Kentucky Downs. Working from the inside out, General Ledger, Yellow Card, Bear River, Apollo Ten, Joe Shiesty, and Howard Wolowitz have all delivered their best efforts while racing on or near the lead. Evade, who has drawn post 2 under Jaime Torres, and Mansa Musa, well-drawn for a stalking trip from post 11 under Junior Alvarado, are likely to be in the second flight waiting to pounce.
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Evade won the Surrey going seven furlongs on good-to-soft going and was second in the Group 3 Prix la Rochette at the same trip last year. Although on paper he is cutting back from his best efforts, the 6 1/2 furlongs at Kentucky Downs often plays more like seven furlongs due to the European-style undulations of the course. Evade has two published breezes on Turfway’s Tapeta in August since coming to the care of trainer Mike Maker.
Mansa Musa, who also began his career overseas last year, was second in the Group 3 Round Tower in Ireland. He has started five times in the United States this year for Bill Mott, all at 5 1/2 furlongs. The colt turned in a strong effort when second to the well-regarded Star of Mystery in the Grade 3 Quick Call on July 14 at Saratoga, and his Beyer Speed Figure of 101 is the top career number in the field. Mansa Musa may have bounced when a non-threatening seventh as the favorite in the Mahony on Aug. 11.
A strong pace up front would suit Vote No, who showed an affinity for this course last season. He was up in time to edge out Hedwig and Please Advise, both entered here, in the Juvenile Sprint going this distance. He then finished third in the Grade 2 Bourbon going two turns on the Keeneland turf. In his 2024 debut, Vote No won the Turfway Prevue sprinting on the Tapeta, but he is unplaced in four starts since.
Please Advise has made his four starts this year at a mile and has a strong foundation for this race.
Music City Stakes
The sister race to the Franklin-Simpson is the Grade 2, $2 million Music City Stakes for fillies going 6 1/2 furlongs. The race also received an upgrade, from Grade 3 status in 2023, and also drew an overflow field, with 12 in the body of the field, plus four also-eligibles.
Morning-line favorite Pounce won her debut sprinting for Mark Casse, but owns Grade 3 wins in the Herecomesthebride and Lake George, both at a mile, this season. The longer-playing sprint may suit this filly, who came from off the pace for those wins.
Regulatory Risk intrigues as she cuts back and tries turf for the first time for Chad Brown. Her only win came in a muddy one-turn mile, and her multiple graded placings include a third in the Kentucky Oaks on a sloppy, sealed track.
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Wet-track ability is often considered a sign of turf ability, and Regulatory Risk also sports some turf pedigree. She is by the multi-purpose young stallion Omaha Beach, and from the extended family of Ova Charged and Conquest Typhoon.
Buttercream Babe showed an affinity for this course and distance last year for Maker, winning her debut and then finishing third in the Untapable. Crown Imperial, the Untapable winner, hasn’t won since.
Most recently, Buttercream Babe was a strong third, beaten a half-length, in the Grade 2 National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame going two turns against colts at Saratoga.
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