Kentucky Derby Undercard: Churchill Downs' Turf Classic Announces Contenders and Odds for 5/7/22
| Post Position | Horse and Morning Line Odds |
|---|---|
| 1 | Ivar (4-1) |
| 2 | Bizzee Channel (30-1) |
| 3 | Public Sector (5-1) |
| 4 | Tribhuvan (FR) (5-1) |
| 5 | Mira Mission (10-1) |
| 6 | Shirl's Speight (3-1) |
| 7 | Cavalry Charge (12-1) |
| 8 | Adhamo (IRE) (9-2) |
| 9 | Kentucky Ghost (20-1) |
| 10 | Santin (6-1) |
Shirl's Speight Seeks More Grade 1 Success in Turf Classic
Charles Fipke’s homebred Shirl’s Speight, winner of the Maker’s Mark Mile (G1) at Keeneland on April 15, heads a field of 10 for the 36th running of the $1 million Turf Classic going 1 1/8-miles on the turf at Churchill Downs May 7.
The Turf Classic will go as the day’s 11th race with a 5:27 p.m. (all times Eastern) post time on the 14-race program that features eight stakes races and is highlighted by the 148th running of the $3 million Kentucky Derby (G1). Racing begins at 10:30 a.m.
Trained by Roger Attfield, Shirl’s Speight brings a three-race win streak into the Turf Classic including his victory in the Maker’s Mark Mile when he outran his program odds to nail Masen (GB) at the wire by a nose. Though a suspensory issue sent the son of Speightstown to the sidelines for nearly nine months last season, the Charles Fipke homebred has gotten back to his best form with wins in an allowance optional claiming race at Tampa Bay Downs on Jan. 15 and the Tampa Bay Stakes (G3) on Feb. 5 prior to earning his first Grade 1 score.
““We brought him back and he’s run very well for me,” Attfield said after the Maker’s Mark. “I appreciate Mr. (Charles) Fipke (owner of Shirl’s Speight) giving him that amount of time (off). They need it when they have that kind of injury.”
Luis Saez, who was aboard for the Keeneland victory, has the mount Friday and will break from post position six.
Trainer Chad Brown, who has won the past three renewals of the Turf Classic, has three entrants Friday headed by Grade 1 winner Tribhuvan(FR).
Manny Franco has the mount and will break from post position No. 4.
Brown, who won with Bricks and Mortar in 2019,Digital Age in 2020 and Domestic Spending (GB) last year, also has multiple graded stakes winner Public Sector(GB) for Klaravich Stables and Adhamo (IRE), runner-up in the Fair Grounds Stakes (G3) in his U.S. debut in February. Irad Ortiz Jr. will be aboard Public Sector from post No. 3 and Flavien Prat is on Adhamo from post No. 8.
There is one other Grade 1 winner in the field is Ivar (BRZ).
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Team Valor International and Gary Barber’s Wakanaka (IRE), a Group 3 winner in Italy and most recently the runner-up in the Honey Fox (G3) at Gulfstream Park, headlines a field of eight fillies and mares for the 37th running of the $500,000 Churchill Distaff Turf Mile (G2).
The Longines Churchill Distaff Turf Mile will go as the day’s fifth race with a 12:36 p.m. post time.
Trained by Bill Mott, who has won this race a record four times, Wakanaka came off a nine-month layoff to make her U.S. debut in the Pegasus World Cup Filly & Mare Turf Invitational (G3) in which she finished sixth going a mile and a sixteenth.
Jose Ortiz will have the mount Saturday and break from post position five.
Trainer Chad Brown, who won this race last year with Blowout (GB) for his second victory in the race, will be represented by the Peter Brant duo of In Italian (GB) and Speak of the Devil (FR).
In Italian was a front-running winner of the Honey Fox, her third victory in four career starts. Irad Oritz Jr. has the mount and will break from post position seven.
Speak of the Devil, Group 1 placed in France, will be making her U.S. debut. Flavien Prat has the mount and will exit post position eight.
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Head of Plains Partners’ undefeated Sy Dog, winner of last month’s Transylvania Stakes (G3) at Keeneland, heads a field of 11 3-year-olds for the 31st running of the $500,000 American Turf (G2) going 1 1/16-miles on the Matt Winn Turf Course.
The American Turf will go as the day’s ninth race with a 3:40 p.m. post time.
Graham Motion trains Sy Dog, who came off a four-month layoff to win the Transylvania by three-quarters of a length. In the Transylvania, the son of Slumber saved ground as last-of-6 under Irad Ortiz, Jr. down the backstretch before making a three-wide move in the stretch to win by three-quarters of a length.
“I think he wants to go further,” Motion said of Sy Dog. “In the mornings, he acts like a horse that wants more distance. It was impressive to watch him lay off a slow pace like he did.”
Chad Brown, who has won this race a record three times, will send out Klaravich Stables’ Portfolio Company.
Unraced since an eighth-place finish in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf (G1) at Del Mar in November, Portfolio Company will be ridden by Joel Rosario and break from post position No. 6.
