With increased takeout and short fields souring bettors on some of the major racetracks around the country, Kentucky Downs five-day race meet which began in earnest September 6 with three stakes races worth a combined $650,000 is a breath of fresh air albeit a brief window of opportunity for the serious horse player.
Remaining racing dates at the Franklin, KY track include one Saturday card – September 13, and three Wednesday cards – September 10, 17, and 24. Handicappers with an affinity for turf races find Kentucky Down’s undulating, European style course a unique challenge as horses with stamina-laden pedigrees tend to excel. The full field sizes and low percentage of takeout earned Kentucky Downs the number two slot in Horseplayers Association of North America’s (HANA) annual comprehensive track ratings just behind Keeneland and just ahead of Saratoga - not bad company.
Four stakes races worth a combined $1.2 million Saturday, September 13 highlight the meet but, the mid-week cards offer plenty of intrigue in their own right. Wednesday, September 10, for example, features ten races with no field smaller than ten horses. Of the ten races, there are four allowance events – each carrying purses of $100,000 and the two maiden special weight events on the card are worth $80,000 and $90,000 respectively.
Race 8 on the card, a $100,000 allowance event, is a stakes-quality field with the Wayne Catalano-trained Highball the 5/2 morning line favorite. Highball most recently ran fifth in the Grade I Secretariat at Arlington Park. The three-year old son of Lemon Drop Kid has looked like a promising runner in his four career starts.
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