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Kentucky Cup Turf Festival highlights Kentucky Downs' opening day

Kentucky Downs will open its 18th season on Saturday (Courtesy of Kentucky Downs) Kentucky Downs will open the doors on its 18th season of live racing Saturday, with the highlight of the meet coming on the same day as the track presents the Kentucky Cup Turf Festival. Three stakes events comprise the Turf Festival: the $150,000 Kentucky Cup Turf (G3), the $50,000 Kentucky Cup Ladies Turf and the $50,000 Kentucky Cup Turf Dash. The Kentucky Cup Turf has drawn a field of 10 to go 1 1/2 miles on the undulating, European-style turf, and topping the group is CLOUDY'S KNIGHT (Lord Avie). The Jonathan Sheppard trainee hasn't been seen in competition since taking the W.L. McKnight H. (G2) at Calder in late December. The 10-year-old gelding was preparing for the Elkhorn S. (G2) at Keeneland in April when he suffered a suspensory injury in a workout. Initial reports said the veteran might have to be retired but, following an extensive break, Sheppard sent the chestnut to the track for a six-furlong move in 1:19 2/5 at Delaware Park last Thursday.

Honored in 2007 as Canada's champion turf horse, Cloudy's Knight had started tailing off a bit for trainer Frank Kirby, but seemed to come back to life when transferred to Sheppard's barn in 2009. In addition to the McKnight, he also scored in this race, the Sycamore S. (G3) at Keeneland and Woodbine's Valedictory S. His only loss on the year came as a nose second in the Breeders' Cup Marathon.

If Cloudy's Knight lines up for a title defense run, he will face the likes of FREE FIGHTER (Out of Place) and COOLCULLEN TIMES (Ire) (Rock of Gibraltar [Ire]). The former captured the Louisville H. (G3) in late May and was last seen running third as the defending champion of the Stars and Stripes Turf S. (G3) at Arlington Park. Coolcullen Times, a three-time winner in Ireland, shipped stateside in the spring and just missed by a length last out in the John's Call S. at Saratoga.

Starting the stakes action Saturday at Kentucky Downs will be the Ladies Turf, which drew a huge overflow field of 18. Fourteen of those will be allowed to line up across the wide turf course, including NEVER RETREAT (Smart Strike). The Chris Block-trained five-year-old most recently added the Lady Canterbury S. to her resume on July 24 and will be giving her rivals between six and 10 pounds as the 122-pound highweight. Also entered in the one-mile grass affair is Bourbonette Oaks (G3) victress ORCHESTRATOR (Bernstein), who will be taking on her elders for the first time here, and last-out Gardenia H. (G3) winner DIRECT LINE (Tiznow).

A much smaller field of nine will go in the six-furlong Turf Dash, and YANKEE INJUNITY (Yankee Victor) will try to take advantage of Fort Prado's absence to score this time around. The James McMullen charge was held to second by Fort Prado's head last year, and hasn't finished off the board in three starts since. The only other one in this race with experience at Kentucky Downs is Grade 3-placed ST. JOE (Trippi), who ran second in last season's Franklin-Simpson S.

Racing at Kentucky Downs will take place on Saturdays and Mondays, September 11, 13, 18 and 20. First post on Saturdays is scheduled for 1 p.m. (CDT), while the first race is set to go at 1:30 p.m. on Mondays. Admission and parking are free every day at the Franklin, Kentucky, venue.

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