Aegon Turf Sprint

TRACK BANDIT PREVIEWS

Eight turf sprinters will travel five panels on the Churchill Downs lawn in

Friday's $100,000 Aegon Turf Sprint S. (G3). This field lacks a standout,

and we'll side with the Richard Dutrow-trained SALUTE THE COUNT (Count the

Time). Second last out in a competitive allowance/optional claimer at Keeneland,

the hard-trying eight-year-old has amassed 11 career wins and five at this

distance. The gelded bay has been in the top three in eight of his last 10

outings and had a nice five-furlong drill in advance of this. Kent Desormeaux

will guide the Kentucky-bred.

MR. NIGHTLINGER (Indian Charlie) shocked when annexing the Shakertown S. (G3)

most recently for high-percentage trainer Bret Calhoun. The

improving four-year-old looks like a huge threat in here with his gate speed

over a course that plays well to that running style, and we were impressed that

he handled the moisture-laden grass at Keeneland with relative ease. Jamie

Theriot will be in the irons of the likely pacesetter.

INDIAN ASHTON (Tribal Rule) was second in a stakes try against a solid

performer in Bonfante (Fruition) most recently and will surely factor with a similar effort in here for

Wesley Ward. The gelded four-year-old was placed into some tough spots as a

sophomore but has blossomed since transitioning to the lawn, posting a pair of

wins and two seconds from a quartet of turf sprints. Julio Garcia will be aboard

the top three threat.

DEMARCATION (Gulch) took his turf debut last summer at Arlington and enters

this in decent form for Paul McGee. The gelding has

the ability to be a useful turf performer, but his lack of early zip could find him

with a little too much left to do in the stretch beneath Julien Leparoux. We

surely can expect this one to come home fast to challenge for a placing. 

Ten-time winner ATTICUS KRISTY (Atticus) hasn't won since 2006, but sports a

solid 7-3-1-1 mark over this oval, and the chestnut isn't facing the deepest

field ever assembled in this one. Conditioned by Merrill Scherer, the

seven-year-old gelding was an even fifth in the Shakertown and is capable with

his best. SGT. BERT (Confide) is another in here who could surprise with his top

showing, but the gelding is winless in 11 tries on the Churchill turf and it's hard to

get excited about a horse who is winless since 2006. With that said, the Gary

Montgomery charge could hit the board at a big number.

THE NTH DEGREE (Distorted Humor) was no factor as the defending champion in the Shakertown and has been

in poor form for the last year, so we'll look elsewhere. FUNKY PIRATE (Montbrook)

is winless on the green, and although this race is pretty wide open, he's tough

to suggest at big odds.