Almost Famous preps for KY Jockey Club in Churchill allowance

Almost Famous preps for KY Jockey Club in Churchill

allowance

When the highly-regarded two-year-old Almost Famous faltered

in upper stretch and finished a non-threatening fourth in the $61,800 Street

Sense on opening day of the Churchill Downs fall meet, trainer Pat Byrne quickly

admitted that he was completely mystified.

But following an equipment change and a sizzling work in :35 2/5 for three

furlongs on November 2, Byrne will wheel the son of Unbridled's Song back in

Saturday's

7TH race at Churchill, a 1 1/16-mile allowance for two-year-olds. It will be the

dark bay colt's first run at a two-turn distance and a race that Byrne hopes will put the

colt back on track for the Grade 2, $175,000 Kentucky Jockey Club on

the November 30 "Stars of Tomorrow II" program that wraps up the 25-day racing

session under the Twin Spires.

Almost Famous, a $500,000 purchase by Chuck and Maribeth Sandfords at the

Fasig-Tipton Florida two-year-old sale in March, impressed his connections in his September

racing debut. He turned back John C. Oxley's Coastline in that race, a rival who

came back to beat him soundly when he won their Street Sense rematch.

The colt was physically perfect after his dull run, so

Byrne pondered the situation for a day and determined that Almost Famous needed

to get right back to work.

"He just didn't focus -- he just kind of goofed around

there," Byrne said. "I gave him a day off, took him back to the track and

galloped him with blinkers on and I think the blinks are the way to go."

Almost Famous will wear blinkers in competition for the

first time when he faces nine promising rivals.

"'He's a genuine horse, but he's just a green baby," Byrne

said. "When he ran the other day he was just never at the races."

Corey Lanerie will ride Almost Famous on Saturday, his third jockey in as many races. Calvin Borel was aboard for his debut, but

injuries suffered by the three-time Kentucky Derby winner in an October accident

at Keeneland sent him to the sidelines and Joe Rocco Jr. subbed in the saddle

for the Street Sense. Rocco was already committed to another mount in Saturday's

race when Byrne decided to enter Almost Famous, so Lanerie got the mount for an

important outing for the colt.

"Borel's got the mount, because he's really high on him,

and hopefully we'll get to the Jockey Club with him," Byrne said. "He's a big

strong colt and if he wins, we'll run him back in the Jockey Club."

The improved focus Byrne sought from Almost Famous was

evident in his first work with blinkers, that three-furlong drill from the starting

gate in :35 2/5 on November 2.

Almost Famous has been on the early lead in each of his

previous races, and his draw of the rail post in Saturday's two-turn debut will

likely mean that he'll be rolling on the front end again.

"He's a good colt and I was just beside myself when he

didn't run well (in the Street Sense)," Byrne said. "I kind of spoiled him a

little bit."

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