Crown Royal American Turf

Rey de Cafe (left) got his nose in front for the win (Lauren Pomeroy/Horsephotos.com)

G. Watts Humphrey Jr.'s REY DE CAFE (Kingmambo) raced nip and tuck with Rush

Bay (Cozzene) down the Churchill Downs stretch on Friday and got his nose in

front at the wire to win the $114,700

Crown Royal American Turf S. (G3). Ridden

by Javier Castellano, the sophomore ran four wide on the backstretch while Moth

Ball (GB) (Royal Applause [GB]) set a pressured pace of :23 4/5, 47 1/5, 1:10

4/5 and 1:35 3/5. That rival faded in the stretch as Rey de Cafe came out six

wide for the drive, but he found a new contender in Rush Bay, who had been

stalking the pace in fifth. Neither would give an inch until the wire, when Rey

de Cafe found just enough to get his nose in front, finishing 1 1/16 miles on

the firm turf in 1:42.

Sent off the 9-2 fourth choice, the George Arnold trainee paid $11.40, $6 and

$4.40 while starting the $74.40 exacta, $455.20 trifecta and $767.30 superfecta

($1) (4-5-1-2). Rush Bay was a length up on Guillaume Tell (Ire) (Rossini),

giving back $6.80 and $4.60 at 6-1, while the latter was worth $3.60 at 4-1.

Dubleo (Southern Halo) finished another half-length farther back in fourth and

was followed by Classic Campaign (Rahy), Exceptional Ride (Chester House),

Chattahoochee War (War Chant), Moth Ball and Pirates Bite (Military).