Mambo Train confirmed for Kentucky Cup Classic

Royal Assault will make his next start in the Kentucky Cup Classic  (Jim Tyrrell/Horsephotos.com)

Patrick Biacone now appears likely to run both Group 3 hero SALFORD CITY

(Ire) (Desert Sun [GB]), who will be ridden by Gary Stevens, and BALL FOUR

(Grand Slam) in the 1 1/8-mile event. A two-length allowance winner in his last

start at Saratoga, Ball Four worked five grassy furlongs in 1:02 1/5 over the

Oklahoma training course on Monday in preparation.

Multiple stakes victor ROYAL ASSAULT (Kris S.), runner-up in the Saratoga

Breeders' Cup S. (G2) in his last start, breezed five furlongs in 1:04 2/5 on

Tuesday over Saratoga's Oklahoma training track and will arrive in Florence,

Kentucky, on Thursday for Nick Zito. SHANIKO (A.P. Indy), an 11-length allowance

winner at Saratoga last out, will also invade from New York for conditioner Todd

Pletcher.

A full field is expected for the Kentucky Cup Classic, which is the

centerpiece of five stakes races on Turfway's Kentucky Cup Day of Champions

program.

CAB (Trippi), a 5 3/4-length maiden winner most recently at Saratoga, got

acquainted with the Polytrack on Tuesday, breezing four furlongs in a bullet :47

3/5, and will make his stakes debut in Saturday's Kentucky Cup Juvenile (G3).

Pat Valenzuela has the mount on the likely favorite for conditioner Steve

Asmussen.

Trainer Bob Holthus, who won both the Juvenile and Sprint at last year's

Kentucky Cup, will saddle only one starter this year in BEAU DARE (Military),

but the recent Arlington maiden heroine could go favored in the Kentucky Cup

Juvenile Fillies. Other contenders for the one-mile test include CLAREMONT

(Point Given) and SHEZYOU BREWING (Storm Brewing).

Trainer Doug O'Neill has a top contender for the Kentucky Cup Sprint (G3) in

the unbeaten ESTATE COLLECTION (Souvenir Copy), who will make his stakes debut

with Valenzuela in the irons. A field of seven or eight is lining up for the

six-furlong event.