Troubleshooting succeeds in Franklin-Simpson; Shisospicy, Plensa win undercard stakes

An action-packed afternoon of racing at Kentucky Downs included a trio of lucrative stakes for three-year-olds: the $1,994,300 Franklin-Simpson (G1), the $1,867,100 Music City (G2), and the $1,897,778 Gun Runner S.

Franklin-Simpson (G1)

Troubleshooting lived up to his name in the 6 1/2-furlong Franklin Simpson. Despite bumping at the start and encountering early traffic trouble, the son of Not This Time rallied to prevail at 5-1 odds.

A dozen horses faced the starter, and Mi Bago was quickest into stride, carving out splits of :22 and :44.17 while Troubleshooting rated in fifth place. In the homestretch, Troubleshooting closed ground resolutely to wear down the pace-tracking Golden Afternoon and score by half a length in 1:14.33.

"The horse broke alertly,” said jockey Tyler Gaffalione, who rode Troubleshooting on behalf of trainer Greg Foley and owner/breeder Donamire Farm. “There was traffic going into the first turn, and I had to take a pretty good hold. He got himself set up pretty well and was traveling like a good horse. He kept firing and finished up nicely. I'm just happy for Greg. This is his first Grade 1 (win)."

“It’s been a long time trying to get a Grade 1,” said Foley. “It feels good. We’ve won Grade 2s, Grade 3s, all that, but that is the first. Anyway, got that done.”

Governor Sam finished third, followed by Antisocial, Chasing Liberty, Dream On, Out On Bail, Bridle a Butterfly, Innovator, Warheart, Mi Bago, and Spiced Up.

Troubleshooting prepped for the Franklin-Simpson, with a nose defeat in an Ellis Park allowance. He’d previously won the Dade Park Dash S. at Ellis in decisive fashion.

“When you have a very good horse, you can be pretty confident. He fit for sure. It was just if you can get in there and get lucky,” said Foley. “For $2 million, you know it’s going to be the best there is around right now, a couple of horses that came from Saratoga and that. But this horse has been running against good horses, too. Ellis isn’t any picnic anymore. 

"He’s just a big handsome horse. Congrats to Mike, Kay Kay, Mrs. Ball, and Donamire Farm. They raise nothing but good horses. It’s a pleasure to train for them. I’m tickled for myself, but I’m more happy for them.”

Music City (G2)

In the 6 1/2-furlong Music City for sophomore fillies, Shisospicy brought her stateside record on turf to a perfect 4-for-4 with a dominant victory for owners Morplay Racing and Qatar Racing.

Winner of the Mamzelle (G3) and Limestone S. during the spring, Shisospicy suffered her lone grass defeat when shipping to England for a start against males in Royal Ascot’s Commonwealth Cup (G1), finishing 15th.

Subsequently freshened up by trainer Jose D’Angelo, Shisospicy bounced back to her best in the Music City, dueling through splits of :21.83 and :44.58 before kicking away to win by three lengths in 1:14.54. Irad Ortiz Jr. guided the gray daughter of Mitole.

"She was flying,” said Ortiz. “She broke so good. I’ve been working with her, trying to get her to relax, knowing we had to get that 6 1/2 furlongs. That was the real question. I learned a lot. Instructions were let her relax. I didn’t want to take too much out of her. I just put her down on a long hold, and she came back to me, so that was great, and then I had a horse come to me that she could aim for, and that was beautiful.

"Turning for home, I could just keep letting her out little by little, and she drew out. That was really nice. I appreciate an easy ride. D’Angelo did a great job having her ready, and she deserves all the credit. She’s a really nice filly."

Cloe, a second D’Angelo trainee, finished second. Tabiti, Classic Q, Jungle Peace, Abientot, It Ain’t Two, Kilwin, Shezafunkydrummer, Pondering, Italian Soiree, and Gata Brazil rounded out the order of finish.

“Very excited,” said D’Angelo. “I have to say thank you to all my team, to God, my owners for trusting me, Irad for his ride. We are very proud to get the Grade 2, for our horses to run first and second.”

D’Angelo indicated another foray against males in the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint (G1) is on the agenda for Shisospicy.

Gun Runner S.

A field of 14 squared off in the one-mile Gun Runner S., and it was 22-1 longshot Plensa who sprang a surprise for trainer Rusty Arnold, jockey Florent Geroux, and owners Mill Ridge Farm and Frank Garrison.

Fast fractions of :22.72, :44.71, and 1:08.10 helped Plensa close from 10th place (as many as 8 1/2 lengths off the pace) to defeat Giocoso by one length in 1:33.51. Namaron, Layabout, Clever Again, Forged Steel, Native Runner, Tiz Dashing, Rolando, New Century, Capitol Hill, Siesta Key, Anegada, and Reach for the Rose completed the order of finish.

"He broke great,” said Geroux. “I tried to get a little closer, but they ran away from me, so from there, I just saved him and let him take me. I think it was the most important thing here on this course, you know, you need to let the horse dictate where they're comfortable, where they want to be running.

"I was just following Flavien (Prat, riding Namaron), and from there, tipped him out, you know, slowly, and when I get a clear shot, I went off to him, and I could tell right away he was going to get there because he had the horse (in front) locked on his radar, and he was just going after him, and I was able to run him down and went through easily the rest of the way.”

The Gun Runner marked Plensa’s stakes debut. He entered off a third-place finish in a $100,000 allowance optional claimer at Saratoga.

“He got excluded twice (trying to enter), and we weren’t going to get a chance to go back, so I talked to Headley (Bell of Mill Ridge) and said, well, we have a chance against straight three-year-olds,” said Arnold. “I think he was the last horse in. And we were trying to make a good run and get a piece, and we got the whole piece.”