It's been more than a year since the Louisiana-bred Ova Charged didn't win, and the Star Guitar mare looks to keep that streak going in the May 3 $400,000 Unbridled Sidney Stakes (G3T) at Churchill Downs.
The 6-year-old mare hasn't missed the winners' circle since an allowance optional claiming race at Keeneland in mid-April of last year. It was part of a proverbial low point for her as it was the second time in as many races she missed the top two in her 15-start career.
She came out of that sixth-place finish and took an almost eight-month break. Since then, she's been running with a vengeance. Ova Charged has won four straight including posting career-best Equibase Speed Figures her last two times out, culminating with a 123 in the Page Cortez Stakes at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots March 24, winning by 12 1/2 lengths.
Among the other fillies and mares 3-and-up looking to snap Ova Charged's streak in the 5 1/2-furlong turf sprint are Stone Silent, who has used her knack for fast starts to win three straight; Elm Drive, whose 12 graded stakes starts are easily the most of any in the field (the rest have 14 combined); and Monrovia Stakes (G3T) victress Ag Bullet.
Churchill Downs, Friday, May 3, 2024, Race 6Entries: Unbridled Sidney S. presented by Resolute Racing (G3T)
PP Horse Jockey Wgt Trainer M/L 1 1Run for the Hills (KY) Jose L. Ortiz 123 Mark E. Casse 10/1 2 2Ova Charged (LA) Florent Geroux 123 Shane Wilson 7/2 3 3Stone Silent (FL) Junior Alvarado 123 Brian A. Lynch 9/2 4 4Charriere (TX) James Graham 121 Andrew McKeever 20/1 5 5Elm Drive (KY) Luis Saez 121 Philip D'Amato 5/1 6 6Miss Speedy (ON) Irad Ortiz, Jr. 123 Mark E. Casse 6/1 7 7Medalla Match (KY) Brian Joseph Hernandez, Jr. 121 Cherie DeVaux 15/1 8 8Ag Bullet (KY) Umberto Rispoli 123 Richard Baltas 5/1 9 9Secret Money (KY) Tyler Gaffalione 121 Brendan P. Walsh 8/1 10 10Tony Ann (KY) Flavien Prat 125 Philip D'Amato 8/1
MODESTY STAKES
Returning from a five-month-plus hiatus, Heavenly Sunday will try to add to her graded stakes-laced résumé in the 1 1/8-mile Modesty Stakes (G3T).
She's 2-for-2 at Churchill Downs, both times running a slightly shorter distance than the Modesty—1 1/16 miles. After winning the Edgewood Stakes (G2T) by three-quarters of a length a year ago, she capped her 3-year-old campaign with a five-length triumph in the Mrs. Revere Stakes (G3T), a sign that she can more than handle the greater distance.
While Repole Stable might be eyeing a bigger prize May 4, its 5-year-old mare Surprisingly has a knack for doing well in graded company. She has seven top-three finishes in eight graded races.
The Todd Pletcher-trained daughter of Mastery has gone 1 1/8 miles three times with mixed results. Her first attempt, at 3, resulted in a seventh-place effort that saw her five lengths back in the 2022 Virginia Oaks. But last year, she made strides, first finishing third by 1 1/2 lengths in the Hillsborough Stakes (G2T), and then narrowly falling to Consumer Spending by a half-length in the Matchmaker Stakes (G3T). Surprisingly even challenged at a mile and half, coming up a half-length short in the Orchid Stakes (G3T) March 30 at Gulfstream Park.
Worth watching is Irish import Aspen Grove, who won the Belmont Oaks Invitational Stakes (G1T) in her North American debut last year.
Churchill Downs, Friday, May 3, 2024, Race 8Entries: Modesty S. presented by Derby City Gaming & Hotel (G3T)
PP Horse Jockey Wgt Trainer M/L 1 1Fast as Flight (KY) Jose L. Ortiz 118 Martin Drexler 10/1 2 2Aspen Grove (IRE) Tyler Gaffalione 120 Jack Sisterson 6/1 3 3Forever After All (KY) Adam Beschizza 118 Brendan P. Walsh 30/1 4 4Heavenly Sunday (KY) Florent Geroux 118 Brad H. Cox 3/1 5 5Mouffy (KY) Lanfranco Dettori 118 Jonathan Thomas 8/1 6 6Surprisingly (KY) Flavien Prat 118 Todd A. Pletcher 5/1 7 7Join the Dance (KY) John R. Velazquez 118 Dallas Stewart 20/1 8 8Be Your Best (IRE) Irad Ortiz, Jr. 118 Horacio De Paz 10/1 9 9Papilio (IRE) Javier Castellano 118 Mark E. Casse 10/1 10 10Sparkle Blue (KY) Jorge Ruiz 120 H. Graham Motion 6/1 11 11Caroline Street (KY) Joel Rosario 118 Brendan P. Walsh 15/1 12 12Queens Command (IRE) Luis Saez 118 Brian A. Lynch 12/1
