It's back to home sweet home for Hoist the Gold.
After a forgettable journey to the Middle East to run in the Saudi Cup (G1), the 5-year-old son of Mineshaft has returned to Kentucky and will face 10 rivals May 4 in the $1 million Churchill Downs Stakes (G1) on the Kentucky Derby (G1) undercard.
Trained by Dallas Stewart, Hoist the Gold will also be reunited with a more favorable seven-furlong distance after tackling 1 1/8 miles in the Feb. 24 Saudi Cup when he was eased under the wire and finished 41 lengths behind.
Owned by Dream Team One Racing Stable and bred by Dream Team Racing, Hoist the Gold was second in last year's Churchill Downs, finishing 4 3/4 lengths behind eventual Horse of the Year Cody's Wish . Overall in seven starts at seven furlongs, he has one win, three seconds, and two thirds.
That runner-up effort signaled a big year for the dark bay or brown horse who went on to win the Phoenix Stakes (G2) at Keeneland and the Cigar Mile Handicap (G2) at Aqueduct Racetrack during a 2023 campaign in which he won 3 of 10 starts and earned $812,195.
Prior to the Saudi Cup, he started 2024 in another mile and an eighth test, finishing fourth by 11 lengths in the Pegasus World Cup Invitational Stakes (G1).
Another graded stakes winner in the field of 10 cutting back in distance is Zozos, who captured the mile Ack Ack Stakes (G3) in his penultimate start of 2023. Trained by Brad Cox, the son of Munnings closed out the year with a fifth-place finish in the Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile (G1), which was his most recent start.
Owned and bred by Barry and Joni Butzow, Zozos has yet to start at seven furlongs. He did win his career debut Jan. 23, 2022, in a six-furlong sprint, his only start shorter than a mile, at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots. He owns seven wins in 12 career starts with earnings of $912,688 and has captured two of his three starts at Churchill Downs.
Conversely, the highly consistent Tejano Twist will be stretching out for trainer Chris Hartman. In his last 12 starts, the Practical Joke gelding has finished worse than third only once and is coming off a string of three runner-up finishes. Most recently, he was second to Skelly by three lengths in the six-furlong Count Fleet Sprint Handicap (G3) at Oaklawn Park. Prior to that he was second in the Whitmore Stakes (G3), also at Oaklawn. Owned by JD Thoroughbreds and Joey Keith Davis, in 31 career he has nine wins and nine seconds.
Mr. Wireless has also been a gem of consistency for trainer Bret Calhoun. A 6-year-old Dialed In gelding, he was a decisive 4 1/4-length winner of a March 14 allowance optional claiming race at Fair Grounds. That sprint was a change-up for Mr. Wireless as in 10 starts from 2022-23 he never ran in a race shorter than one mile.
Owned by Jon Lapczenski and JIL Stable, the multiple grade 3 winner has won seven of 18 starts with earnings of $1,051,457.
Churchill Downs, Saturday, May 4, 2024, Race 10Entries: Churchill Downs S. presented by Ford (G1)
PP Horse Jockey Wgt Trainer M/L 1 1Raise Cain (KY) Luis Saez 123 Ben Colebrook 20/1 2 2Tejano Twist (KY) Irad Ortiz, Jr. 123 Chris A. Hartman 4/1 3 3Bo Cruz (KY) Jose L. Ortiz 123 Albert M. Stall, Jr. 10/1 4 4Mr. Wireless (KY) Reylu Gutierrez 123 W. Bret Calhoun 6/1 5 5Here Mi Song (KY) Tyler Gaffalione 123 William Stinson, Jr. 20/1 6 6Zozos (KY) Florent Geroux 123 Brad H. Cox 3/1 7 7Track Mate (KY) Keith J. Asmussen 123 D. Wayne Lukas 12/1 8 8Minnesota Ready (KY) Joel Rosario 123 Thomas M. Amoss 15/1 9 9Three Technique (KY) Javier Castellano 123 Jason G. Cook 10/1 10 10Gun Pilot (KY) Cristian A. Torres 123 Steven M. Asmussen 10/1 11 11Hoist the Gold (KY) John R. Velazquez 123 Dallas Stewart 7/2
