After finishing second to stablemate Master of The Seas in the Maker's Mark Mile Stakes (G1T) April 12 at Keeneland, Naval Power will now get a clearer shot at his first grade/group 1 victory May 4 in the $1 million Turf Classic Stakes (G1T) at Churchill Downs.
Both runners are Godolphin homebreds conditioned by Charlie Appleby. Master of The Seas has been on a roll in North America with three grade 1 wins since September as his Keeneland score to open his 4-year-old season followed victories in the 2023 Woodbine Mile (G1T) and Breeders' Cup Mile (G1T). But with the 6-year-old son of Dubawi sitting this one out, Naval Power could take center stage for Godolphin.
Naval Power will enter Saturday's race-before-the-Derby test (5:27 p.m. ET) in terrific form. The placing at Keeneland marked his third start this season after he posted stakes victories in Dubai in January in the Jumeirah Classic and in February in the Singspiel Stakes (G2).
Naval Power, who will start from the outside post in Saturday's field of 11, is the 7-2 morning-line favorite.
The Turf Classic has been a stage for some of the best runners from the barn of Chad Brown, who won this race three straight years from 2019-21 with Bricks and Mortar, Digital Age, and Domestic Spending. Bricks and Mortar would finish 2019 as Horse of the Year and champion turf male.
This year Brown has entered a pair with differing approaches. Klaravich Stables' Program Trading will be making his 4-year-old debut after a 2023 season in which the son of Lope de Vega won four of five starts—including grade 1 victories in the Hollywood Derby (G1T) and Saratoga Derby Invitational Stakes (G1T).
"It is a tough spot to start but it's one I penciled in after I gave him a break after the Hollywood Derby as a potential starting spot for him," Brown said. "When you pick these million-dollar, grade 1 races, you're likely to run into horses that are in-form and fit, that's always a challenge. But this is where I wanted to get his season started. I have some other goals for him during the summer; I kind of had to pick and choose how early I wanted to get him started so that he lasts the season, so this is where we chose."
Brown's other starter, I'm Very Busy, already has a pair of impressive starts this season ahead of Saturday's 1 1/8-mile turf test for older horses as he finished second in the Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational Stakes (G1T) in January at Gulfstream Park before winning the Muniz Memorial Classic Stakes (G2T) in March at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots.
Brown noted that the son of classic winner Cloud Computing has put everything together.
"He's in great form," Brown said. "He made a big jump from age 3 to 4 and he looks like one of the leading horses in the turf division in this country."
They'll be side by side in the starting gate with Program Trading (9-2 on the morning line) in post 5 and I'm Very Busy (4-1) in post 6.
While Webslinger will look to snap a six-race losing streak Saturday, he did finish a close second to Program Trading in both the Hollywood Derby and the Saratoga Derby last year. Now he returns to the Churchill Downs turf where last year the son of Constitution won the American Turf Stakes (G2T) for 3-year-olds on Derby day and the Audubon Stakes in June.
West Point Thoroughbreds and Woodford Racing's grade 2 winner Integration will make his third start of the season after finishing fifth in the Pegasus Turf and landing his first grade 1 placing when third in the Maker's Mark Mile.
LSU Stables' Far Bridge, winner of last year's Belmont Derby Invitational Stakes (G1T), enters off a strong prep race in an allowance optional claiming race March 31 at Gulfstream.
Churchill Downs, Saturday, May 4, 2024, Race 11Entries: Old Forester Bourbon Turf Classic S. (G1T)
PP Horse Jockey Wgt Trainer M/L 1 1Integration (KY) Tyler Gaffalione 123 Claude R. McGaughey III 5/1 2 2Anglophile (KY) John R. Velazquez 123 Brian A. Lynch 20/1 3 3Cellist (KY) Luis Saez 123 George R. Arnold, II 12/1 4 4Far Bridge (KY) Jose L. Ortiz 123 Christophe Clement 8/1 5 5Program Trading (GB) Flavien Prat 123 Chad C. Brown 9/2 6 6I'm Very Busy (PA) Irad Ortiz, Jr. 123 Chad C. Brown 4/1 7 7Webslinger (KY) Javier Castellano 123 Mark E. Casse 10/1 8 8Never Surprised (KY) Florent Geroux 123 Todd A. Pletcher 10/1 9 9Never Explain (KY) Joel Rosario 123 Claude R. McGaughey III 15/1 10 10Siege of Boston (KY) Junior Alvarado 123 James J. Toner 15/1 11 11Naval Power (GB) Lanfranco Dettori 123 Charles Appleby 7/2
