The seven-day Kentucky Downs meet set another record for wagering, totaling $90,181,408 and up 8% over last year. That included a single-day record of $21,184,941 on the Sept. 7 showcase card featuring six graded stakes worth $2 million for Kentucky-breds ($1 million for others).
The competition for the Kentucky Downs meet's winningest trainer and jockey came down to the very last race, with the first-time starter Isle of Capri prevailing to pull jockey Tyler Gaffalione into a tie with Irad Ortiz Jr. at nine victories apiece, and trainer Brendan Walsh into a three-way tie at six wins apiece with meet-long leader Joe Sharp and Hall of Famer Steve Asmussen.
"It's getting to be an ultracompetitive meet, very important," Asmussen said by phone. "It was an extremely exciting meet. I could not have liked it any more."
Asmussen finished with a record $2,430,491 in purse earnings, eclipsing Mike Maker's $2,341,636 that set the standard in 2022. He also tied for the trainer title in 2021 (four wins).
Two of Asmussen's victories came in stakes. Leading turf sprinter Cogburn took the $2 million Ainsworth Turf Sprint Stakes (G2T) and Tiztastic won a $253,600 allowance race opening day for horses offered at last year's Keeneland September Yearling Sale, and came back 11 days later to win the $998,550 Kentucky Downs Juvenile Mile Stakes. Tiztastic, by Ashford Stud sire Tiz the Law , is co-owned by Kentucky Downs' co-managing partner Ron Winchell, one of Asmussen's major clients. The principals associated with Coolmore's international breeding and racing operation are Winchell's partners in Tiztastic.
"It's a great meet," Asmussen said. "Doing well at Kentucky Downs is extremely important to the barn, obviously because of the Winchell connection with the racetrack as well as the barn. Just a great sense of pride that we had a couple of horses that excelled there, and they excelled in the right races. Seven racing days, six wins, and $2.4 million is extremely significant. That puts a lot of smiles on a lot of people's faces."
Closing day started with Jose Ortiz leading the rider standings with eight victories, one more than Gaffalione and Irad Ortiz. But Irad Ortiz, who missed the first three days of the Kentucky Downs meet while riding at Saratoga Race Course, won the fourth (Ramsey Pond) and fifth (Mischievous Angel) races to take the lead over his brother. Gaffalione and Walsh might have won their titles outright, but finished second in the Dueling Grounds Oaks Invitational Stakes in the penultimate race.
Irad Ortiz and Sharp had their own chance to win outright in the last race, with Irad riding a horse for Sharp that finished off the board.
Winning a share of the title was a remarkable feat for Irad Ortiz, given the time he missed. He went 9-for-33 and also finished with a meet-high $4,115,385 in purse earnings. Three came in stakes: the Kentucky Downs Juvenile Mile with Tiztastic, Franklin-Simpson Stakes (G1T) with Howard Wolowitz, and the Ainsworth Turf Sprint with Cogburn.
It was Irad Ortiz's first Kentucky Downs title.
"It was nice to come, and great to tie for leading rider," he said. "The last few years I've been doing the meet and I love it. It's fun here."
Gaffalione won his third straight and fourth title in five years, though this was the first time he shared top honors.
"I feel so fortunate to be in this position," he said. "It's always a thrill coming here at Kentucky Downs. The horsemen and horses and the riders are incredible. It's great competition, and we have a lot of fun here."
Of the ties for leading jockey and trainer, he said, "You rarely see these kinds of scenarios play out, but I'm so happy for Brendan, Joe Sharp, Irad. They all had great meets. It was a thrill to compete with them."
Walsh was the defending meet leader, winning eight races last year. He also was in a three-way title for the crown in 2021 with four victories.
"It's great," Walsh said. "I thought we were dead and buried. But no, it's nice. It's always nice to have a good meet here, so I'm very happy. My staff does a great job. Nice horses, all these owners as well, all these clients with nice horses."
Sharp won all his races in the first three days but set a personal best with the six wins. It was his second Kentucky Downs training title, also sharing the crown in 2019 with four. Sharp also had a second and four thirds in 28 starts.
"It was one of those deals where we got really lucky with entries the first weekend," he said. "I figured we'd struggle a little bit late in the meet, but the horses ran well. It was a great meet. As always, we love being down here and are grateful that this is the best meet we've had here yet."
Ken Ramsey captured his record 10th Kentucky Downs owner title as the Saffie Joseph-trained Ramsey Pond won Wednesday's fourth race to finish the meet with three wins. Seven owners had two wins.
The 88-year-old Ramsey, of Nicholasville, Ky., is recovering at his summer home in Saratoga Springs, N.Y., after having a kidney transplant about 2 1/2 months ago. Ramsey has said that he expects to be recognized by Guinness World Records as the oldest person to receive a kidney transplant.
Ramsey got into the title hunt Sept. 5 when he won two races: Degree of Risk, which gave his grandson Nolan Ramsey his first training victory in Kentucky, took an allowance, and the Joseph-trained Implementation won an allowance optional claiming. Ramsey also had two seconds and two thirds in 12 starts, earning $852,823.
The meet-leading horse based on earnings was Goliad, trained by Hall of Famer Richard Mandella for Perry and Ramona Bass. Goliad won a $481,200 overnight handicap Sept. 1 and returned Sept. 7 to win the Mint Millions Stakes (G3T). He earned a meet-high $1,482,800.
This press release has been edited for content and style by BloodHorse Staff.
