The days of running strictly against their own age group are numbered for the 2021 crop and the Commonwealth Turf Stakes (G3T) at Churchill Downs Nov. 23 will likely be the final opportunity for it's nine runners.
The chance to earn a graded stakes victory and the winner's share of a $300,000 purse is an enticing way to end the season, especially for a gelding rising the ranks like Herchee.
"I love being able to stay with straight 3-year-olds this time of year," said his trainer Helen Pitts. "Hopefully we'll go out and end the year on a bang."
The son of Twirling Candy is lightly raced with four starts, having only made his debut June 30 at Churchill Downs. He won that day by 3 1/2 lengths and followed with a successful jump to allowance company at Ellis Park.
The 100% Racing Stable homebred hit the board in his first two stakes attempts behind the talented Brilliant Berti, including a last-out third by 1 1/4 lengths in the Oct. 26 Bryan Station Stakes (G3T) at Keeneland. Brilliant Berti won't be in the starting gate this time, leaving the door open for Herchee in his first start at 1 1/16 miles.
Video: Bryan Station S. (G3T)
"His last two races have definitely been against tougher company, but he stepped up to the plate and tried his heart out," Pitts said. "He loves the game and he doesn't like getting beat.
"There are some decent horses in here, it's no easy spot. But we're back on our home turf and running out of our own stall. I'm looking forward to it."
Included in his competition is another rising 3-year-old, Frankly Speaking's Dashman.
"The Commonwealth is a great opportunity to run him against straight 3-year-olds for a pretty good purse one last time before we head down to Gulfstream for the winter," said Nic Lynch, assistant trainer for his father, Brian. "We really do think he fits and we think he's going to show it on Saturday."
After some quality starts at 2, the Oscar Performance colt returned from a seven-month layoff to win his seasonal debut in a July 22 Ellis Park maiden race. Like Herchee, he followed up with a victory in allowance company at Kentucky Downs.
"He's definitely stepped it up as a 3-year-old. He showed a lot of talent at 2, so when he came and won off the layoff at Ellis it confirmed he was a runner," Lynch said. "For him to knock out the allowance in his next start, usually that's a sign of a pretty talented horse."
In his stakes debut, the Oct. 5 Jockey Club Derby Invitational Stakes (G3T) at Aqueduct Racetrack, he got stuck in traffic entering the stretch and was fourth, beaten 1 3/4 lengths, behind two-time grade 1 winner Carson's Run and multiple grade 3 winner Deterministic.
"He didn't have the greatest trip, one of those races you draw a line through and march on," Lynch said. "I think he has a great post (3) for this race and has tactical speed where he can make his own trip."
Another horse on the improve is the late-closing Ak Sar Ben Derby for owner Millard R. Seldin Revocable Trust and trainer John Ortiz. After taking six attempts to break his maiden, the Tapiture gelding rattled off a second victory in a row in the Oct. 6 Hawthorne Derby, getting to the front just in time to win by a head. He shortens up in distance Saturday as his last four starts have all come at 1 1/8 miles.
Experienced Stakes Horses Aim for First Graded Win
As the trio try to make a name for themselves, a pair of proven veteran runners might have something by the time they hit the wire.
HRH Prince Sultan Bin Mishal Al Saud's Lagynos has often been the bridesmaid this year, placing four times in stakes company and three times at the graded level for Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen.
Making his 10th start of the year following a fifth in the Bryan Station, the son of Kantharos will be ridden by jockey Flavien Prat for the first time.
Gary Barber's My Boy Prince is twice grade 1-placed for Hall of Fame trainer Mark Casse but is still in search of an elusive graded triumph.
The Ontario-bred Cairo Prince colt spent the start of his season pointing for his home country's biggest race: the King's Plate Stakes. After a narrow three-quarter-length defeat in that race, he tested older horses in the Woodbine Mile Stakes (G1T) and set the pace back against 3-year-olds in the Bryan Station, finishing off the board in both.
Churchill Downs, Saturday, November 23, 2024, Race 10Entries: Commonwealth Turf S. (G3T)
PP Horse Jockey Wgt Trainer M/L 1 My Boy Prince (ON) Florent Geroux 118 Mark E. Casse - 2 Telescopic (KY) Luan Machado 118 Victoria H. Oliver - 3 Dashman (KY) Luis Saez 118 Brian A. Lynch - 4 Ak Sar Ben Derby (KY) Junior Alvarado 120 John Alexander Ortiz - 5 Piper's Factor (ON) Brian Joseph Hernandez, Jr. 120 Katerina Vassilieva - 6 Will Take It (KY) Cristian A. Torres 118 Eddie Milligan, Jr. - 7 Lagynos (KY) Flavien Prat 118 Steven M. Asmussen - 8 Herchee (KY) Edgar Morales 118 Helen Pitts - 9 Evade (FR) Tyler Gaffalione 118 Michael J. Maker -
