The second day of Ellis Park's Kentucky Downs Preview races continues Aug. 3 with the $400,000 Pucker Up Stakes (G3T) as the headlining event. Steve Landers Racing's Destino d'Oro, an auspicious daughter of Bolt d'Oro from the Brad Cox barn, tops a field of 10 3-year-old fillies going postward for the 1 1/8-mile turf contest.
Destino d'Oro, a narrow third in last year's Jessamine Stakes (G2T) at Keeneland in only her second start, opened her sophomore season with a late-closing score in a Churchill Downs allowance race June 19. Luan Machado will retain the mount Sunday.
A win in the Pucker Up could propel Destino d'Oro back to Kentucky Downs, the sight of her debut victory last year. The winner of Sunday's Pucker Up Stakes will receive a free berth, including entry and starting fees, into the $2 million Dueling Grounds Oaks Invitational Stakes (G3T) Sept. 10 at Kentucky Downs.
Two contenders exiting career-best numbers coming into Sunday are Flying Dutchmen's Hereforagoodtime and G. Watts Humphrey Jr.'s Princess Attitude. The former, a $400,000 daughter of Justify , recorded a 103 Equibase Speed Figure in her first stakes try after winning two in a row for trainer Brendan Walsh.
Princess Attitude, trained by Vicky Oliver, has placed twice in stakes company since breaking her maiden at Keeneland. The Frankel filly netted a 101 ESF when finishing runner-up to Lush Lips in the June 28 Tepin Stakes.
Another multiple stakes-placed filly looking to add a black-type win to her résumé is Claiborne Farm's homebred Admit. After failing to hit the board when running on dirt in Keeneland's Ashland Stakes (G1) following two placings in stakes on the all-weather at Turfway Park, the Blame filly earned a determined victory in her turf debut in a Churchill allowance optional claimer June 14.
Ellis Park, Sunday, August 3, 2025, Race 9Entries: Pucker Up S. (G3T)
PP Horse Jockey Wgt Trainer M/L 1 1Liam in the Dust (KY) Cristian A. Torres 118 Rodolphe Brisset 15/1 2 2Drop the Hammer (KY) Jaime A. Torres 118 Michael J. Maker 15/1 3 3Destino d'Oro (KY) Luan Machado 118 Brad H. Cox 3/1 4 4Princess Attitude (KY) Axel Concepcion 118 Victoria H. Oliver 9/2 5 5Fixin to Bee (KY) Julien R. Leparoux 118 George R. Arnold II 10/1 6 6Just Ruthless (KY) Gabriel Saez 118 Destin G. Heath 20/1 7 7Deloraine (KY) Rafael Bejarano 118 Eoin G. Harty 10/1 8 8Admit (KY) Brian Joseph Hernandez, Jr. 118 Thomas Drury, Jr. 7/2 9 9Nosleeptilbrooklyn (KY) Declan Cannon 118 Brian A. Lynch 20/1 10 10Hereforagoodtime (KY) Tyler Gaffalione 118 Brendan P. Walsh 4/1
Kentucky Downs Preview Turf Cup
Last year's KY Downs Preview Turf Cup Stakes winner Highway Robber returns to defend his title as the 9-5 morning-line favorite Sunday. The 5-year-old Hard Spun gelding segued last year's win to a gallant runner-up finish in the $1,995,000 Kentucky Turf Cup Stakes (G2T).
Owned by Jim and Susan Hill, Highway Robber is one of three entrants for trainer Brian Lynch, who will also saddle last-out William L. McKnight Stakes (G3T) victor Dashman and grade 3 winner Anglophile in the $300,000 1 1/4-mile event for 3-year-olds and up.
Ellis Park, Sunday, August 3, 2025, Race 7Entries: KY Downs Preview Turf Cup S.
PP Horse Jockey Wgt Trainer M/L 1 1Highway Robber (KY) Cristian A. Torres 122 Brian A. Lynch 9/5 2 2Verstappen (KY) Tyler Gaffalione 122 Brendan P. Walsh 4/1 3 3Multitask (KY) Rafael Bejarano 122 Eoin G. Harty 20/1 4 4Sugoi (KY) Luan Machado 124 Michael J. Maker 10/1 5 5Clyde's Got a Gun (KY) Edgar Morales 122 Helen Pitts 15/1 6 6Tapit Shoes (KY) Mario Gutierrez 122 Ed Moger, Jr. 20/1 7 7Anglophile (KY) Declan Cannon 122 Brian A. Lynch 9/2 8 8Quatrocento (KY) Julien R. Leparoux 122 Fausto Gutierrez 12/1 9 9Dashman (KY) Brian Joseph Hernandez, Jr. 126 Brian A. Lynch 6/1 10 10Ole Crazy Bone (KY) Jaime A. Torres 122 Michael J. Maker 15/1
Kentucky Downs Preview Turf Sprint
2023 Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint (G1T) hero Nobals heads a competitive field of 12 older horses for the $250,000 KY Downs Preview Turf Sprint Stakes. The 5 1/2-furlong turf affair will pit Nobals against stakes-winning speedsters Coppola and Joe Shiesty.
The Dale Romans-trained Coppola, one of four front-running types in the race, will assure a fast and furious early pace Sunday. In his most recent victory, the son of Into Mischief established a new course record for five furlongs on the turf at Horseshoe Indianapolis, stopping the clock in :54.39 in the William Garrett Handicap.
Ellis Park, Sunday, August 3, 2025, Race 10Entries: KY Downs Preview Turf Sprint S.
PP Horse Jockey Wgt Trainer M/L 1 1Coppola (KY) Brian Joseph Hernandez, Jr. 126 Dale L. Romans 9/2 2 2Mo Stash (KY) Edgar Morales 122 Victoria H. Oliver 15/1 3 3Joe Shiesty (KY) Luan Machado 124 Eric N. Foster 5/1 4 4Go Captain (KY) Corey J. Lanerie 122 Lonnie Briley 30/1 5 5Chiseler (KY) Christopher A. Emigh 122 Brittany A. Vanden Berg 30/1 6 6Double Clutch (KY) Axel Concepcion 122 George R. Arnold II 20/1 7 7Nobals (KY) Tyler Gaffalione 122 Larry Rivelli 5/2 8 8High Front (KY) Keith J. Asmussen 122 Steven M. Asmussen 20/1 9 9Bal a Kazoo (KY) Luis Contreras 122 Robert M. Gorham 30/1 10 10Arzak (KY) Jaime A. Torres 122 Michael J. Trombetta 3/1 11 11Charcoal (KY) Marcelino Pedroza, Jr. 122 Tracey J. Wisner 15/1 12 12Bear River (KY) James Graham 122 J. Keith Desormeaux 15/1
Kentucky Downs Preview Ladies Turf Mile
Colebrook Farms' Simply in Front, an impressive come-from-behind winner of last year's Music City Stakes (G2T) at Kentucky Downs, will look to get back to the Franklin, Ky., oval in the $250,000 KY Downs Preview Ladies Turf Mile Stakes.
The Eddie Kenneally-trained filly added another graded stakes win to her record this past spring in the Churchill Distaff Turf Mile Stakes (G2T) on the Kentucky Oaks (G1) undercard.
Stakes winner Austere and Pharoah's Wine, an impressive recent winner of a Churchill Downs third-level allowance contest June 18, are among Simply in Front's biggest challengers.
Ellis Park, Sunday, August 3, 2025, Race 8Entries: KY Downs Preview Ladies Turf Mile S.
PP Horse Jockey Wgt Trainer M/L 1 1Simply in Front (KY) Luan Machado 124 Eddie Kenneally 3/1 2 2Amber Cascade (KY) Nik Juarez 122 Michael J. Maker 15/1 3 3Waves of Mischief (KY) Edgar Morales 122 Brendan P. Walsh 8/1 4 4Summerintahoe (KY) Julien R. Leparoux 122 Michael Ann Ewing 30/1 5 5Irish Maxima (KY) Jaime A. Torres 122 John C. Servis 6/1 6 6Pharoah's Wine (KY) Corey J. Lanerie 126 Dale L. Romans 5/2 7 7Austere (KY) Tyler Gaffalione 122 Brendan P. Walsh 5/1 8 8Sanctify (KY) Gabriel Saez 122 Hutch Holsapple 20/1 9 9She's Lookin Lucky (KY) Brian Joseph Hernandez, Jr. 122 Matt A. Shirer 9/2
