3 minute read

Often described by colleagues as their favourite festival, racing returns to the Blue Grass on Friday.

And there is a very exciting race to highlight Day 1 – the Ashland Stakes Gr 1 over 1700m for the 3yo fillies.  It's the first Gr 1 for the 3yo fillies in 2023 and there have been 14 winners of this race who have gone on to win the Kentucky Oaks.

Wonder Wheel was the female 2yo Horse of the Year for 2022 and the daughter of Into Mischief seems ready to continue her winning ways.  She's 8/5 in the Morning Line and Mark Casse will put Tyle Gaffalione up.  Brad Cox's daughter of Uncle Mo, Punchbowl, is a serious contender here and is 2/1 in a 7 horse field.

It is a beautiful time of the year in Kentucky although Friday's weather looks like being cloudy and not altogether tropical but at least it will be dry.

Up in New York at Aqueduct there is the Gr 1 Carter over 1400m with 7 contenders.  Repo Rocks is on 9/5 for J. Ness and A. Wolfsont and White Aburrio is on 2/1 for Saffie Joseph and Paco Lopez.

The Wood Memorial is a Gr 2 in name but more of a Gr 1 in reality.  Over 1800m it will have 13 3yos contending.  Hit Show is by the Argentinian sire Candy Ride and is on 5/2 for Cox-Franco.  Dreamlike by Gun Runner is on 7/2 for Pletcher and J-L Ortiz and there are two on 6/1, Slip Mahoney by Arrogate and Arctic Arrogance by Frozen.