Battlefront Ready for U.S. Debut

Coming off a minor hind-end injury, Joseph Allen’s Battlefront is set to make his U.S. debut in Saturday’s $100,000-added Jefferson Cup (Grade III) at Churchill Downs for trainer Ben Colebrook.

 

Made the 6-1 fourth choice in the Jefferson Cup field of eight 3-year-olds, Battlefront will break from post position seven and jockey Robby Albarado has the call.

 

Colebrook said Battlefront, who recorded a pair of wins from six starts in France, was sent to his barn earlier this summer after his injury.

 

“He was sent to me earlier this summer,” Colebrook said. “He had been in France, had an injury over there and came back to the states and rehabbed here. They sent him to me and this race came up as a relatively short field so we decided to take a shot with him.”

 

Most recently, the 3-year-old Kentucky-bred son of War Front worked a half-mile under the Twin Spires in :48.40, the third fastest of 53 workers at the distance.

 

“He’s been training really well,” Colebrook said. “He’s been training over the dirt; but obviously with the European horses the turf should be no problem. He’ll run on Lasix for the first time so hopefully he’ll run well.”

 

Colebrook is looking for a big effort from Battlefront on Saturday and said the horse returned to training in good form after the injury.

 

“The injury was nothing major,” Colebrook said. “I just think he had some hind-end issues that they took care of. Since he’s been back and in our care everything’s been good with him here in the states and we’re looking for a good effort from him.”

 

Colebrook was confident in the abilities of Battlefront’s first American jockey although Albarado has yet to ride the colt.

 

“Robby hasn’t been on him yet,” Colebrook said. “Usually I don’t have jocks breeze them in the mornings; I tend to just use my guys. But Robby knows his way around there and I think he’ll do fine.”

 

The Jefferson Cup will be the 10^th of 11 races Saturday at Churchill Downs with an approximate post time of 5:20 p.m. ET.

 

Sunday is the final day of Churchill Downs’ September Meet and the finale will be highlighted by the Autumn N’Spires Festival, a new event combining the excitement of Thoroughbred racing with a social, festival-style atmosphere.

 

Live music on the Plaza stage will be performed by Southern Sirens, an all-girl Folk/Americana trio hailing from the Kentuckiana area, and the native-Louisville group A Lion Named Roar, known from FOX’s The Next Great American Band and self-described as “men that make pop music drenched in blue collar sweat and moral fiber.”

 

In addition to live music, the Plaza also will feature food trucks: Grind, Holy Mole, Busta Grill, Lil’ Cheezers, Longshot Lobsta and Jam Pan; and a bourbon bar which will offer specialty drinks Woodford N’Spired, Louisville’s Old Fashioned and the Kentucky Mule.

Jockey Corey Lanerie remains in the lead of the Churchill Downs jockey standings after winning aboard Tarpy’s Goal in Sunday’s eighth race. Lanerie leads Ricardo Santana Jr. by a 12-11 margin with three days of racing remaining. … Lanerie was involved in a spill Wednesday at Kentucky Downs but reported via text: “I am fine.” … Lanerie will be in New York on Saturday to ride Ack Ack winner Bradester in the $400,000 Kelso (GII) at Belmont Park. … Rosie Napravnik has riding engagements in several stakes races at Santa Anita on Saturday and Remington Park on Sunday. … Brian Hernandez Jr. also is scheduled to ride a pair of Mike Tomlinson-trained horses Sunday at Remington: Greengrassofyoming in the $100,000 Remington Green and For Goodness Sake in the $400,000 Oklahoma Derby (GIII). … Francisco Torres was named to ride Nicky’s Brown Miss in Sunday’s $200,000 Miss Grillo (GIII) at Belmont Park. … Jockey Jon Court, 53, was given the go-ahead by his doctor to resume riding and has four mounts Saturday and three on Sunday. They will mark his first mounts since breaking his right hand in the final race on Kentucky Derby Day. … Steve Asmussen won the fifth race Sunday with Unseen Visitor to regain sole possession of first place in the leading trainer standings with six. Dale Romans and Chris Richard are tied with five each in second… Ken and Sarah Ramsey remained tied with Maggie Moss with five wins in the race for leading owner after Sunday’s card. … Horses and Hope, the breast cancer initiative of Kentucky’s First Lady Jane Beshear and the Kentucky Cancer Program, are scheduled to be on the Churchill Downs backstretch Monday with their mobile mammography to provide brief one-on-one interventions, group education and screening referrals to track workers and their families.