Byrne Calls Audible for Almost Famous

Trainer Pat Byrne took a look at weather forecasts over the next few days and decided that Thursday was the best shot at good conditions for the final pre-race work for Chuck and Maribeth Sandford’s Almost Famous, a contender for the 87th running of the $150,000-added Kentucky Jockey Club (GII) on Saturday, Nov. 30.

So the 2-year-old son of Unbridled’s Song headed to the fast main track at Churchill Downs just after the morning maintenance break and breezed three furlongs in :36.40 under jockey Corey Lanerie.

“The weather looked like it was going to be a little rough for the weekend and our track was in super shape this morning, so I took advantage of it,” Byrne said. “We had a good morning and we got all we wanted. He’s all set for next Saturday.”

Almost Famous will enter the Kentucky Jockey Club off an impressive six-length victory in a Nov. 9 Churchill Downs allowance race at the Kentucky Jockey Club distance of 1 1/16 miles. All three of his career races have come at Churchill Downs and include a maiden victory in September followed by a disappointing fourth-place run behind Coastline in the $60,000-added Street Sense overnight stakes on Oct. 27.

Also working toward a possible Kentucky Jockey Club bid on Thursday was Ken and Sarah Ramsey’s Ichiban Warrior, who breezed a bullet four furlongs in :47.80. The move was the fastest of 26 at the distance. 

The Todd Pletcher-trained son of First Samurai was runner-up in the Street Sense in his most recent outing.   

Known probable starters for the 87th running of the $175,000-added Kentucky Jockey Club (GII), a 1 1/16-mile race for 2-year-olds on Saturday, Nov. 30 (Stars of Tomorrow II/Closing Day) (with trainers): Almost Famous (Pat Byrne), Awesome Sky (Mark Casse), Dobra Historia (Bill Mott) and Laddie Boy (Chuck Peery). Possible: Culprit (Romans), Financial Mogul (Rick Violette Jr.), and Ichiban Warrior (Todd Pletcher). Sheikinator (McPeek) is listed as “possible.”