Churchill Downs news: Post-surgery, Court back in the saddle
Veteran jockey Jon Court is set to return to the saddle Sunday at Churchill Downs following shoulder surgery on June 30 after he was injured in a motorcycle accident.
“I feel really good,” Court, 57, said. “I’ve been getting on horses for a couple of weeks and we’re ready to get back to the races.”
A native of Gainesville, Fla., Court has won 4,121 races with purse earnings of $104,087,932 in his 38-year riding career. Now a grandfather, Court has no timetable on how long he will continue to ride.
“I’m going to go as long as my body will let me,” Court said.
Court is scheduled to ride One Thirty Nine in Race 9 Sunday in a 1 1/16-mile conditioned allowance race for trainer Ed Frederick.
FOLEY SIBLINGS CONFIDENT WITH HOG CREEK HUSTLE – It was nearly one year ago when Something Special Racing’s Patty Tipton called trainer Greg Foley to help look at horses during the Keeneland September Yearling Sale. One of the horses Greg picked out was Hog Creek Hustle, who will tackle stakes company for the first time in Saturday’s Grade 3, $150,000 Iroquois Stakes at Churchill Downs for his older sister and fellow trainer Vickie Foley.
“Patty called me last year when we were at the sale and asked if I was there looking at any to buy,” Greg said. “I told her we had a few we were looking at and she brought me about seven or eight pages from the sales book to look at and give her my thoughts. She was really big on the Overanalyze colts and Hog Creek Hustle was one that caught my eye. I told her he may be a bit pricey but I am a big fan.”
Hog Creek Hustle was purchased for $150,000 and debuted on Aug. 18 at Ellis Park. After the colt trailed by nearly six lengths off the early pace in a five-furlong maiden special weight contest, Hog Creek Hustle rallied to narrowly defeat nine rivals under leading rider Corey Lanerie.
“I’m really excited for him to run two turns Saturday,” said Vickie, who’s Barn 8 is adjacent to her brother’s on the Churchill Downs backstretch. “The way he trains certainly shows me that he should love the extra distance. We had a really good summer at Ellis with our 2-year-olds and hope we can continue into the fall at Churchill. There are some horses in the race that could be tough but I’m really confident in our horse.”
The 1 1/16-mile Iroquois, one of four stakes events on the first Saturday of the 11-day September Meet, is the first scoring race on the 2018-19 “Road to the Kentucky Derby.” Points awarded to the Top 4 Iroquois finishers will be 10-4-2-1 as part of the 19-race “Prep Season” that showcases foundation-building races in advance of the “Kentucky Derby Championship Series,” which begins in late February. The Iroquois also is part of the Breeders’ Cup “Win & You’re In” program with the winner receiving an automatic berth into the $2 million Sentient Jet Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (GI) on Nov. 2 at Churchill Downs.
TAPPING PEARL HOPES TO REBOUND – Stonestreet Stables' Tapping Pearl was one of four 2-year-old winners for trainer Mark Casse during the 2018 Spring Meet at Churchill Downs, and head assistant Dave Carroll is hoping the Tapit filly can return to form in Saturday’s Grade 2, $200,000 Pocahontas Stakes at the historic Louisville track.
“This filly was really impressive in her debut,” Carroll said. “She went to Saratoga for a bit this summer but it was a head scratcher in the Schuylerville. She’s better than that and I hope she can show that Saturday.
“One thing that isn’t too ideal is the outside draw. It’s tough breaking from that far outside and going two turns. I just hope we can get lucky, and Florent (Geroux) isn't caught too wide going into the first turn.”
Tapping Pearl, who was made 10-1 on odds maker Mike Battaglia’s morning line, broke awkwardly from the gate in the July 20 Schuylerville and finished ninth out of 10 horses. Following her sub-par effort, the homebred returned to Casse’s barn at Churchill Downs to begin preparing for the Pocahontas.
“She’s been back since the middle of August and has done well in the morning training,” Carroll said. “We put three works in her leading up to this race and she’s done everything we’ve asked to this point.”
RACING THURSDAY-SUNDAY; FIRST RACE 12:45 P.M. MOST DAYS – Churchill Downs’ 11-day meet will be staged over three weekends through Sunday, Sept. 30 with racing on Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. The first race will be 12:45 p.m. daily (admission gates open at 11:30 a.m.) with the exception of a pair of 5 p.m. (gates at 4 p.m.) Twilight Thursdays and a 6 p.m. first post (gates at 5 p.m.) on Saturday, Sept. 29.