Eskenforit redefines himself with Churchill Downs track record

Follow the 3-year-old division close enough, and you’d know Eskenforit as the horse that “won” the Indiana Derby (G3), crossing the wire just ahead of Mr. Money — but sans rider after throwing Julien Leparoux leaving the gate.

The chestnut gelding redefined himself last Friday when defeating allowance foes in a track record performance at Churchill Downs, where he blazed to 1 3/16 miles in 1:56.49.

“Having Eskenforit's name sandwiched on the track records list between Victory Gallop and the greatest horse of all time in Secretariat at the world's most legendary racetrack is pretty freakin' cool,” said Joe Kristufek, a founding member in the partnership that campaigns Eskenforit, Brilliant Racing.

Now, there’s Victory Gallop’s 1 1/8 miles in 1:47.28 recorded in the 1999 Stephen Foster Handicap; Eskenforit’s 1 3/16 miles in a $97,000 allowance flight; and Secretariat’s 1 1/4 miles in 1:59.40 in the 1973 Kentucky Derby.

Known as “Kenny” by his connections, Steve Margolis-trained Eskenforit went from a DNF in the Indiana Derby to run fifth in the Ellis Park Derby before Friday’s record run.

“The mile over a speed favoring track at Ellis was too sharp for Kenny as it turned out,” Kristufek said. “With the purses as good as they are at Churchill, winning a first-level allowance is almost like winning a small stakes race.”

A plethora of jockeys have hopped aboard Eskenforit in his 12 starts, but Gabriel Saez has been in the irons for both wins. Coincidentally, he was the jockey turning attention toward the riderless Eskenforit when finishing up the Indiana Derby aboard Mr. Money back on July 13, too.

“He seems to have come out of the race really well,” Brandon Stauble, another managing partner for Brilliant Racing, said of Eskenforit. “Standing next to him in the winner's circle after the race he was barely blowing.

“Gabe Saez has a made a tremendous difference for this horse. They just get along so well, and he gets him to relax, which is huge.”

Gils said connections haven’t firmed up plans for Eskenforit’s next start.

“But we won't be afraid to try stakes company again at some point,” she said. “For now, we want to keep him healthy and happy. We think Kenny will get better with age and we want him to have a long career, so there is no need to rush anything with him.”

Eskenforit runs for Brilliant Racing’s inaugural partnership. As previously reported at Horse Racing Nation, the managing partners have recruited new members while being “transparent with expectations,” as Stauble put it. The group’s third partnership opportunity will open after the new year.