Itsinthepost brings Mullins back to Kentucky for first time since 2009

The most recent time trainer Jeff Mullins ventured from his Southern California base to race in Kentucky was eight years ago when he was preparing I Want Revenge for what would have been the trainer’s fifth Kentucky Derby (G1) starter.

However, on the morning of the Derby, I Want Revenge was declared from the race because of filling in his left front ankle.

“I haven’t been back to Kentucky to race since,” Mullins said Thursday morning prior to watching Red Baron’s Barn LLC’s Itsinthepost (FR) train on the main track.

Mullins has started six horses at Keeneland, none since 2009. On Saturday in the $250,000 Dixiana Elkhorn (G2) on the grass, Itsinthepost will attempt to give Mullins his first Keeneland stakes victory.

“I ran one here in the Shakertown,” Mullins said of his most recent stakes try here when Mighty Beau finished second in 2005.

Mullins took over the training of Itsinthepost when Darrell Vienna retired last spring. For Mullins, Itsinthepost has started nine times with three wins and five seconds. The most recent victory came in the 1½-mile San Luis Rey (G2) on March 25 at Santa Anita.

“There was nothing for him at home,” Mullins said of the decision to ship east. “There is a 1¾-mile race Saturday (the San Juan Capistrano-G3), but it’s only $100,000.

“It was either here or Charles Town (for Saturday’s $1.25 million Charles Town Classic-G3 at 1 1/8 miles on the dirt). He works on the training track at Santa Anita and loves it and it is a bullring (five-eighths of a mile) like Charles Town (which is 6 furlongs).

“I thought we might take a shot there, but I looked at the nominations and thought we’d better stay on the grass.”

With rain in the forecast beginning late Friday night and continuing Saturday, Itsinthepost might not encounter the fast and firm conditions he is used to in California.

“I haven’t looked back at his European form,” Mullins said of the 5-year-old gelding, who had his first five starts in France. “But he ran well in an off-the-turf race (the Grade 3 San Gabriel on Jan. 7) for us, finishing second.”

Regular rider Tyler Baze, who also is seeking his initial Keeneland stakes victory, has the mount Saturday.

It has been a very good five days for jockey Paco Lopez.

The 31-year-old native of Mexico, who earned the Eclipse Award as North America’s top apprentice in 2008, made his way into the Keeneland records on Saturday by winning his first two stakes here.

Following a three-day break with his family in South Florida, Lopez again found the winner’s circle on his first mount Wednesday, Amberspatriot for John Hancock.

Lopez, who first rode at Keeneland during the 2012 Fall Meet, on April 15 won the Ben Ali (G3) on Watershed and topped off the day with the head victory by Dickinson over Lady Eli in the Coolmore Jenny Wiley (G1).

“I could have gone inside or outside,” Lopez said of the stretch run. “Lady Eli got the jump on me, but I was confident Dickinson could run her down.”

Lopez has won all three times he has ridden the Kiaran McLaughlin trainee.

“The first time I saw her run was at Parx and she won really easily,” Lopez said of the Sept. 6 allowance race that Dickinson won by 4½ lengths in her grass debut. In that race, Lopez finished third, nearly 10 lengths back on another entrant.

Lopez picked up the mount on Dickinson for the Feb. 11 Suwannee River (G3) when previous rider John Velazquez was out of town for the day.

“She pulled away real easy that day at Gulfstream,” said Lopez, who followed that victory with a score in the Hillsborough (G2) at Tampa Bay Downs on March 11.

Dickinson is pointing to the $700,000 Just A Game (G1) at a mile at Belmont Park on June 10 and a possible rematch with Lady Eli, who is undefeated in four starts over the Belmont turf.

“A lot can happen with these fillies,” Lopez said about the possibility of meeting Lady Eli again. “But my filly, she is a very nice filly.”

Jockey agent Liz Morris had her career path perfectly plotted. She would combine her biology degree with her love of animals and become an equine veterinarian. Then she discovered horse racing.

“I ended up falling in love with the race track,” she said while taking time out from her busy schedule of fielding phone calls and making entries on behalf of jockey Jack Gilligan and trainers for whom he rides.

As an agent, Morris is constantly seeking the best mounts for Gilligan. She communicates daily with trainers so she can be organized when entries are taken three days before a particular race. She knows the routine exceptionally well from her own days as a jockey.

While growing up in San Antonio riding her Shetland pony, Morris was an animal-loving tomboy whose athletic skills earned her several soccer scholarships. After graduating from the University of Texas at San Antonio, Morris worked at an equine hospital in advance of attending vet school. A side trip to nearby Retama Park changed her course.

Soon she was riding Thoroughbreds at a farm, which led to a job as an exercise rider for trainer Steve Asmussen at Arlington Park near Chicago and Fair Grounds in New Orleans. She obtained her jockey’s license in 2003.

During Morris’ productive five-year career, other jockeys recognized her as a natural to become an agent and encouraged her to pursue that path. She followed their suggestion when she left race riding in 2008.

Morris thrives on her often-hectic schedule that includes watching races and making recommendations to trainers about upcoming races. Plans call for Morris and Gilligan to shift to Churchill Downs when Keeneland’s Spring Meet concludes April 28.

“There are so many things I love about being an agent,” she said. “I get to interact with people from all over the world. And I enjoy studying the races and pedigrees.”

Kentucky Oaks (G1) hopeful Wicked Lick worked a half-mile in :48 under trainer Brendan Walsh on the fast main track after the Thursday morning renovation break.

“It was a good work,” Walsh said. “She did it well on her own; sometimes she is a little lazy. She probably will go to Churchill Downs after this weekend and then, weather permitting, work one day next weekend.”

Owned and bred by Lee Mauberret, Wicked Lick finished second in the Fair Grounds Oaks (G2) in her most recent start. …

Trainer John Ortiz earned his first Keeneland victory Wednesday when he sent out Thomas Julian’s Kirby’s Penny to win the sixth race. 

Channing Hill rode the 4-year-old Macho Uno filly to win the 1-mile race by a nose in 1:37.06.