Jerkens has high hopes for Saharan in Dogwood

Last November, trainer Jimmy Jerkens invaded Churchill Downs for the $500,000 Clark Handicap Presented by Norton Healthcare (Grade I) with Breeders’ Cup Classic (GI) runner-up Effinex, and hopes to do the same Saturday night when he sends Saharan to the $100,000 Dogwood Stakes Presented by GE Appliances (listed), a seven-furlong sprint for 3-year-old fillies.

Owned by Paul and Phillip Tackett, the daughter of Desert Party is in search of her first stakes win and comes to the race off a two-length allowance victory at Saratoga on Aug. 28 – her first win since breaking her maiden in the slop at Belmont Park in May.

Following her maiden win, Jerkens ran Saharan against stakes company on the Belmont Park lawn in the Soaring Softly and Wild Applause Stakes, both resulting in off-the-board efforts. Saharan’s older half-sister was dual graded stakes winner My Conquestadory, who made her career debut on the grass winning the Summer (GII) at Woodbine as a 2-year-old.

“(My Conquestadory) was a good filly on the turf so we figured that she would do the same,” Jerkens said by phone from his New York base.

“But she was also by Artie Schiller so that probably had a lot to do with it. There aren’t many races like this one left, very few up in New York. We feel like this is a good opportunity to get her a big win.”

Jerkens believes that the Dogwood will have a fast pace upfront, which could be in favor of his filly.

“It looks like there’s going to be a pretty good pace up front,” Jerkens said. “We’re just hoping that this race sets up for her. A lot of horses in here have been running at a mile and a mile-and-a-sixteenth so they’ll be cutting back in distance and they might have some edge on us. The last race set up well for her though. She just sat off the pace and went by in mid-stretch and ran really well.”

Saharan breaks from post 6 and will have the riding services of jockey Corey Lanerie.

COX TO CROSS ENTER EMMZY IN REMINGTON PARK OAKS – Dogwood Stakes Presented by GE Appliances morning line favorite Emmzy will be cross-entered in Sunday’s $200,000 Remington Park Oaks, but is likely to stay home and run out of her own stall, according to trainer Brad Cox.

“We’re 60-40 that we’ll probably run here, but we’ll make a final decision later (Thursday) afternoon,” Cox said.

The Dogwood field from the rail out (with jockeys and morning line odds): Gracie’s Treasure (Jesus Castanon, 10-1); Wonderment (Calvin Borel, 12-1); Marquee Miss (Channing Hill, 12-1); One True Kiss (Ricardo Santana Jr., 4-1); Luna Azteca (Chris Landeros, 12-1); Saharan (Corey Lanerie, 7-2); Mines and Magic (Robby Albarado, 3-1); and Emmzy (Brian Hernandez Jr., 5-2).

Saturday’s Dogwood will be run as Race 9 at 10:11 p.m. (all times Eastern) on an 11-race card that begins at 6 p.m.

ARABIAN HORSE OF THE YEAR PADDYS DAY HEADS PRESIDENT OF UAE CUP – Quarter Moon Ranch LLC’s Arabian racing’s Horse of the Year Paddys Day will attempt to add another big victory to his already-stacked résumé when he takes on a field of nine in Saturday evening’s $100,000 President of the United Arab Emirates Cup Sponsored by the Abu Dhabi Sports Council (GI), which is run at 1 1/16 miles and will take place beneath Churchill Downs’ Twin Spires for a fourth time and the first time since 2014.

The ultra-consistent Texas-bred son of Burning Sand boats a lifetime record of 22-15-5-0—$255,323, which includes 10 stakes victories, the most recent of which came two starts ago in the $51,000 Delaware Park Arabian Classic Handicap (GI) on Sept. 10.

“He’s always been true to form,” said trainer Scott Powell, who has trained Arabians for 17 years. “If he’s lost a race it’s probably been my fault more so than his; he’s always proven that. It’s just a matter of keeping him happy and being patient. We’ve been patient with him and have never pushed him just to get a win. We’ve just been keeping him happy and it appears to be working well for us.”

Powell stressed how difficult it can be to keep a horse as consistent as Paddys Day, who has won over nine different surfaces and will race over the Churchill Downs main track for the first time in his career.

“It’s hard to do it and you can’t take it for granted,” Powell said. “We always have a concern going into each race and we never take it for granted. A lot of it is depending on how Paddy likes the track and obviously going into this race, we got (jockey Calvin) Borel on our horse so I’ll take our chances. The team is ready and we’ll give it hell. Whatever doesn’t go right, we’ll make the adjustments and get better for next time.”

Powell also has RB Madymoiselle entered in the President of the UAE Cup, who was second to her stable mate in the Delaware Park Arabian Classic Handicap.

“She’s coming into the race great and maybe she’ll pull off the upset, that would be okay to me,” Powell said.

The President of the UAE Cup field (with jockey and morning line odds): Paddys Day (Calvin Borel, 8-5); CV Lily De Cardonne (Didiel Osorio, 15-1); Chndakasexpress (Declan Cannon, 15-1); Lady Haha (Ricardo Santana Jr., 5-1); Thess Is Awesome (Travis Wales, 8-1); Sand Victor (Corey Lanerie, 2-1); RB Madymoiselle (Keiber Coa, 4-1); F Sixteen (Jesus Castanon, 8-1); and Sergeant Pepper MHF (Carlos Diaz, 20-1).

Post time for Saturday’s President of the UAE Cup, which goes as Race 10 of 11, is 10:42 p.m.

Source: Churchill Downs