Kentucky Downs: Full field is in Tapit Stakes on opening day

Twelve older horses plus four-also eligibles were entered for the one-mile-and-70-yard, $500,000 Tapit, a listed stakes on opening day Thursday at Kentucky Downs.

The race that is restricted to horses who have not won a stakes this year is the feature on the first of seven racing days. The all-turf meet runs from Thursday until Sept. 11.

Atone, from the barn of Kentucky Downs’ all-time win leader Mike Maker, will try to end a 12-race winless streak since he captured the Grade 1 Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational at Gulfstream Park in January 2023. A 7-year-old owned by Three Diamonds Farm, Atone is a $1,454,316 earner who gets a class drop from the last two years he ran at Kentucky Downs. He was fourth in the 2023 Mint Millions (G3) and a second in the same race in 2022.

Maker also is sending out Chasing the Crown, second in his last two starts, namely Churchill Downs’ Wise Dan (G2) and Arlington Stakes (G3) with both races won by Godolphin’s accomplished Ottoman Fleet.

Irish Aces, from the barn of 2023 Kentucky Downs training titlist Brendan Walsh, was third in the Arlington Stakes and most recently a rallying third in a Saratoga allowance. 

Mark Casse-trained Miranda Rights was third in Ellis Park’s $250,000 Kentucky Downs Preview Mint Millions Turf Mile in his last start after winning a Churchill Downs allowance.

Trainer Wesley Ward, a Kentucky Downs regular and multiple meet titlist, entered Funtastic Again, who was a good second in his last start, Santa Anita’s Shoemaker Mile (G1) on May 27.

Harlan’s Estate and English Bee, the first- and second-place finishers in last year’s Tapit, return in the restricted stakes. Harlan’s Estate gave Whit Beckman his first stakes victory as a trainer in the 2023 Tapit.

Hall of Fame trainer Neil Drysdale entered Grade 2-placed Nineeleventurbo off of a second in Colonial Downs’ prep for the Arlington Million (G1). This is his third start after a 6 1/2-month layoff.

Siege of Boston, trained by East Coast-based Jimmy Toner, was second as the favorite in Ellis Park’s Kentucky Downs Preview Turf Cup. Last year he was third in that prep before finishing second in a $500,000 overnight handicap at Kentucky Downs.

New Jersey shipper Eamonn finished seventh in last year’s $2 million Turf Sprint (G2) at Kentucky Downs, losing by a total of a length.

Champions Dream never has run on turf but comes into the Tapit off an all-weather allowance victory at Gulfstream. Howling Time won a Belterra Park allowance race in his last start.