Kentucky Downs: Grand Sonata chases Ky. Turf Cup repeat

The Todd Pletcher-trained Grand Sonata could become only the third horse to win Kentucky Downs’ $2.5 million Kentucky Turf Cup Invitational twice when he goes to the post in the 1 1/2-mile, Grade 2 stakes on Saturday.

Tyler Gaffalione, who rode Grand Sonata in last year’s victory, will be aboard in the field of 11 older horses. Grand Sonata is the 4-1 favorite on the morning line.

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The last time there was a repeat winner was Da Big Hoss in 2015-16. The first to pull off the parlay was Rochester in 2002-03, the second coming via disqualification of first-place finisher Art Variety for interference.

“It’s such a hard race to win,” said Todd Quast, general manager and racing manager for Mandy Pope’s Whisper Hill Farm, owner and breeder of Grand Sonata. “With the mile-and-a-half, anything can happen, and usually does. But he is such a cool horse. He tries every time. He and Tyler have a great chemistry, especially at Kentucky Downs. Very excited about it. It was a great race last year, and he’s really probably in better form.”

Grand Sonata comes into the Turf Cup off a pair of good seconds in the Arlington Million (G1) at Colonial Downs and the United Nations (G2) at Monmouth. Fort Washington, the 9-2 second choice on the Kentucky Turf Cup morning line, won the Arlington Million.

Grand Sonata started his season with a second by a head in the Mac Diarmida (G2) at Gulfstream and a close sixth in the Elkhorn (G2) at Keeneland, where the 1-3 finishers were Kentucky Turf Cup entrants Utah Beach and Anglophile. In between was a throw-out eighth place by 89 lengths in Saratoga’s Belmont Gold Cup taken off the turf and run in the slop.

“Last year he didn’t run very well in the Sword Dancer (finishing fifth), and we came back in two weeks because the turf was kind of soft up there,” Quast said of the Saratoga grass course. “And he won the race at Kentucky Downs. This year, his last few races, he just barely got beat. Didn’t get as good a trip as the winners. Hopefully we can turn the tables on them. Hats off to Fort Washington in winning the Arlington Million. We’re hoping we can take the home-court advantage there and use Tyler.

“Those races are so tactical, and everything just has to come out right. The thing about him is that he just tries hard every time. He is not a win machine. Even though he’s won a lot of money, everything has to go right. But he’s training super, his weight is great. He’s a happy horse, loves what he does.”

Grand Sonata has been ridden by 10 different jockeys, but Gaffalione has been aboard for all five of his wins.

“I was really happy with the way he ran in his last race,” Gaffalione said of the Arlington Million. “I thought we had it won, and that horse came running on the outside. He gave me a really good run that day, and he did everything I asked. He’s one of those horses that show up every time. So we’re hoping for a little luck, he likes the track here, so we’re excited.

“I was really proud of him in last year’s race. We’ve had a long relationship, and I was really happy to get it done that day. Especially for Miss Mandy Pope. She’s been a great supporter of mine.”

Grand Sonata is 31: 5-9-2 with earnings of $2,440,935. One of those second-place finishes came in the Dueling Grounds Derby (G3), the race now called the Nashville Derby. He represents a group of horses racing at Kentucky Downs: well-bred turf horses with consistent records and fat bankrolls who continue to race at ages 5, 6 and older.

A son of Medaglia d’Oro out of A.P. Sonata, Grand Sonata’s female family has produced graded stakes-winners such as Kentucky Oaks winner and champion Abel Tasman, Ballerina d’Oro and Wilburn, as well as Snow Face Princess, who races in Sunday’s Untapable Stakes at Kentucky Downs.

If American breeders tend to prefer more speed in their stallions, Quast said that having these big-money races for turf marathoners makes keeping them at the track appealing and often profitable. 

“If he can win on Saturday, it’s $1.4 million to the winner,” he said. That would boost his bankroll to almost $4 million. “That would be a great thing to have,” he said with a laugh. “The other thing is, this horse just loves to train. He’s a very sound horse, and he loves the battle. Anything can happen in these races, but I think we’re set pretty well. I’d love for him to be one of the ones who can do a repeat.”