Maker Continues Roll at Churchill Downs

Mike Maker leads the trainer standings at Churchill Downs with 26 victories through the 27^th day of the 38-day Spring Meet and he’ll look to continue his success with Kitten’s Dumplings and Sunbean on Saturday night’s Downs After Dark Presented by Stella Artois and Finlandia Vodka racing program.

 

Kitten’s Dumplings headlines the field of 11 three-year-old fillies entered for the $100,000-added Regret (GIII), which will go as Race 9 at 10:11 p.m. In her most recent start, she cruised to a 3 ¾-length win in the Edgewood on Kentucky Oaks Day.

 

“She’s always shown a lot of talent and I’m glad it’s coming through,” said Maker, who became the 31^st trainer to record 200 wins at Churchill Downs when Stormy Lord won Thursday’s third race. “She’s a high-strung, nervous filly and she’s learning to channel some of that energy a little better and it’s showing up in the afternoon.”

 

Kitten’s Dumplings was bred in Kentucky by her owners Ken and Sarah Ramsey, whose 22 victories this season is a Spring Meet record. The Ramseys held the previous record of 21, which they set at the 2006 Spring Meet. The overall record for wins by an owner in one meet at Churchill Downs is 27, set by A.J. Foyt III at the 1984 Spring/Summer Meet that included 93 days of live racing.

 

Brittlyn Stable Inc.’s homebred Sunbean is one of the many top contenders in the $100,000-added Matt Winn (GIII), which is scheduled as Race 7 at 9:05 p.m.

 

While under the care of trainer Al Stall Jr., Sunbean won two stakes restricted to Louisiana-breds and then finished eighth in the Louisiana Derby (GII). In his lone start for Maker, Sunbean ran fifth in the Lexington (GIII) at Keeneland.

 

“The Lexington was kind of a last-minute decision and I hadn’t had the horse very long,” Maker said. “He looks like an exceptional Louisiana-bred, which he’s already proved, and now he’ll try to prove it against open company.”

 

Seaneen Girl, winner of last year’s Golden Rod (GII) at odds of 31-1, is a winner on dirt and Polytrack and will make her turf debut in Saturday’s $100,000-added Regret (GIII).

 

The Regret for 3-year-old fillies at 1 1/8 miles on the Matt Winn Turf Course will go as Race 9 at 10:11 p.m.

 

“She runs on dirt; she runs short; she runs long; she runs on the Polytrack,” trainer Bernie Flint said. “So what is she going to do on the grass? Where I come from, they’ve got to do it all.”

 

Seaneen Girl, a chestnut daughter of Spring At Last, broke her maiden going 4 ½ furlongs on the Polytrack at Woodbine in her career debut and her second career win came in the 1 1/16-mile Golden Rod on the main track at Churchill Downs.

 

Seaneen Girl made her 3-year-old debut in the Fair Grounds Oaks (GII) and finished third behind Unlimited Budget and Flashy Gray. Following a ninth-place finish in the Longines Kentucky Oaks (GI), Naveed Chowhan’s Seaneen Girl finished second by a length to Apropos in an allowance/optional-claiming race at Churchill Downs on May 26.

 

“If (Shaun Bridgmohan) would have ridden her once before, she wins the race,” Flint said. “He didn’t know what he had because he’d never been on her before. When you look at her, she doesn’t look like much, but she’s got an ability to do one thing: run.”

 

Bridgmohan will be back aboard Seaneen Girl in the Regret.

 

“I could have shipped her out of town and run somewhere else, but I’m trying to help Churchill Downs out and keep the better horses here,” Flint said. “Some others are shipping out of town to other places, but I stayed here to support Churchill.”