Milam, Thank You Marylou Take on 'Fiftyshades' in Dogwood

Joseph Sutton’s Milam enters Saturday’s $100,000-added Dogwood (Grade III) at Churchill Downs ready for a rematch with Fiftyshadesofgold, whom she finished a half-length behind in the Eight Belles (GIII) on Kentucky Oaks Day.

 

Trained by Eddie Kenneally, Milam finished third in her last effort, the June 29 Victory Ride (GIII) at Belmont Park. She has drawn post position four for Saturday’s seven-furlong contest and will get jockey Corey Lanerie at the reigns for the Dogwood.

 

“Fiftyshadesofgold is one of the horses to beat,” Kenneally said. “She’s a tough horse but we’re doing as well as we possibly can, so we’ll see. I think it’ll be a close race for sure.”

 

The seven-furlong Dogwood features a field of 10 3-year-old fillies (although Kiss to Remember and Honey’s Ryan are expected to scratch), and will be run as the ninth of 10 races on Saturday with an approximate post time of 4:55 p.m. ET.

 

“The race came up tough; it’s a solid, deep race,” Kenneally said. “Milam’s doing really well; she hasn’t run in a little while but she’s worked over the Churchill track a couple of times this month and she’s ready to run.”

 

Milam’s last breeze under the Twin Spires came Sept. 13 with a half-mile workout in :49.

 

“She’s been consistent all along,” Kenneally said. “She likes the track and ran a big race in the Eight Belles at seven furlongs so it’s an ideal spot for her.”

 

Milam also won a Churchill Downs allowance race last November. Overall, she’s won three of seven starts and earned $157,676.

 

Ken and Sarah Ramsey’s Thank You Marylou will bid for her first stakes win in Saturday’s $100,000-added Dogwood (Grade III) at Churchill Downs and trainer Mike Maker thinks she is due for a big performance.

 

Her last effort resulted in a sixth-place finish in the Test (GI) at Saratoga on Aug. 2, where she only was beaten by 2 ½ lengths.

 

“She’s always trained well,” Maker said. “In the Test, she just had an inside trip and got a little intimidated down there, so we’re going to add blinkers on her and hope for a better outcome on Saturday,” Maker said.

 

The 3-year-old daughter of Birdstone ran fifth in this year’s Longines Kentucky Oaks (GI), her only start under the Twin Spires.

 

“In the Oaks she was making a move at the quarter pole, but I think a mile-and-an-eighth might have been a little too far for her,” Maker said. “The competition also might have been a little too steep, but I don’t think she had any issues with the track. Hopefully she runs big.”

 

Thank You Marylou will be ridden Saturday by Miguel Mena and break from post position seven at odds of 4-1 on the morning line.

 

Source: Churchill Downs Communications