Wise Dan Accepts Firecracker Assignment

Reigning Horse of the Year Wise Dan, a winner of five straight Grade I races, will carry the high weight of 128 pounds when he faces seven rivals in the 23rd running of $150,000-added Firecracker Handicap (GII) on Saturday night at Churchill Downs.

 

The Firecracker Handicap for 3-year-olds and up at one mile on the Matt Winn Turf Course is one of three stakes events on the “Downs After Dark Presented by Stella Artois and Finlandia Vodka” nighttime racing program. Post time for the first race is 6 p.m. (all times Eastern) and the Firecracker will go as Race 9 of 11 at 10:11 p.m.

 

Mort Fink’s homebred Wise Dan enters the Firecracker off a 4 ¾-length victory in the Woodford Reserve Turf Classic (GI) on Kentucky Derby Day. In his only other start of 2013, he won the Maker’s 46 Mile (GI) on the turf at Keeneland by a length. He was ridden in both of those starts by Jose Lezcano, but Hall of Fame jockey John Velazquez has the call Saturday.

 

“He’s doing as well as I could ask,” trainer Charlie LoPresti said.

 

 

The main rival for Wise Dan could be Claiborne Farm and Adele Dilschneider’s Lea, who is weighted at 117 pounds. A 4-year-old chestnut son of First Samurai, Lea ended his 2012 campaign with a victory in the Commonwealth Turf (GIII) at Churchill Downs in November.

 

In his lone start of the year, Lea cruised to a 3 ¼-length win in an off-the-turf allowance/optional-claiming race on a sloppy track at Churchill Downs on June 1 in his dirt debut. Trained by Al Stall Jr., Lea has a record of four wins, one second and one third from six starts.

 

Also weighted at 117 pounds as the co-second high weight is Gary and Mary West’s Corporate Jungle, who most recently finished second in the Swoon’s Son at Arlington Park in his first start for trainer Tom Proctor. While in the barn of trainer Chad Brown, Corporate Jungle won the 2012 Appleton (GIII) at Gulfstream Park and finished second behind Wise Dan in the 2012 Fourstardave Handicap (GII) at Saratoga.