Ellis Park media notes
Borel returns in Saturday’s 6th race;
‘Corndog’ heads Wiener-Dog final;
Doyle gets another second at 30-1
For immediate release
HENDERSON, Ky. (Aug. 26, 2016) — Even
with the wildly popular Wiener Dog
Championship taking place, the top dog Saturday at Ellis Park figures to be
three-time Kentucky Derby winner Calvin Borel, who will make his return to
racing after a five-month retirement.
Borel rides one race, the sixth (post time 3:24 p.m. Central). He’ll be on No. 4
Kiss My Note, a first-time starter owned by trainer-breeder Buff Bradley and the
9-2 third choice in the field of nine 2-year-olds. The Hall of Fame jockey also will
sign autographs between the second and fourth races at a table position at the
north end of the grandstand (near the grassy picnic area).
“I’m excited, I tell you what,” Borel said. “I’m very excited. I’m ready to go. It’s
time. Win, lose or draw, I’m ready to get going. I’m ready to ride. I’m back.”
The Wiener Dog derby will take place after race 5, or approximately 2:52 p.m.
Central. The field of eight dachshunds is headed by the Bethany Huebner-owned
Mini Corndog with Ketchup, who set the wiener-dog track record of 6.91 seconds
for about 50 yards. The field in post position order: 1. Julia Matthews’ Andy; 2.
Matthew Short’s Daphne; 3. Stephen and Anna Goins’ Molly; 4. Mini Corndog
with Ketchup; 5. Erin Nixon’s O-Lee; 6., Jennifer Keach’s Colby; 7. Chuck
Chapshaw’s Turbo Dutch; 9. Rhonda Kircher’s Minnie.
The top two in each of two qualifying heats last Saturday and Sunday advanced.
You can watch Sunday’s qualifiers at facebook.com/EllisParkRacing.
Doyle knock, knock, knocking on winner’s door
When jockey Sophie Doyle got beat in a tight photo in Friday’s second race, it
marked her sixth runner-up finished in her 17 mounts since returning from
severely fractured collarbone. Most of those seconds have come on big-priced
horses — as with 30-1 Millennium Star, who just got nipped by 3-5 favorite
Kitchen Boss.
Doyle is philosophical as she awaits her first victory upon her return.
“I didn’t even pull up and think, ‘Oh, I just won,’” she said afterward. “I don’t want
to have that feeling by thinking, ‘Yay, I’ve got it!’ and then be, ‘Oh no! second.’ So
I’m second until I see the number up on the board.
“The horses are running well. (Owner-trainer Robert Williams) said when I went
I went out to the paddock, ‘Look, Sophie, I didn’t put you on a disgrace. Trust me,
she’s won a lot of purse money. Grass is the only thing she’ll run on.’ They set a
nice pace all the way, we just sat back and took our time and thought we’ll save
what we can for the finish. It was just that last head bob went the other way. She
was 30-1, but she didn’t run like she was.”
Doyle said this was the first time she’s experienced a serious injury in nine years
as a jockey. (She has had other significant injuries involving horses before she
became a jockey, as well as a fractured wrist snowboarding.) In her third mount
back, she was second by a half-length on 28-1 Emmajestic in the Grade 3
Groupie Doll.
“You really anticipate it,” Doyle said of getting that first victory back. “Every time
you come out, you think, ‘Could this be the day?’ ‘Today’s the day.’ I’ve seen a
couple of other jockeys who have come back from injury recently, and they won
that first day back, second day back. For me, I’m keeping my feet firmly
grounded pretty much. I’ve just got to sit back and not get frustrated. The jocks in
here have been great and helped me. They said, ‘Look, you’re doing well; you’re
riding well. It will happen. Just don’t worry about it. Just keep doing what you’re
doing. When you start winning, they’ll all be winning.’ Hopefully.”
Doyle said Jon Court’s experience has been comforting. He missed the first part
of the meet with a cracked rib and got off to a slow start. But heading into
Friday’s races, he’d had a riding double for four straight days to bust into the top
10 in the standings.
“And now it’s working out, and one day it will work out for me,” she said.
Finale for “Making of a Racehorse” Sat. AM fan experience
Saturday, Aug. 27, is the last edition “Making of a Racehorse,” designed to give
fans an up-close and personal look at what goes on in the mornings to get a
horse ready to race in the afternoons. The free program, open to all ages, begins
at 7:30 a.m. Central by the starting gate, which is positioned for morning
schooling in the mile chute heading into the first turn, with convenient parking in
the southern end of the lot by the Ohio River levee. In a twist for the finale, the
program will move into the paddock for a visit to the jockeys’ quarters, a visit from
a blacksmith to discuss shoeing horses and horse shoes, trainer John Hancock
bringing bridles and more to talk about equipment and chief state steward
Barbara Borden taking fans’ questions. Hancock’s popular pony also will come
to the paddock. Track announcer Jimmy McNerney, a fan favorite, also will be
on hand. “Making of a Racehorse” has been a collaboration between Ellis Park
and the Kentucky division of the Horsemen’s Benevolent and Protective
Association, which represents owners and trainers.
Racing Thursday Sept. 1; no racing at Ellis Saturday Sept. 2
Just a reminder about next week’s final stretch of the meet: Ellis Park will have
live racing on Thursday, Sept. 1 as a makeup date for the canceled July 4 card.
Ellis also races Friday, Sept. 2, then is dark but open for simulcasting Saturday,
Sept. 3, which is opening day at Kentucky Downs. Racing returns to Ellis for
Sunday, Sept. 4 and the 2016 summer meet concludes Labor Day, Sept. 5.
Author/handicapper extraordinaire Gary West at Ellis Sept. 4
Gary West, the highly respected turf journalist and handicapper, will team with
Ellis Park announcer Jimmy McNerney on Sunday, Sept. 4, to analyze that
afternoon’s card and make their selections, while also touching on the
handicapping principles that led to their picks. The handicapping session will start
at 10:30 a.m. Central and last about an hour on the first floor of the clubhouse.
Afterward, West will sign copies of Ride to Win: An Inside Look at the Jockey’s
Craft, the definitive book about jockeys that West co-authored with New Orleansbased racing writer Bob Fortus. West’s book signing will be at the north end of
the grandstand near the grassy picnic area.
For more information, contact Jennie Rees, Ellis Park publicity, at [email protected].