First 12 Invites issued for Nashville Derby

First dozen invitations attended for $3.1 million Nashville Derby

FRANKLIN, Ky. (Monday, August 19, 2024) –– The field for Kentucky Downs’ $3.1 million, Grade 3 Nashville Derby Invitational on Aug. 31 is coming into focus with the first invitations extended to a dozen 3-year-olds from across the country, England and Ireland.

The 1 5/16-mile Nashville Derby not only will be the richest race ever staged at the all-turf Kentucky Downs, but for Kentucky-breds it is America’s richest race for 3-year-olds — dirt or turf — behind only the $5 million Kentucky Derby (G1) and the most lucrative grass stakes for any age group behind only the $5 million Longines Breeders’ Cup Turf (G1). Horses that are not registered Kentucky-breds will compete for $1.9 million, by itself North America’s richest grass race outside the Breeders’ Cup Turf, $2 million FanDuel Mile and $2 million Maker’s Mark Filly & Mare Turf.

A maximum of 12 horses can start, with requests submitted by this past Saturday for horses to be considered. The Kentucky Downs racing office on Monday??? released the initial dozen invitations for those horses receiving preference and whose connections have indicated they plan to, or are strongly considering, running. More invitations may be extended to other horses if any original invitees opt out.

“This is just the first step in making the Nashville Derby our signature race — and I think it’s a heck of a first step,” said Ted Nicholson, Kentucky Downs’ Vice President of Racing. “To attract a horse of the quality of Saratoga Derby winner Carson’s Run, horses from Europe and to have both coasts and the Midwest so well-represented, this is what we wanted. The Nashville Derby will just get bigger and better. A huge shout-out to our racing department for their hard work.”

Entries for the Nashville Derby and the Aug. 31 card will be taken this Saturday. Kentucky Downs runs Aug. 29, 31 and Sept. 1, 5, 7, 8 and 11.

Among the initial Nashville Derby invitations:

• Saratoga Derby (G1) winner Carson’s Run and third-place finisher Deterministic, both trained by New York-based Christophe Clement.

• The Chad Brown-trained White Palomino, second in the Belmont Derby (G1) by a head in his last start.

• Though training up at Saratoga, the Shug McGaughey-trained Cugino’s last three races were in Kentucky stakes: mostly recently a front-running win over invitee Lagynos in Churchill Downs’ $275,000 Audubon Stakes on June 1, a late-running fourth in the American Turf (G2) on the Kentucky Derby undercard and a nose defeat Keeneland’s Transylvania (G3).

• Stromberg (GB), Group 3-placed in Ireland, comes from the County Kilkenny training operation of Joseph O’Brien, a champion jockey turned prominent trainer and son of international icon Aidan O’Brien. Joseph O’Brien won the 2022 Kentucky Downs Juvenile Mile with Reckoning Force, who first ran twice at Saratoga.

• Bellum Justum (IRE), who prepped with a runner-up finish by a neck in a Group 3 at Goodwood. is trained by one of Britain’s leading trainers, Andrew Balding.

• Steve Asmussen, North America’s all-time winningest trainer, has a pair of invitees. Aspenite won last year’s Kentucky Downs Juvenile Mile after starting off the meet with a close second in a Keeneland sales allowance race. Aspenite lost the Grade 3 Penn Mile by a nose in May and most recently was third in Horseshoe Indianapolis’ $150,000 Caesars. Aspenite is owned by Winchell Thoroughbreds’ Ron Winchell. Asmussen’s other invitee, Lagynos, was nailed on the wire of Saratoga’s Grade 2 Hall of Fame Stakes in his last start and has two other graded placings.

• California should be well-represented with invitations extended to Del Mar’s Oceanside winner Formidable Man (trainer Michael McCarthy), who also was second in Churchill Downs’ Grade 2 American Turf, and graded-stakes placed Rothschild (Tim Yakteen).

• Cameo Performance, trained by Brendan Walsh, not only earned an invitation by taking Ellis Park’s $250,000 Kentucky Downs Preview Nashville Derby, but his entry and starting fees are paid. Also invited out of the 1 1/4-mile Ellis Park prep race is the Saffie Joseph-trained runner-up Abrumar, winner of Gulfstream Park’s Colonel Liam Stakes. Abrumar is owned by Ken Ramsey, Kentucky Downs’ all-time winningest owner and the defending meet titlist.

A list of “also eligible” invitees will be announced in the next few days. If an invitation to run is not accepted or if a horse can’t make the race, the also eligibles have the opportunity to join the field.