Maker duo heads full Tapit field

Maker duo  heads overflow Big Ass Fans Tapit Stakes on opening day

FRANKLIN, Ky. (Friday, Aug. 23, 2024) — A full field of 12 older horses, plus three also eligibles, was entered Friday for this coming Thursday’s opening-day feature at Kentucky Downs: the $500,000 Big Ass Fans Tapit Stakes at a mile and 70 yards. The stakes is restricted to horses that have not won a stakes in 2024.

Kentucky Downs runs Aug. 29, 31 and Sept. 1, 5, 7, 8 and 11. Here’s a look at the Tapit field:

Three Diamonds Farm’s Atone, from the barn of Kentucky Downs’ all-time win leader Mike Maker, will try to end a 12-race winless streak since he captured the Grade 1 Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational at Gulfstream Park in January, 2023. The 7-year-old Atone, a $1.4 million earner, gets a class drop from the last two years when he ran at Kentucky Downs, resulting in a fourth-place finish in the Mint Millions (G3) last year and a second in the same race in 2022.

Maker also is sending out Chasing the Crown, second in his last two starts: Churchill Downs’ Grade 2 Wise Dan and Grade 3 Arlington Stakes, with both races won by Godolphin’s accomplished Ottoman Fleet.

Irish Aces, from the barn of 2023 Kentucky Downs training champion Brendan Walsh, was third in the Arlington Stakes and most recently a rallying third in a Saratoga allowance.

The Mark Casse-trained Miranda Rights was third in Ellis Park’s $250,000 Kentucky Downs Preview Mint Millions Turf Mile in his last start after winning a Churchill Downs allowance.

Trainer Wesley Ward, a Kentucky Downs regular and multiple meet titlist, entered Funtastic Again, who was a good second in his last start, Santa Anita’s Grade 1 Shoemaker Mile on May 27.

Harlan’s Estate and English Bee, the 1-2 finishers in last year’s Tapit, return in the restricted stakes. Harlan’s Estate gave Whit Beckman his first stakes victory as a trainer in the 2023 Tapit.

Hall of Fame trainer Neil Drysdale entered Grade 2-placed Nineeleventurbo off of a second in Colonial Downs’ prep for the Arlington Million (G1). This is his third start after a 6 1/2-month layoff.

Siege of Boston, trained by East Coast-based Jimmy Toner, was second as the favorite in Ellis Park’s Kentucky Downs Preview Turf Cup. Last year he was third in that prep, then finishing second in a $500,000 overnight handicap at Kentucky Downs.

New Jersey shipper Eamonn finished seventh in last year’s $2 million, Grade 2 Ainsworth Turf Sprint at Kentucky Downs – losing by a total of a length.

Champions Dream has never run on turf but comes into the Tapit off an all-weather allowance victory at Gulfstream. Howling Time won a Belterra allowance race in his last start.