The Euros are coming!
The Euros are Coming! The Euros are coming!
Three European horses running this weekend at Kentucky Downs hit the track for the first time in Kentucky Monday, albeit at Louisville’s Churchill Downs, where they cleared quarantine.
Bellum Justum (IRE) and Stromberg (GB), who came over for Saturday’s $3.1 million DK Horse Nashville Derby, and the highly regarded 2-year-old Black Forza, in for Sunday’s $1 million Kentucky Downs Juvenile Sprint, went out together at 9 a.m. ET for a little jog and gallop. They are scheduled to train at Churchill again Tuesday morning before making the two-hour van drive to Kentucky Downs in Franklin.
The European horses flew via Mersant International horse transportation from the London Stansted Airport, arriving Friday morning in Indianapolis, then vanning to Churchill Downs’ onsite Kentucky Import Center to clear quarantine. They will remain under isolation protocol at Churchill Downs and then Kentucky Downs.
The four women overseeing the three horses’ training reported their equine charges all were doing well — and they were thrilled to be running for such huge purses. Even though they are not Kentucky-bred, Bellum Justum and Stromberg still compete for the DK Horse Nashville Derby’s $1.9 million base purse. As a Kentucky-bred, Black Forza runs for the Juvenile Sprint’s entire $1 million pot.
“We were really pleased with the way he came over,” said Lauryn Faulkner, traveling with Black Forza for Irish trainer Michael O’Callaghan. “He ate everything. He settled right in here. He’s nice and relaxed.”
Black Forza is regarded as a rising star, with a 2-for-3 record after winning a Group 2 stakes at Goodwood.
“He’s cool; he’s a dude,” Faulkner said. “He’s chilled out, he’s fresh. He gives you the wow factor when you ride him. So he’s exciting. We can’t wait to get down there. The ground over here will really suit him. The race is 6 1/2 (furlongs). He’s run over 6 and 7, so we think it’s perfect.”
The European 3-year-olds don’t sport the purse earnings of their American counterparts, but they are used to running 1 1/4 miles and 1 1/2 miles heading into the DK Horse Derby at 1 5/16 miles.
“We’re very happy with him,” said Christina Thompson, who with Ashley Hussey traveled with Group-placed Stromberg for Irish trainer Joseph O’Brien. “He’s happy. It’s a nice quiet barn. He went to the track today, had a little leg stretch, and he’s in good order.”
Thompson said she’d been to Churchill Downs before but not Kentucky Downs. “We’re excited to go down,” she said. “I heard it’s a great track. And the prize money is brilliant. It’s a big difference to home.”
Maddy O’Meara, in with Bellum Justum for Britain’s Andrew Balding, said her colt was eager to get to the track Monday morning.
“We’ve been cooped up in the barn for three days so they were very eager to get to the track,” she said. “He felt brilliant. He’s quite a big lad, and he can be quite spirited at times. He managed to keep it together today, and he enjoyed finally being out to stretch his legs. He felt good, felt strong.
‘I’ve been to Keeneland for the Breeders’ Cup. But I’ve never been here or Kentucky Downs.”
And what has she heard about Kentucky Downs?
“It’s just horse mad,” she said. “I’m really excited. I can’t wait to go and see it. The prize money is insane, especially for the Nashville Derby. That’s why we’re here, for the money — isn’t it? — really, at the end of the day. You wouldn’t see prize pots like that back in England, so it’s exciting.”
Bellum Justum, the 7-2 favorite in the Nashville Derby, has been pointed for the DK Horse Nashville Derby even before he finished a good second in a Group 3 stakes at Goodwood on Aug. 1 in Britain.
“We’ve planned back and trained him as if he was coming here,” O’Meara said. “That was the plan, and it’s worked so far…. We feel definitely confident about it. He traveled over well. He’s very spritely, and he’s eating and drinking. And he’ll like the firm ground. He acts better on ‘good to firm’ so the ground will certainly suit him. He got a good draw (post 6), got a good jockey on him (Frankie Dettori). Hopefully it all plays together and ends up in a good result.”
