KY Downs Barn Notes II: Simply in Front to Run Next in Ladies Sprint

(Simply in Front winning last year’s G2 Music City at Kentucky Downs. Courtsey EquiSport Photos)

FRANKLIN, Ky. (Tuesday, August 26, 2025) — Simply in Front is one of three Kentucky Downs stakes winners running in Saturday’s $2 million, Grade 2 Never Say Die Ladies Turf Sprint, one of a trio of graded stakes that will be broadcast live by NBC. The other stakes are the $3.5 million DK Horse Nashville Derby (G3) and the $2 million The Mint Kentucky Turf Sprint (G2).

Simply in Front won last year’s Grade 2 Music City for 3-year-old fillies. Also in the Ladies Turf Sprint is Ag Bullet, who set the 6 1/2-furlong course record (1:14.19) in last year’s race, and Danse Macabre, who three years ago won Kentucky Downs’ Untapable Stakes, then finished second the next year in the Music City.

Because the multiple graded-stakes winner Simply in Front won Ellis Park’s $250,000 Kentucky Downs Preview Ladies Turf, she would have had a fees-paid spot in Saturday’s $2 million Resolute Racing Ladies Turf at a mile. For trainer Eddie Kenneally, it was all about getting the best distance for Simply in Front.

“She won at 6 1/2 there last year,” Kenneally said by phone. “It’s a unique course. It worked out perfectly for her. With the hill and the configuration of the track, I think the mile there is probably more like a mile and a sixteenth. When we tried her there last year at 6 1/2, I think it hit her just perfectly. They’re both tough races, but I felt like the 6 1/2 was a better fit for this filly.”

Simply in Front will start from post 12 in the capacity field of 12 fillies and mares. But an outside post is not a disadvantage in Kentucky Downs sprint races. Given it’s a short run to the unusual right-hand bend (that morphs into the sweeping left-hand turn), the inside horses will be working their way over toward the outside rail anyway.

“I’m OK with the draw,” Kenneally said. “I think it’s fair enough, and I do think outside is better than inside in the sprint races. I’m happy with it. It’s a very good race. There are some lovely fillies in there.”

Among them: Ag Bullet, who in her last start beat males in the Grade 1 Jaipur at Saratoga. The California-based Ag Bullet was a narrowly-beaten third in last year’s $1 million Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint (G1).

“Yeah, she’s the one to beat, for sure,” Kenneally said. “Absolutely. She’s coming off a Grade 1 win. She’s definitely the class of the race. But our filly likes the track, and I think that’s key. Of course, Ag Bullet does as well.”

Simply in Front is 2 for 3 this year, winning Churchill Downs’ Grade 2 Distaff Turf Mile on the Kentucky Derby undercard in her first start since finishing seventh Nov. 29 in the 1 1/16-mile Mrs. Revere. In between that and the Ellis race, she was a decent fifth, beaten 4 3/4 lengths, in the Grade 1 Just A Game over Saratoga’s yielding turf.

If Ag Bullet is the one to catch, Simply in Front is among those she’ll have to hold off.

“Hopefully. But she’s in great shape,” Kenneally said. “She had a great work at Churchill on Saturday, and she’s ready to go. Her last race was a good race. She was kind of trapped on the inside coming off the turn, just hit a little bit of traffic for a moment. But when she finally got room to get out, she accelerated really, really nicely and got up in time. She’s rock solid, and that put her over $2 million in earnings.”

And if she wins Saturday, Simply in Front will go over $3 million in purse earnings.

“The purse is phenomenal,” Kenneally said. “The fact that she won there last year, our whole aim for this summer and fall was to be fresh and lightly raced going into the race at Kentucky Downs. And she is that. Yeah, it’s coming together well so far.”

Former British jockey Ben Curtis, who is enjoying a breakthrough season in America, has the mount.

Danse Macabre also ran in last year’s Ladies Turf Sprint, with an uncharacteristic off-the-board finish. Now trained by Miguel Clement, she comes into her fourth Kentucky Downs start following an allowance victory at Woodbine.

Standout German trainer makes Kentucky Downs debut with Lady Ilze

Andreas Wohler is one of Germany’s top trainers and a fixture in international racing, including winning the 2001 Arlington Million with Silvano. On Saturday, he’ll have his first runner at Kentucky Downs, however, with the 3-year-old filly Lady Ilze taking on older fillies and mares in the $2 million Resolute Racing Ladies Turf (G3), one of five stakes races on the card.

Wohler will not be at Kentucky Downs, as there’s an important race meet at Baden-Baden. But he sent his chief assistant Juergen Albrecht to oversee Lady Ilze’s preparation in Kentucky.

“We think she could make it well here,” Albrecht said at Churchill Downs, where Kentucky Downs’ European horses are clearing quarantine at the Kentucky Import Center. “She’s not such a big filly. She’s small, and you have small turns (compared to some European courses). We think she’ll do well here.”

Lady Ilze, a British-bred owned by Westminster Stud, started her career winning three of five starts last year in Poland. In three starts this year, she finished fourth in a Group 3 stakes in Germany, followed by victory in the German 1000 Guineas. The discussion about coming to Kentucky Downs started after Lady Ilze was a close fifth at 50-1 odds in the Group 1 Tattersalls Falmouth against older fillies and mares at Newmarket on July 11.

“It was a very good performance,” Albrecht said. “It was the best fillies and mares in that race. She was fifth, but she was very close. That’s why we thought we’d go to America. It was the trainer’s idea. He’s had a lot of runners in the States. He knows how it works.”

Albrecht said with a laugh that he doesn’t know anything about Kentucky Downs. But that’s not quite accurate.

“I know the track,” he amended. “I watch it on Google Maps. It’s a turf track, of course. I think the first turn is a little bit smaller and the last turn more European style. It’s a little tricky course, I’d say.”

Adrie De Vries, who has ridden Lady Ilze in every start this year and is Westminster’s stable jockey, is making the trip for the Ladies Turf.

Of the $2 million purse, $1 million is from the Kentucky Thoroughbred Development Fund for registered Kentucky-foaled and -sired horses. Still, the $1 million for which Lady Ilze will run is amazing by itself, Albrecht said. Consider that the purse for the German 1000 Guineas was $142,120 and the G1 Falmouth purse was $366,380.

“That’s a lot of money,” Albrecht said. “You have no race in Germany for that. The most is the prize money we get in the (German) Derby. It’s about $700,000.”

Pair of $1 million 2-year-old stakes on tap for Sunday

Leland Ackerly Racing’s Obliteration — 10-length winner of Saratoga’s Grade 3 Sanford Stakes, followed by a second in the Saratoga Special (G2) — makes his turf debut as the headliner in Sunday’s $1 million Kentucky Downs Juvenile Turf Sprint for trainer Steve Asmussen.

The George Weaver-trained Johnny’s Red Storm, a four-length debut winner at Saratoga, figures to get a lot of play. He’s co-owned by St. John’s University basketball coach (and former University of Louisville and University of Kentucky coach) Rick Pitino, the colt’s name an obvious reference to St. John’s sports nickname. Weaver also entered Azizam, who ran three times in England and makes his U.S. debut in the stakes.

Ben Colebrook is sending out 2-for-2 Trendsetter, winner of a $100,000 stakes at Colonial Downs. The field also includes Monmouth Park’s Tyro runner-up Win N Juice along with maiden-winners Zeus’s Echo, Lawyer Mason, Twilight Delight and Longshoreman. First-time starter Telecaster rounds out the field of 10 juveniles racing 6 1/2 furlongs.

Sunday’s co-feature is the $1 million Kentucky Downs Juvenile Fillies, headed by Meringue, second in Saratoga’s Adirondack (G3) on dirt after winning on the grass at Churchill Downs for trainer Rodolphe Brisset. Oscar’s Encore earned an 88 Brisnet speed figure in a winning debut at Saratoga for red-hot Joe Sharp, who tied Asmussen and Brendan Walsh as Kentucky Downs’ leading trainer last year. Oscar’s Encore is a daughter of the Mill Ridge Farm stallion Oscar Performance, whose progeny have an affinity for Kentucky Downs. Also in the mile stakes: Loveliest, To a Flame, Rose Room, Chambourcin, Red Beretta, Soloist, Back Ring Buzz and I’ve Got the Honey.

Invitations are out for the $2.5 million KTDF Kentucky Turf Cup Invitational (G2), $2.5 million FanDuel TV Mint Millions Invitational (G3) and $2 million Light & Wonder Ladies Marathon Invitational (G3). Grand Sonata is back to defend last year’s victory in the Turf Cup, with Arlington Million (G1) winner Fort Washington among those invited. Goliad also returns to try to repeat in the Mint Millions, where he’ll face last year’s Gun Runner winner Brilliant Berti.

— Story by Jennie Rees

Previously

Field set for Saturday’s Nashville Derby, five other stakes

McLloyd & StrideSAFE team for new KY Downs timing technology

Owen hoping Wimbledon Hawkeye serves up win in Nashville Derby

Tapit Stakes kicks off Kentucky Downs meet

Circa Sports KY opens at The Mint Kentucky Downs

Record-setting Ag Bullet among headliners for first week stakes noms

$3.5 DK Horse Nashville Derby original 12 invites

There’s unique …. and there’s Kentucky Downs!