Sophomore turfers will enjoy the spotlight in the GIII Commonwealth Turf Stakes at Churchill Downs, one of three graded stakes races on tap Saturday.
Frankly Speaking homebred Dashman (Oscar Performance) won two straight in Kentucky this summer, then was a solid fourth with trouble behind MGISW Carson's Run (Cupid) and next-out GIII Hill Prince Stakes winner and 'TDN Rising Star' Deterministic (Liams' Map) in the GIII Jockey Club Derby Invitational going 1 3/8 miles at Aqueduct Oct. 5. The 5-2 morning-line favorite turns back to 1 1/16 miles here.
“He came out of the race at Aqueduct in good shape,” Nic Lynch, assistant trainer to his father Brian Lynch, told TwinSpires Racing. “He's had a couple of breezes since then; he had a nice half on Saturday, just an easy maintenance work to get him to the race. He's been good. He hasn't been out of the feed tub. He's in the bridle when he's training. We're expecting a good outcome on Saturday.”
The Commonwealth also includes four runners exiting the GIII Bryan Station Stakes at Keeneland Oct. 26–Herchee (Twirling Candy) (third), Evade (Fr) (Wootton Bassett {GB}) (fourth), Lagynos (Kantharos) (fifth) and My Boy Prince (Cairo Prince) (ninth).
Churchill's 11-race program also features the GIII Chilukki Stakes, led by 'TDN Rising Star' Two Sharp (Twirling Candy), narrow runner-up in this summer's GIII Prioress Stakes at Saratoga and a last-out runaway allowance winner at Keeneland.
Mixto (Good Magic), meanwhile, a 22-1 upset winner of this year's GI Pacific Classic, will look to bounce back in the GIII Native Diver Stakes at Del Mar following an 11th-place finish in the GI Breeders' Cup Classic.
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