American Quarter Horses from at least five states will contest the $25,000-guaranteed John Deere Turfway Park Sprint Stakes on Friday, September 12, at Turfway Park in northern Kentucky. The $25,000 purse includes a $5,000 John Deere premium for Bank of America Challenge-enrolled horses. Turfway Park kicks off its fall meet – and its 50th season – on Wednesday, September 3.
The 330-yard black-type event, for American Quarter Horses age three and up, marks the debut of the breed on the newest generation of synthetic track surface, Polytrack. It also will be the first time racing Quarter Horses have competed at Turfway since 1972. The top two finishers from the Los Alamitos Stakes at the Red Mile in July – Georgia Halo and Run Likea Streaker – are among the eight horses that met the August 20 early nomination deadline. The stakes race does allow supplemental nominations. Faye Meeks’ homebred Georgia Halo has but one start this year, that being his head victory in the Los Al July 19. The six-year-old son of thoroughbred sire Gran’s Halo went back into training after completing his first season at stud at AVS Equine Hospital in Tallahassee, Florida. Georgia Halo ran a 104 speed index in the Los Al, stopping the timer at :16.740 for 330 yards, the same distance as the Turfway Park Sprint Stakes. Brown, who owns training center Empress Downs, near Vidalia, Georgia, also nominated Jerald Collins’ Georgia Ryon, who captured an allowance race at The Red Mile by a length and a half. Los Al runner-up Run Likea Streaker is one of two horses nominated by trainer James Locklear, who is based in North Carolina. Owned by Stanford Locklear, the three-year-old daughter of Streakin Chico closed to just miss by a head in Lexington. Run Likea Streaker won back-to-back races over the winner in Louisiana. Locklear’s other nominee is Streakin Copper Buff, who ran in the Lexington Challenge Sprint Stakes at the Red Mile. The other horses that met the early-closing nomination deadline are Michigan-based Dials Struttin, who has run speed indexes over 100 her last four outs at Mt. Pleasant Meadows, with two wins and two seconds. Tony Cunningham trains the four-year-old daughter of Struttin to Beduno for Ray Cunningham. Dials Struttin has been on the board in 16 of her 23 lifetime starts, with seven wins. Kentucky will be represented by Little Bit Whimsy, a recent acquisition by Kentucky Quarter Racing Association President Eucklie Henson. The three-year-old filly has been racing in the Midwest. Another Kentucky entrant is the Dan Frazier owned and trained Ridin a Easy Streak. The four-year-old Streakin La Jolla gelding has missed the board just once in six starts this year. His two wins for the season came at Indiana Downs. Ohio-based owner/trainer Neil Schnecker has nominated Oughttobecashedout, who was second by a neck to multiple stakes winner Jessluvchicks last out at River Downs.
Preference for the Turfway stakes event is based on money earned since September 1, 2007, with second preference to Bank of America Challenge-enrolled horses. There is $250 starting fee due at time of entry, and the supplemental nomination fee is $500. Entries close at 10 a.m. on Sunday, September 7. Turfway Park race office phone is 859-647-4705 or 800-815-2806. Post time for Friday, September 12 is 7 p.m. The John Deere Turfway Park Sprint Stakes will be the last race of the evening.
There will be plenty of activities in addition to the weekend’s racing. Turfway is hosting its second barbecue fest, the Kickoff Cookoff, on Friday, September 12 and Saturday, September 13. The event features national barbecue teams and music from regional favorites. Among the scheduled barbecue judges is former Bengals player Joe Walter. The barbecue event runs 5 p.m. to midnight on Friday and noon to midnight on Saturday. Admission is free. The Kickoff Cookoff is presented by Cincinnati radio station 700WLW, with additional sponsorship by Guitar Center. The event benefits Goodwill Industries.
For further information on the race, contact KyQHRA Executive Director Anne Doolin at 859-983-0520 or visit the Kentucky Quarter Horse Racing Association website at www.kyqhra.com. For further information regarding Turfway Park, contact Sherry Pinson, Director of Communications at 859-647-4842.
