themintkentuckydowns.com\/live-racing\/<\/a>. First post for the 11-race card is 12:25 p.m., with the Tapit carded as the 10th race with a 5:31 p.m. scheduled start. The meet runs Aug. 28, 30 and 31 and Sept. 4, 6, 7 and 10.<\/p>\nThe Tapit purse includes $250,000 from the Kentucky Thoroughbred Development Fund for horses foaled in the commonwealth and sired by a Kentucky stallion. Thirteen of the 16 entries are Kentucky-bred and run for the full purse.<\/p>\n
Kentucky Downs\u2019 new starting gate makes it possible to run up to 14 starters, though the extra two stalls will be used only a handful of times in stakes at certain distances because of the course\u2019s unusual configuration.<\/p>\n
Ted Nicholson, Kentucky Downs\u2019 vice president for racing, said the value comes from giving trainers and horse owners two more opportunities to run for a huge purse.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe have to be really cognizant of being too tight to a turn,\u201d Nicholson said. \u201cSo for sprint races we won\u2019t use the 13 and 14 stalls, because then you immediately go down a hill. We\u2019re trying to be really conscientious of safety.\u201d<\/p>\n
Other stakes that could offer up to 14 starters include the $2 million Resolute Racing Ladies Turf (G3) at a mile on Aug. 30; $1 million Kentucky Downs Juvenile Fillies (mile) Aug. 31; $500,000 The Mint One Dreamer (mile and 70 yards) Sept. 4; $2 million Exacta Systems Gun Runner (mile) Sept. 6; $2.5 million FanDuel TV Mint Millions Invitational (G3) at a mile Sept. 6; $2.5 million KTDF Kentucky Turf Cup Invitational (G2) at 1 1\/2 miles Sept. 6 and the $1 million Global Tote Juvenile Mile Sept. 7.<\/p>\n
The Tapit is restricted to horses that have not won a stakes in 2025, but that does not mean the field isn\u2019t populated with accomplished runners. California-based Hall of Fame trainer Neil Drysdale entered 2024 Tapit runner-up Nineeleventurbo, who was second in a Grade 2 stakes in both 2024 and 2023. In his only start this year, Nineeleventurbo was third in Del Mar\u2019s restricted Wickerr Stakes on July 19.<\/p>\n
Record-setting trainer Steve Asmussen, who tied with Brendan Walsh and Joe Sharp as the leading trainers at the 2024 meet with six wins apiece, is sending out possible Tapit favorite Lagynos and the accomplished dirt horse Track Phantom. Lagynos won his 2023 racing debut at Kentucky Downs and has been a solid performer in turf stakes since, including winning last fall\u2019s Commonwealth (G3) at Churchill Downs. Track Phantom, a graded-stakes winner on dirt and fourth as the beaten favorite for last year\u2019s Louisiana Derby, makes his turf debut in the Tapit.<\/p>\n
New York-based Hall of Famer Shug McGaughey, who has been an increasing presence at Kentucky Downs, entered the duo of Grade 1-placed Ohana Honor and Sherlock\u2019s Jewel.<\/p>\n
The formerly Irish-based 4-year-old gelding Mountain Bear was second in the 2023 Breeders\u2019 Cup Juvenile Turf (G1) and third in Keeneland\u2019s Coolmore Turf Mile (G1) last year before being sold and joining Wesley Ward\u2019s barn. In his last start, Mountain Bear had a rough trip when fifth in Saratoga\u2019s Kelso (G3).<\/p>\n
Cameo Performance, trained by Walsh, was eighth in last year\u2019s 1 5\/16-mile Nashville Derby (G3) and has subsequently been racing at shorter distances, including a fourth in Saratoga\u2019s mile Poker (G3).<\/p>\n
Multitask, making his stakes debut off two turf allowance victories, has a strong Godolphin pedigree (albeit dirt), being from the family of champions Essential Quality and Folklore. Florida-based Steal Sunshine is an accomplished dirt horse who last time out was second by a neck in his first turf start in 28 races.<\/p>\n
All-time Kentucky Downs-leading trainer Mike Maker can never be discounted and has a chance to turn $40,000 claim Paros into his latest claimer-to-stakes-winner.<\/p>\n
Others: Quatrocento makes his stakes debut after an allowance win and a second at Ellis Park; California-based Astronomer seeks his first win in two years but has multiple graded-stakes placings; Tapit Shoes and Nelson Avenue. Noises Off and Prince of Power need defections in order to run.<\/p>\n
Second-week stakes nominations now on Equibase<\/strong><\/p>\nHorses eligible to all of the meet\u2019s stakes except for several invitationals are now up on\u00a0Equibase.com<\/a>.<\/p>\nAmong the nominations expected to run: Saratoga\u2019s Grade 1 Test winner Kilwin, who captured last year\u2019s Untapable at Kentucky Downs, will get a rematch with Shisospicy in the $2 million AGS Music City (G2) for 3-year-old filly sprinters on Sept. 6. Shisospicy beat Kilwin in Churchill Downs\u2019 Grade 3 Mamzelle Stakes.<\/p>\n
Chasing Liberty, winner of last year\u2019s Kentucky Downs Juvenile Sprint via disqualification, will run in the $2 million Ainsworth Franklin-Simpson (G1) for 3-year-old sprinters on Sept. 6, confirmed trainer Rob Atras. That gives the meet 10 Kentucky Downs stakes-winners from last year.<\/p>\n
Clever Again, second on a disqualification in Saratoga\u2019s Grade 2 Hall of Fame Stakes in his turf debut, is being pointed for the $2 million Exacta Systems Gun Runner on Sept. 6.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Tapit Stakes kicks off 2025 Kentucky Downs meet Published 1:02 pm Friday, August 22, 2025 By By JENNIE…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":365453,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4107],"tags":[1071,79,16,15],"class_list":{"0":"post-365452","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-racing","8":"tag-racing","9":"tag-sports","10":"tag-uk","11":"tag-united-kingdom"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@uk\/115074198964114765","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/365452","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=365452"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/365452\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/365453"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=365452"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=365452"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=365452"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Lagynos-e1755885660782.jpg\")
<\/dt>\n