KY Racing Spotlight 8/1/25

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Welcome to the Kentucky Racing Spotlight with Louis Ribo,

presented by the Kentucky HP PA. Now here's Louis Ribo.

All right, we're zooming through the summer.

It's. Already in August 1st edition of

the Kentucky Racing Spotlight. My name is Louie Robot.

We're here in the studios of ESPN 680 and One O. 57 you can

catch me. On weekdays, 11:50 here on a

show called Robot and Co a little more general sports, but

of course we have a horse racing segment usually handicapping

every Friday at 10:20 on the program as well.

So you are certainly welcome to tune in for all of that.

We're presented by the Kentucky H BPA KYHBP a.com go check them

out. Great articles and photos and

videos from around the Commonwealth.

All the great people that make our great spirit go No, excuse

me, my goodness. Here in the Commonwealth, here

in the Commonwealth of Kentucky. We'll talk with trainer Brian

Nippenberg. He sends Mercanti to the gate

later on on Saturday in the 1,000,000 preview.

And it's an interesting man. Oh man, what an incredible story

for Brian and and just a. I was texting.

With a friend after I did the interview and all I all I wrote

was man, is he likable. He's such a likable guy.

I think he'll really. Appreciate his positivity and

his journey and. What it is that is.

His day in day out as well. Just an interesting guy.

I really appreciate him and my friend.

JD Fox joined me on my podcast The Horse Racing Happy Hour

yesterday and we looked at the late sequences on both Saturday

and Sunday at Ellis Park. Keeping with our tradition on

this show. Now I will play the Pick 4

portion of that broadcast. And so you'll hear our

handicapping for the late sequence on Saturday at or

excuse me, on Sunday. At Ellis Park.

Which includes the grade three pucker up, but of course is part

of a wider Kentucky Downs preview weekend.

And of course we start with that.

And I I always like to step back, whether it is in the

tender news show or if it's on this, it's sort of remember that

there are different bubbles and lenses and, and ways to look at,

you know, any sport frankly. And in horse racing there

there's the Kentucky centric angle.

We have that on this show for sure.

But there's also the 30,000 foot, North America, all of the

different jurisdictions, all that kind of thing view as well.

And I think. People around here don't

appreciate how unusual. It is to have three.

Different ownership groups of tracks in a single circuit, and

all of them haven't agreed upon calendar.

You know, just the, the the. Essential, you know, the

oddities of of Kentucky Downs and that meet in the fall and

and what that is for our state. You know, coming up, of course,

Ellis Park in the summer now with that burgeoning 2 year old

program, which is just really on a spectacular trajectory.

Traditional racing at Keeneland and Churchill and of course

Turfway with that even, you know that newly installed surface

picking up for all the tracks around here in the winter.

Just an unusual circuit, how well it works and having all of

the different kinds of surfaces and all the different kinds of

frankly of a handicapping. Challenges for those of us.

Who are horse players as well? There are a lot of people that a

lot of different companies that have to make these things happen

and to have a Kentucky Downs preview weekend like this.

And to see. Purse money shared between the

tracks. It's a very, very unusual setup

and it speaks very well how our circuit was defended set up.

I don't know the best term here, but solidified is probably it by

the legislature here in the state and people that really

understood what was necessary moving forward.

Pretty lucky that way here in Kentucky.

The Ellis meat thus far has been nothing short of awesome field

sizes. If you're a wagerer, it is a

it's been a very, very good product and outside of having to

cancel for a couple days because of the heat, I felt that, you

know, the conditions have been really, really fair as well.

And so if you're looking for a petty product in the summer, I

mean, you're not going to beat Ellis right now.

You're just not. And man, just a great racing

over and over again. I think when people start to sit

down and really look at these cards for Saturday and Sunday, I

think they're going to be really pleased and and a reminder of

how good the racing can be in the state because we fund it

properly. You say that again, how good the

racing is in this state because we fund it properly.

I think something we haven't talked about in horse racing is

how we re expand. So often we're trying stopgap

measures for different things, but we don't talk about how we

re expand. Well, the way you do it is you

fund it, you make it attractive so that people will want to

breed more horses. All those play, all those horses

need a place to. Run.

They need purses and if they're not there, if it's not up to

snuff, then why would you breed? Why would you spend the money on

that? Why would you raise a horse

until racing age 2 full years, by the way, It's expensive, man.

Got to have something at the end of that tunnel.

And the person's in Kentucky offer that and hopefully we'll

keep working on. Hopefully we'll make them

bigger. I don't want to.

I don't care what the chatter is around the country.

Let's have the best purses by a mile.

I don't care. Let's go.

Let's make everybody else catch up.

Something wrong with that, something wrong with setting the

standard. I hope Kentucky will continue to

do that. And Speaking of Kentucky, we'll

have a fair number of very good Kentucky runners up at Saratoga

this weekend. Like I said, you'll hear about

Ellis Park's Sunday late sequence at the end of this

show. Let's talk a little bit about

the Kentucky runners up on the big day at Saratoga.

Of course, it's Whitney Day. And as you've heard on this

program, and if you happen to listen to me anywhere else,

you'll know one of the things that I was very happy to see

this year, especially since it was something we were pretty

worried about in our sport, I think legitimately was that

older male dirt division, right where if a colt was good at

three, he was gone to the breeding shed.

And then this last year we get Mind Frame and fierce this and

Sierra Leone and all these guys back missing Dan, of course, and

they keep showing up in these races.

And the Whitney offers another example of that.

It's 1,000,000 bucks up at Saratoga.

It is the follow up to the great field we had here for the

Stephen Foster at Churchill Downs.

So this keeps happening over and over and over again.

Another thing to celebrate in our sport.

I love it. We'll get into that one in just

a minute. But the four-star Dave is the

eighth race. And in that race, excuse me, we

see Laganos and Laganos is one of these horses that just you

just. You pull all of your hair out,

watching this horse trying to figure out.

What it's going to show up because here are the results.

Why is Dan at a mile and a 16th lost third place, 3/4 of a

length? The Arlington Mile and a 16th

lost third place, 3/4 of a length.

The opening verse lost second place, half a length.

All of those in a row. And it's not because Flavian

Pratt can't win a stakes race. He leads the country in them in

those victories. It's just that this horse can't

get there. I got to tell you if this horse

is anywhere near 20 to one on Saturday in the four-star Dave,

go ahead and put down your win place bet or your win place show

bet because this horse is going to pay.

It's going to pay very well and you're getting a a jockey change

here trying Joel Rosario here in the spot for Steve Asmussen.

That one to me stands out Olaganos, who has run just a ton

of races in our state at at all three, frankly, Churchill

Keeneland down at Kentucky Downs as well in that Asheville Derby

last fall. The Saratoga Derby Invitational

features final gambit and final gambit of course ran probably I

boy, I don't want to say that because I think that would be

taking away from some other runners in the race, but Owen

Almighty especially who ran 5th in the Kentucky Derby, I would

say outside of that final gambit, here is another one of

those connections. He ran forth always in the race

by the way, and did a really, really great job.

Did Luan Machado piloting him to that 4th place finish behind

obviously Sovereignty Journalism by Azu.

Turned out to be 3 of the best 3 year olds we've got this year

turned it around. They tried the mat when he

finished last of four. No one was catching E Avenue

that day anyway. They brought him back to the

turf, though, at Saratoga. Over the July 4th holiday.

There in the Belmont Derby and he was really good and he just

didn't get there. But now we're second time back

on that surface. I wonder.

He's never gotten back-to-back turf runs, by the way, in his

career. If Final Gambit isn't the one to

watch up there at Saratoga this weekend, right next to him will

be Tastic, who also ran in the Kentucky Derby this year.

Ran in that American Derby here at Churchill just a few weeks

back, finished fifth a little bit.

Steve Asmussen going to try him again, of course.

Between those two, in my mind at least, Final Gambit would be the

one to lean on in that spot. Some others that ran here, of

course, Test Score, who is in the American turf on Derby day

ran second to Zulu. Kingdom will be in that race as

well. Good chance that he will be the

second favorite behind Not as Hell, who comes in from overseas

in that one. The test, of course, is a

really, really fun race every year. 7 furlongs on the dirts

for three-year old Phillies. It's Grade 1 and we see several,

several, several Kentucky connections here.

And these are horses too, many of them that began their careers

at places like Keeneland. But we see Echo Sound in here

for Rusty Arnold at 9:00 to 5:00 for Luis Saez, the winner of the

victory ride by a billion legs here at church, excuse me, at

Saratoga. So one that's already been up

there but began her career, guess what, with a win at Ellis

Park. And so Echo Sound coming out of

that 2 year old program. At Ellis Park, a real.

Chance to win the grade one test tomorrow at Saratoga.

Another, another feather in the cap if she can get that done for

that Ellis program. And kudos to Rusty Arnold, by

the way. Used to be you bet Rusty in the

second race. Now we're all betting first

timers. Rusty, what's going on?

What's going on with the shift here?

Big change. Big change in the Arnold Bard.

Throwing off my handicapping like that.

How dare you? How dare you get better?

That's what I say to you. But yeah, Kelvin's also in there

and just adds to this star-studded group that Rusty's

got unbelievable, frankly. And Jose Ortiz will keep excuse

me, we'll get them out for the first time aboard Kill when

coming out of that Leslie's lady where she was an open length

winner over vodka with A twist. And so just a a couple of really

nice horses for him in this spot.

Look, plenty of good horses coming in for this one.

I mean, it's a loaded race, but boy, if you told me you were

taking the Rusty Arnold's and and walking away from that race,

I don't think I'd argue with you.

I don't think I'd argue with you.

But of course on this show we're rooting for Echo Sound, who

broke her maiden in that 2 year old program last August.

Frankly, right this weekend. At Ellis Park the Whitney will

be race 11 on the card there at Saratoga and of course, like I

said, mile and an 8th 1,000,000 bucks all the things mind

frame's not going to run in here.

But when you get Skippy Long stopping stocking, excuse me,

Kentucky's own Brad Cox sends Highland Falls Sierra Leone's in

here of course Chad Brown but you know all the connections

Brooke Smith local folks here disarms in this field for Steve

Asmussen, a son of gun runner. Excuse me.

We saw him here in that Lucas classic his most recent run in

Kentucky. Why to barrio fierceness post

time. Of course we just saw in the

blame here and fierceness who broke the track record of

Churchill Downs in the alley Sheba as well.

We are, we are in a year folks and and like our three-year old

year, it's excellent at the top, our three-year olds, my God.

In any other year, what would we?

Be saying about Gossgar in any other year, he'd have a

Preakness win, he'd have a Haskell win.

We'd be talking about Gossgar in an unbelievably different light.

I still hope that horse picks off one of these for Brendan

Walsh. I really do his his look after

the Haskell. That poor guy.

That poor guy. You just shrug, you throw your

hands up, and you move. On to the next race.

The poor guy, but post time on the outside man.

This is a horse that was second in the.

Breeders' Cup last year. And, and I just, I don't know

what to do with that one. He's, he's a Laurel Park

Warrior. He's never missed the board at

Saratoga, though He was in the Whitney last year, hit the board

and I cannot remember what. Oh, yeah, it was the Met.

You ran the memo right Second. And so this is a horse that.

That I think it's interesting on the outside fierceness though, I

think just horse for course 3 for four lifetime one second

place finish and that was in the met this year in the slop.

He's going to get 77 and sunny on Saturday.

I got AI got a hard time seeing people beating fierceness on

Saturday but man, much much stranger things have happened

and I wonder what Adam Island and 8th is it long enough?

Is there enough distance here at 9 furlongs for Sierra Leone to

be effective? Does he win the Foster if it's

10 furlongs, is my only question, because the stretch at

Saratoga long, not not Churchill long, but it's long.

That's mile and an eighth course.

It's big. He'll have time to close.

He will. He's.

Essentially, second off the layoff here, they went for it

here. I like it, by the way, good on

you. I think if you I think that

Foster run could be a winning run.

I think it can, but fierceness is a different animal when he's

at Saratoga. So Sierra Leone's going to have

to be better than his previous three runs up there at Saratoga

as well. Of course, Brad Cox, our local

guy here in Louisville has Highland Falls in this one, most

recently seen in that Belmont, that Belmont meet, excuse me, at

Aqueduct. And an optional claimer before

that, of course, was in the Breeders Cup Classic and in one,

the Jockey Club Gold Cup up there last fall.

Luis Saez gets him out here. I love that, by the way.

And and I wonder, I wonder if they're not trying to just grab

onto that previous glory. Maybe he's just a horse for

course up there at Saratoga. And you got to wonder with

Highland Falls, who broke his maiden in Ellis Park, if this

isn't a good spot for him to get back to it.

Lots of Kentucky connections, even on their big day.

Up at Saratoga, I'm Louis Rabo. This is.

The Kentucky Racing Spotlight. We'll be joined next by Brian

Nippenberg. We'll be joined in the final

segment by JD Fox. We'll talk with Brian about

Mercati, who he sends to the gate on Saturday.

Excuse Me at Ellis Park. We'll talk with JD about

Saturday and Sunday's late sequences.

All 7 stakes at Ellis Park this weekend as well.

We're presented by the Kentucky HBPAKYHBP a.com.

Go check them out at their great website.

Really easy to use and a great resource for you to keep up on

all the great things happening in our state.

On the other end, we'll talk with trainer Brian Knitberg.

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leader ESPN Louisville. Welcome back to the Kentucky

Racing Spotlight on ESPN 680 and 105.7.

Now, here's Louis Rabeau. All right, welcome back in this

is. The Kentucky Racing Spotlight

with Louis Ribow. Guess what?

I'm Louis Ribow here in the studios of ESPN 680 and One O 5

Seven. So glad you decided to start

your horse racing weekend with us.

We are presented by the Kentucky HBPAKYHBP a.com.

All the great things going on down there on the website for

all the pictures, photos, all the great videos around the

Commonwealth, the great people that make our great sport go

here in Kentucky. Of course, college day had to

move because of the cancellation on one of those hot, hot days

down there in Henderson. So we will be looking for that

on August, I guess, 10th. We'll give you more details as

we get closer to that day. Presented by our friends.

I think Kentucky HPPA, I'll be on.

I'll be on hand for that one. How about that?

Amanda will be down at Ellis Park this weekend.

Is Brian Nippenburg joins us from from Hermitage far.

I assume you're at Hermitage today.

Brian, how are you? Yeah.

I am. I am at Hermitage as we speak.

I'm doing good. You doing OK?

Hey, we're doing great. I quite an interesting gig

you've got, isn't it? I mean, yeah, there's got to be

very few people, frankly, in our sport that get to have the Brian

Nippenberg experience. Can you kind of give people the

the elevator speech about what the heck it is you do?

So I am the the farm manager at Hermitage Farm.

So recently Hermitage Farm is kind of a multi pronged entity.

We have you know, the restaurant and the tours and things.

I'm still over the thoroughbred operation which I have been for.

For almost 30 years, 2028, I'm in my 28th or 29th year.

And in doing kind of over the years, I, I got a little bit

interested in training and, and claimed a horse for my own and

the, you know, and everybody would get stuck and sell and I

would, I would get it started and send it on to a trainer.

And it's just sort of without a lot of cultivation evolved into

the, I sort of have two jobs. I, I train a small string of

race horses and then I spend the day at Hermitage Farm.

It's, it's really kind of God's handiwork.

It's not something I've sort of mapped out for myself, but it

has been a lot of fun. Yeah, no, the the Hermitage

Farm, I mean it, this is a, we're talking just an absolutely

historic spot up there where you all are.

And like you said, you know, all of the different aspects, the

everything from the bourbon to the weddings to everything else

that's going on up there. Is the, is the, is the space big

enough? Do you find that your horses

like it up there, regardless of all the crowds?

Yeah. So we there, there is a kind of

a hard fast line of demarcation. So all the, all the sort of, I

guess hospitality or tourism type stuff happens on, on a

portion of the farm. And then the, the when the where

the nuts and bolts of raising the, the folds and stuff

happens. There's a there's a clear line,

and nobody goes past there without it, without a tour

guide. One of the best, by the way, one

of the best garden tours in the in the country out there, which

far just a remarkable place. If people are interested,

trainer Brian Nippenberg is with us.

He'll send Mercati to the starting gate at Ellis Park this

weekend. You mentioned this interesting

gig that you have where you're, you're, you know, you're

managing a farm which is in its own, in its own right, very busy

and, and has lots of moving pieces.

How do you find that yourself balancing that and and frankly

training, which also in itself has a lot of moving pieces?

I've been asked before about time management and it would be,

it's not because I'm organized. Every second is accounted for.

So you just wake up and it's all sorts and days.

But I really early, you know, like a lot of trainers clock

training just a couple minutes from the farm.

It's the former Skylight Training center.

So I start morning there. Sent everybody out before 7:00

AM. I've got a great groom little

grooming floor that helps me. So when I had to Hermitage, some

are on The Walking wheel, some are getting bathed and she's

taking care of all that. And I'll come down here for an

hour or two for put up and see the veterinarians.

And then I kind of run back up there and, you know, check legs

and see it's 9:30 AM. But we call it lunch and do

lunch and then back to the farm for the day.

And then on the way home, I check everybody again and, you

know, pick the stalls a little bit and give them their night

feed and that sort of thing. So the adjacency of the training

center is, is the linchpin of this whole thing working.

If it was 20 miles up the road, it would be hard to pull off.

Or if I was trying to be stable at the racetrack, it would be

nearly impossible. Yeah.

And Brian, you've had 12 starters this year by my own

count, five of those. And so that that'll help the

percentages just a little bit tell the folks kind of fill them

in on on this son of Gun Runner. You know, this is a this is a

nice horse, man. This is 1 broke is broke is made

in an open company at Aqueduct and obviously really good an

open company up there and then gets down here moves into your

care. How is it that he came to be in

your care? So Mercante of course was born

and raised here. Mr. Pollard owned Hermitage

Farm. Cressing, of course, is

Mercante's dam, who was world champion in her own right and he

is the last fall out of Cressing and, and Mr. Pollard decided to

retain him for racing. So born and raised here, left

here, you know, to get his early training and then landed in Bill

Mock's barn and was doing fantastic and had it.

It's a story we've told a few times, but he had kind of just a

a nagging swelling in one tendon that nobody could really sort

out. So he was sent back down to the

farm for some rest, rest and he was ultrasound, I think he was

here 90 days. We ultrasounded him every 30

days. Swelling never really resolved.

It never bothered him. The vets gave him the all clear

to put back in training. So I took him up the road and I

was just going to leg him up, you know, get him ready and, and

go back to Bill. And I don't know why I got a

wild hair, but I, I just with one of my invoices, I 11 and

this Pollard on the invoice and I, you know, I've had horses for

him before. The horses I've had before were

horses that we were lowering our expectations on, if that makes

sense. They were kind of on their way,

you know, not cutting it on the New York circuit and coming to

me to run in Ohio or Indiana. And I, I just just kind of put a

light hearted note about how, you know, how about a shot with

a, with a big horse, I think is what I called him or a nice

horse or something like that. And about a month later he said,

yeah, let's go for it. So the horse was doing

fantastic. No, no trouble with the injury.

We did all the, you know, protocol to get him off the vets

list and all these things and actually had him entered at

Churchill and the legs swelled back up on this 48 hours, you

know, before the race it swelled back up.

So we sent him straight to the clinic and this happens in life

a lot. This urgent calls me and says,

you know, this is a blessing in disguise because of this

swelling. We can actually see a, a small

tear in a piece of the anatomy called the manica, which is, I

had mean, I had to Google it. I, I feel like I know a lot

about horses, but I had to Google that.

And essentially it's a fibrous little band around the tendon

that just sort of holds it in place doesn't make, you know,

it's not connected to the tendon.

It, it doesn't really support weight or anything, but it had a

little tear in it and it just kept rubbing the tendon and

causing the swelling. So there is a surgical procedure

to correct that. It's got about a 70% success

rate and requires a ton of time off.

Mr. Pollard and I put our heads together and I kind of vouched

for the horse that I thought he was worth it.

And so so we went forth with it. But that's why he's got the 15

month rest on his running line. So we get him back in the

training barn and the the deal stands.

I get to train him and you know, the rest is history, as they

say. A son of gun runner and

caressing. You end up with him on the turf

at Churchill. You mentioned that first start

off the layoff there November of last year.

And then, of course, he moves up to Turfway and seems to really

take to that surface. Frankly, if you take out this

horse's two runs on dirt, he's hit the board in nine of his 11

races. You had to do a little more than

write a note to keep training this one, didn't you?

Come on. I had to do what right and do

more than write a note. Yeah, more than write a note.

I mean, this is this easy. Look here, we're talking 3/4 of

a legs from a Grade 1 winner, right?

I mean, this is special horse, Yeah.

Oh yeah, he mean, I mean, he means the world to me,

obviously. I, I think for the longest time

I just wanted to cross the benchmark in my personal career

of $1,000,000. And we we've doubled my lifetime

earnings with just the one animal, which is, I mean, he

just means the world to us. But yeah, I'm really one race he

got beat on the Poly up there is his first 22 level allowance

race was completely my fault. So if you scratch that out and

the dirt starts, his record is just, I mean, stellar.

What happened in? January, we just got snowed in.

We, we kept having to, we have a little indoor jogging track

that's wood chips and, you know, the races got canceled and they

got recarded and I didn't feel great about running, but I

thought, you know, when are you going to get a chance to run

again in the winter? So we just, he just ran out of

training basically. And he, he poured his heart and

soul into it. And I just, I sent a horse up

there that wasn't well prepared that I hate that I put a blemish

on his record. Like I say, if you throw out the

dirt starts in that one effort, it's it's remarkable.

I think it's Jeff Ruby Day that he ran and won on just.

Yes, that's right. March 20th there maybe?

Yeah. It was Ruby Day.

In the Kentucky Club Cup Classic, I've seen the interview

afterward because I know Jenny Reese, and so I saw the

interview afterward of you. You're a very emotional person

in that interview in that in that winner's circle, it's a

Grade 3, it's a it's a big race. You beat and seen who we've seen

come back and win in the stakes race since then in that spot.

Obviously won the Arlington since then.

But let's go back to that day at Turfway Park in March where

you're in the winner's circle. You realize what's what's been

accomplished by this horse that you already knew had great

things in him. He's now won multiple grade at

stakes. But that March moment, what was

that like for you? Well, yeah, I mean for, for

somebody like me, just, you know, the fact that he won an A

race and A and a second level allowance race makes it this,

you know, the greatest horse I've ever had.

My well, I shouldn't say the greatest horse I've ever had my

hands on, the greatest horse I've been allowed to keep and

train because I've had some really nice horses that we, you

know, legged up and sent on. But I mean, this is not, I've

said this a bunch. This is not cockiness, but when

when we came out of the first turn and we were able to flank

Encino, I've I felt like it was a done deal right then just

because I knew the horse and we talked about that in the, you

know, Joseph and I in the paddock, I said if you can just

lay right off of that horse, I think he gets it done.

So you know, the plans that you make in the paddock and then 5

minutes later then unfolding before your eyes happens .01% of

the time, you know, like it never.

And that's that thing. It unfolded like you imagined

it. It was just, it was so it was

really special and my wife got to be there and it just, you

know, it's your first, you know, your first steak and it's a

grated steak and it, you know, it just, it's so wonderful to do

it for Mr. Pollard. I mean, it's, there's so many

parts to it. I mean, caressing.

I mean, Mr. Pollard is a very generous guy and Caressing

obviously was very good at the farm financially, so got a lot

of earthly belongings that I can attribute to her, including

maybe a home that I live in. And, you know, so just the last

Caressing, you know, at the time it was Mr. Pollard's last

racehorse. Now we've put a little money in

his pocket and he's bought a couple, which is cool.

But at the time it was like, you know, it was the last Carl

Pollard horse out of the best, you know, mayor and race mayor

we ever had. So yeah, the, the the weight of

it was just, it wasn't lost on me, let's put it that way.

Trader Brian Eppenberg with us. He's going to send Merconti to

the post there on Is It on Sunday.

Yeah, this is the race on Saturday, Yeah.

He's in the Kentucky Downs preview.

Millions. It'll be race.

Ted, you mentioned Joe Ramos, who will keep them out here?

Talk about working with Joe. He's a guy that I've gotten to.

Know doing this for a living I've seen him win at Turfway on

horses that aren't yours for sure.

When the big Daddy stands out of my mind with nobody listens just

a couple of years ago, but he's a guy you know had a mountain.

The Derby this year seems to be on the rise and certainly a

different man after his accident.

Seems to have come back really well with a good straight mind

frankly ready to ride as well. What's it like working with Joe?

So I've, I've known Joe since he came up from the jockey school,

rode him in in Ohio and Indiana when he had the bug.

Funny enough to the when Merconte won his second level

lounge race, that was a pickup mount Edgar Morales was slated

to ride and I think Joe had a mount that scratched her.

You know, one of these, again, divine intervention things.

Poor Ed had a family emergency and had to leave the jocks room.

And when I saw Joe was available, I put him on there.

So, you know, maybe one of the best pickup mounts in history.

And I mean, anything I send to Indiana, he rides or if, you

know, Saturday, they don't run. If I'm going to run in Kentucky

and he can be on there that I mean, he's my he's my go to

rider. He was on a great trajectory.

And you know, he had that awful motorcycle accident back home.

But I mean, he has come back. I don't know that he was

unfocused or immature or anything before, but maybe he's

got a degree of appreciation for the opportunity because he's he

is. I think he's a top notch rider

and I think he's a future superstar.

This is the Kentucky Downs preview.

Have you been working backwards from Kentucky Downs with this

horse or is this purely just a race by race thing and this is a

good spot for him? No, that's, I mean, that's the

idea we we missed. We we knew if we so go back to

the Kentucky Cup, we did not have the Arlington circle.

We had the Wise Dan circled and then the horse was doing so good

before the Arlington. Mr. Pollard and I talked and

said, you know, I think if we run in Arlington, we win.

I don't know that he'll be ready again in 28 days for the wise

Dan. And he was a little flat.

We entered just to see, you know, because he entered a week

out in Kentucky with the hope being after we entered in that

next week, he kind of picked his head up.

But he was a little flat and tired and we crammed a lot of

racing and in the spring. So this was the race we circled

after that with the idea. And, you know, if he runs well,

he goes down to Kentucky Downs. And then, you know, what we do

in the fall remains to be seen, But so sort of a loose target.

Yeah, we're nominated for some of the races in New York.

But I think anytime you can stay home for a quarter $1,000,000

and not have to put the horse through all the travel, it

makes, it makes too much sense. He's obviously going up against

Encino again this weekend. Some others that are frankly

have a similar running style to what he does.

Have you reached a point with him though, where you look at

Joe and say, hey, we know what this guy is, We know what his

running style, what he wants to do, go ahead and go do it.

Are you at that point with Joe and Mercanti?

Yeah, I, I haven't given him any instructions.

I told him a little bit about the horse when he stepped in

that night on the in the allowance race, just because he

hadn't been on the horse. And then I just tell him to have

fun. He knows the horse.

He, he made a decision in the Arlington that won the race.

You know, early in the race, Cherie Devoe's horse, Brilliant

Birdie came to our outside and I thought, well, these two hook up

it, you know, they're just going to hand the race to somebody

else. And he was able, he didn't.

Mcconte argued a little bit, but Joe was able to get him to rate

off of that horse. And I that decision in the 1st

16th of the race, I think won the race.

So it's a little tricky on Saturday because we're inside

these horses. So you may have to squirt on up

the rail. You have to see how it unfolds.

But also cutting back to a mile. And we've got, I think we've got

a really fresh horse because he's been off 2 months.

So maybe you can be on the gas a little more early.

Just have to wait and see how it how it plays out.

How has he? Looked in the mornings training

up for this, yeah. Just like himself again.

So he's he's a horse that just like you take him out to hand

graze and he'll buck and squeal and and strike and just play and

same thing coming off the track. And, and in those weeks before

the wise Dan, I mean, you would not look at this horse and think

something was wrong. But he wasn't just 100% himself.

He wasn't playing around. And just this morning I had him

out for 1/2 hour to eat grass and he probably ate grass for 15

minutes and just bullied me for the other 15.

So I felt like he was feeling like himself again.

Yeah, that's a good side for sure of this 5 yards of gun

runner in Mercanti. You've mentioned Mr. Pollard,

Carl Pollard mentioned many times in this interview.

Look, I, I'm sure we could go another 20 minutes talking about

your relationship with him. But as you have a horse like

Mercanti and he, you know, I'll use the word that you've used.

He's blessed you with the opportunity to work with this

animal so closely. How much of this is doing right

by Mercanti and how much of this is man?

I want to make sure I represent Mr. Paul the best way.

I don't that's a good question. I don't know.

I mean, at one point we talked about running the horse for

25,000 because we've been off for a year and a half.

So I didn't feel any pressure for Mr. Paul.

I mean, I want desperately to do great for Mr. Pollard in the

note that I sent him, I think at the opening line was there's

nobody. I like winning races for more

than you, but I'm of the horse trainers probably don't want to

hear this, but I feel like we've we probably get too much blame

and we probably get too much credit.

I mean, it's not like the other three horses in the barn could

be Merconte and I'm just training them different, you

know, So I mean, it's the horse is making us look great and make

and we're having a just an amazing time because of it.

But you know, it's, he's cared for as well as any other horse

in my barn. A $7500 claimer gets the same

care. So, you know, so much of what we

do is dependent on the horse's talent.

But I never feel any pressure from Mr. Pollard.

He, he's just a down to earth guy and he's been in racing

forever. So this, this thing could have

gone terribly off the rails. And he, he it wouldn't, it

wouldn't affect our relationship at all, to be honest with you.

Yeah, Mercanti is an interesting one, just because, you know, and

I, I wonder if you, if you've allowed yourself to think about

this. I'll go back to a previous point

you made, though, which is, you know, I, I get to, I get to

interview basketball coaches, football coaches, whatever.

And whenever I ask, hey, what's more important, your ex's and

O's are the Jimmys and Joe's. They laugh at me like I got, if

you're players, this doesn't matter, right?

You know what? It's training.

If you're on the course, yeah. Yeah.

Denny Crum always said I'm, I was always a better coach when I

had better players. So that's, that's the case with

every horse trailer in the world.

I mean, I think really the trainer can, a trainer can get

in one's way way more than a trainer can make one.

I guess that's what I'm trying to say.

Yeah, that makes sense to me. And Brian Nipponberg with us,

you mentioned some of those other horses that you've worked

with, that Art Mercanti that maybe you sent off to other

people. Who are the best two or three of

those that people might not know were in your care early on?

Well, I mean, so if you, if you look at Carl Pollard's career,

anything, anything of his, any, any, you know, we had a trusty

cat and kissed it, or my trusty cat kissed the devil.

You know, Dave Vance would have trained caressing.

Of course, all those horses were started at the farm.

That's where I I mean, I've never put a saddle on a horse

before. We started breaking yearlings

here. That was my first introduction

to it. So all of them would have been

under my care in recent history, a man named Market Magic for

Dave Richardson, who also went to Belmont, who was a stake

winner. And oh, we had a three quarter

Desinata that Stan's stud out in California now whose name is

escaping me. But Richmond St. was his now

also went to Belmont. So pretty anything, you know,

anything that Mister Pollard would have in training around

the country would have been with me getting legged up.

And of course, a lot of them born here and stuff like that.

But all, all the race horses up until recent, until Dave Vance

retired, you know, would have got their start with me.

So that that's, you know, caressing, caressing included.

So I'd have to say caressing, I guess.

Yeah, that's exactly right. Well, Brian, we appreciate the

time. Thanks for joining us here on

the spotlight. All the best with you and

Mercanti this weekend. Of course, I always wish people

safe trips. That's the only thing I can

really do. It's like when you see a a woman

who, you know, who's pregnant, like as a guy, you're like, I

don't know what I can say here, you know, how are you?

You know, horse trainers. I'm like safe trip.

How about that? We'll just.

Do that. That's the that's the most

important thing we should all pray for before, before the gate

opens every time for sure. That's.

Exactly, right. Well, Brian, we appreciate you

very much. All the best.

Best with Mercanti and of course up there at Herbage Farm.

All right. Thanks for having us.

Yeah, no problem. Thank you.

There you go, Brian and Nippenburg.

He'll be sending the number 2 Mercanti in race 10 on Saturday

in the Kentucky Downs Preview Mint Millions Turf Mile there, a

quarter million bucks on the line there.

Lots of really nice horses in that one.

Taking candy. Of course, the aforementioned

and Sino will be in that race as well.

Best Actor trying to make a little bit of a comeback there.

And Como Ribino Omo Ede is in this field as well, coming out

of a very good second in the Texas Turf Classic as well.

Really, really nice field as you would expect for 1/4 million

dollar race as part of the Kentucky Downs Preview weekend

at Ellis Park. If you are interested in further

handicapping on that, you can find my podcast, the Horse

Racing Happy Hour. My friend JD Fox joined for that

one and we went through all 7 turf stakes at Ellis Park this

weekend. Three of them to close the card

on Saturday and four of them to close the card on Sunday with

our friends at Ellis Park on the other end.

We'll talk about those races and we'll get into some of those in

our handicapping section. Next on the Racing SPOTLIGHT

with Louis Ribow. I'm Louis Ribow were presented

by the K8 Kentucky HBPA. Excuse me, KYHBP a.com.

Welcome back to the Kentucky Racing Spotlight on ESPN 680 and

105.7. Now here's Louis Ribow.

All right, so let's go ahead. We'll look at that late pick

four and it is a $300,000 purse that welcomes us to the Kentucky

Downs Preview Turf Cup. This is for three and up going a

mile and 1/4. This turns into a mile and a

half race. Once we get to Kentucky Downs,

which is only, it's not even two turns.

It's just not even. It's not even one turn.

It's actually just a straight line mile and a half there at

Kentucky Downs. I kid, of course, but we are

looking at this one. Where did you lay it here on

Saturday? Nine to five favorite in this

one? I was a little.

Surprised to see that. Yeah, a nine to five favorite

that I am. I am chucking off the ticket

entirely Louie and Hwy. Robber.

We'll talk about highway robber for a bit here, because I think

class wise, you know, you, you've got to think, you know,

this horse kind of is, is the the bee's knees in relation to

that. But you know, this horse needs

everything to go right to win. And we've seen it a couple times

happen, but more recently we, we, you know, we see seconds

thirds and we see second thirds in the spot a lot.

And I think this horse is absolutely get crushed at the

windows and I can't take a a three to five horse that needs

just absolutely everything to go right to win.

So I think the most aggressive thing you can do here as a horse

player, if you're playing a pick 4 is, is find some coverage and

Chuck the one off. And and I think you know,

obviously you're taking a chance here, but based on class, but I

mean, this horse again needs to set up and even sometimes when

gets the set up like last time out at Churchill, I mean didn't

finish. Yeah, it's a remarkable thing

there In your handicapping though, who are you including in

your pick for? So I think the nine's my top

pick dash man. And obviously it's it's tough to

sit here and and talk about a horse that was 18 to 1 and and

one by nose last time out. And then you see 6 to 1 morning

line. Obviously, hey, we we wish we

were there. But I also don't think this

horse is going to be 6 to 1. I think this horse is probably

going to be 12:50 or so coming off of the the layoff for Brian

Lynch, but I think this horse will be closer to the pace and

will close and does finish races when in the position.

So great 3 winner last time out. I really do like this horse in

the spot. And then I think I'm I'm nine

710 for my ticket Anglo file. I, I, I basically, I'm going to

give you the same thing I said about highway robber, but in a

positive for Anglophile. I think Anglophile and Hwy.

robber are very much the same horse.

And I think you're going to get 6 to one on Anglophile on the

day. You're going to three to five on

Hwy. robber. There are horses that are always

there but who can finish. And I think a goal file has as

good of a chance as the one to finish.

And I think you've got to include just based on the price

difference between the two And then the 10 old crazy bone,

we'll be near the lead. We'll be in it and you know,

could even get the lead in this spot.

And I just think this this horse tries really hard.

You look at the replays and this this horse does not give up when

near the front end. If if not engaged in the race,

this horse does not engage. But if he's close to the pace he

likes to run 15 to one on the morning line.

I think and include there was washed off last time tried to

wire them lost by a neck and is first up for Michael Maker which

we will see a lot of Maker First off the claims when we talk.

About ready for Kentucky downs is exactly right.

Yeah it's a pretty much you can set your watch to it.

The old claim runnemed Ellis and then runnemed Kentucky Downs for

Mike Maker. Only one that I have in my

handicapping you didn't mention is for stopping the two horse

year Warfront obviously and and has been running.

This is his 28th career race six wins during that time hasn't won

yet this year. JD But I thought I thought the

Elkhorn, the Elkhorn and the Louisville, his his two efforts,

they're both of those races would win here as far as I'm

concerned. And so I think Verstappen has a

really good shot here. I think Tyler will time this a

little bit better than other riders have with him.

And so I think Verstappen is a must include in in their

handicapping tickets this weekend as well.

The. Thing, the thing with

Verstappen, honestly, Louise, we just need to make sure the horse

doesn't hear it's a stakes race. If it's a stacked allowance race

that should be a stakes race, this horse dominates.

And then as soon as you tell the horse it's a stakes race, this

horse just doesn't show up. I don't get it.

You look through, you watch the replays, you look at the past

performances and if it's an allowance race, this horse runs

really well. And if it's a stakes race, even

a stakes race against worst company, this horse doesn't show

up. I don't get it, Louis, And

that's why I can't include it. I don't blame you.

All right, late pick three. Guess what, folks?

We've got the double pick 3 again.

I'm sure JD could go after it again, but we won't.

Kentucky Downs preview ladies Turf Mile will be race 8 on

Sunday. Phillies and Mares 3 and up

here. Quarter million bucks in the

Kitty here. Of course, we're going to mile

on the turf of the first here, JD in this one.

This was my spread race in this sequence.

I have a lot. You have a single.

You know what? That's a better way to do this.

You have a single here. JD who is it?

It's simply in front, and what we want to do for this horse to

win is to not simply be in front.

Actually, I would like to see the source be as far back as

humanly possible and close, because that is the style that

wins the race for this horse. And I think there's a lot,

there's a lot signed on of of horses that kind of want a

similar stalking trip and somebody's going to go.

Besides, maybe she's looking lucky.

And I think simply in front, we'll hang back with Juan

Machado aboard for Eddie Kennealy and low them down in

the lane. She did win the Music City the

Grade 2 at Kentucky Downs last year and of course comes back

looking for more of this. I have that horse in my in my

handicapping for sure. I went ahead and I landed.

If I have my notes, I do. Where's my son to take it?

There we go on 7, which JD is about to hate and that is an

austere. Telegafolione gets the mound for

Brendan Walsh here. We saw her last up at Woodbine

in the Nassau. Are you seeing that the the turf

translate from Woodbine to other places this year?

I know that's a one turn mile and we're asking the horse to do

something different. Yeah.

I think really it's it's tough kind of in the to take the EP

Taylor and some of these races just because you get the odd

configuration of it being the outside track at Woodbine.

So if you're not familiar with Woodbine, the EP Taylor, the big

turf course is outside of the mile Oval.

That is the synthetic course and then they have another turf

course inside of it. So it's very much a different

scenario. This horse loves Kentucky Downs,

so it obviously makes a ton of sense that they're showing up

here and getting ready for it. I will bet this horse at

Kentucky Downs and I will stay away from the betting window on

this horse on Sunday. There you go.

We also saw this one in the Gallarat 2 back.

I thought ran really well in that race and should get better

conditions this weekend. Before that was good at Turfway

as well. And so just hoping that Austere

will get the trip this time. I think for a horse like that

for Brendan Walsh, I think that there is a desire to be in the

winner's circle in this one and she's looking lucky on the

outside. I think is an interesting one

was in that inner Indiana General Assembly and Mike Smith

was in to ride. It was not his best day.

His timing did not seem to click up while he was at Horseshoe

Indianapolis. But this one in other races has

been running well at high level allowance races as well and was

really good in the in the Cardinal at a mile and an eighth

at Churchill Downs as well. Doesn't have to go that far

here. If we get that Cardinal returned

here, I think she's got a legitimate shot here.

So I went 7-9 on top. I definitely have your one in my

handicapping as well. But I think the six is

interesting in here as as the favorite for Dale Romans and

Corey Lanery has just because she's a winner.

She's won her last two outgoing a mile at the distance 7 times,

hitting the board in nine runs at the mile distance.

Has won at Ellis Park before. I think she makes a lot of sense

here as we as we go through this.

JD But yeah, no, I, if you're right about the one here that's

going to that's going to cheapen up those tickets a lot.

I have a different single on Sunday than you do, but we will

get to that in just a moment. Race 9.

We'll start the late double on Sunday there at Ellis Park.

We're doing Kentucky Downs preview day, but this is the

great three pucker up a $400,000 race at a mile and an eighth for

three-year old Phillies in here. A bit of an Oaks.

And JD, where'd you land on top of this one?

I like the eight Admit at 7:00 to 2:00 for Tom Drew with

Brandon Hernandez aboard. It's tough to really come up

with on paper who is going to be the lead horse in this Grade 3

affair. And I think Admit has just as

good of a chance as anybody else.

It's she's a horse. If you've been following, you

know, I think she was the most impressive Philly that was

running at Turfway Park this winter at the beginning and then

obviously in the, you know, Cincinnati Trophy in the

Bourbonet Oaks just was a little short at the end of the race.

I think getting the turf last time was the revelation and

really probably always the plan for this horse after trying the

dirt in the Ashland at Keeneland.

So I think this horse is is better on turf.

I think there's a chance that this horse gets the lead and

that will be very close up. I think it's admits race to

lose. With that said, given that, you

know, we are doing some things here and against grade three

company for the first time, I was close to singling the horse

couldn't end up doing it. So I've got a little depth

adding the three and the seven. I think Delaware Ree's very

interesting and you mentioned Mike Smith and timing rides at

Indiana. He, he didn't have the greatest

good job of that. I really like Della Rain in the

Indiana Oaks and just got involved, got her involved

early, maybe a little too quick too early, kind of faded out,

faltered down the line. I I want to give her one more

chance to attend to one on the morning line.

Yeah, when we saw her in an optional claimer at Tampa, you

know, in December, she was spectacular.

And so now this is one that's got a ton of ability that, you

know, on already. Putting her in the Indian Oaks

is never an accident, right? That's not something that he

thought. And frankly, I'll tell you, I

was there. Nobody was catching Kliko that

day. She was unbelievable and she's

she's as pro as they get amongst those 3 year old classes.

I agree with you. I admit that's one I'll

definitely have in my handicapping.

I'm going to try here for a good time on the outside, the 10

horse, Tyler Gaffe, Leone and Brendan Walsh.

We get a little bit of a break from that regret, but I thought

showed over the mile and an eighth that she's going to be

ready to go for most of that. Frankly, if that if that race is

at a mile, I think she's got a legitimate shot in it.

Did win it a mile on the 16th before that after breaking her

maiden, excuse me, at Keeneland at a mile and an eighth in a

race that was washed off the turf.

So I I just like her. I think she's a gamer.

Five runs five times hitting the board this year.

So I think here for a good time daughter of Justify, I get to

add Tyler aboard. I think that's a a good play

there on the outside at 4:00 to 1:00.

And then I also was going to try in my handicap and you and I

landed. I'm much of the same horses.

Justino De Oro that you mentioned earlier came out of

the clouds last time, but his second off the layoff here for

Brad Cox and I think that that one will be interesting as well.

The closer on Sunday after that grade three pucker up is the

Kentucky Downs preview turf Sprint going 5 1/2.

Here is the male version of the race that we saw on Saturday.

This is for three and up return of Coppola moustache, Joe

Scheiste. We got no balls in here.

Our Zacks in here. Charcoal.

It's a nice little race, isn't it?

It is a very nice race and and I know we're going to get a love

fest from you on No Balls. I, I will say, and I teased this

earlier, that I have a very strong opinion on no balls for

the rest of the career. And I honestly think this is the

instruction for for Tyler Gafflione.

We're either going to set a track record or we're going to

lose. That's what no Balls has been

trying to do. It's it's all or nothing is

we're going to go, we're going to throw everything out there

and we're going to try to collect as many track records as

we can when the horse is drawn Well.

And I think I think mid gate here is a good draw given some

of the circumstances I talked about.

We don't know how much the rumps going to be, but it's kind of an

angular start here with this turf Sprint at Ellis Park.

So obviously, you know, no balls, you know, Breeders' Cup

winning sprinter a couple years ago.

Yeah, I I think you can. You can say all you want right

now, Louie, go for it. Oh, no, I know you're going to

include him in your tickets. That's the number one thing that

I know I am going to single him here and try to get get this

done because he's he's like what you just described, which is

they're not waiting for Kentucky.

Downs with this one. No, just go out and get the

biggest checks that we can and go South that set the Atlas Park

track record. And I think they'll give him a

little tap, tap and he'll be gone.

And that's what's going to happen here.

I just, I, I think he's very clearly the class of the race.

If we're talking about a horse like Arzak as like the biggest

competitor here at 3:00 to 1:00 and I've watched that horse win

once in his last 10 races. And frankly, in some of those

he's running against nothing. I mean, I want to be very clear

like he won't, he lost the Janus to Coppola and had no business

doing it. And so I just, I, I think Arzak

is washed and, and so I'm I'm leaning on no balls here.

I'm going to go single on him late in the the card here.

So let me get my pick four out. There we go 2250 nice and cheap

here, but I'll single at the end here. 35 and 3 runners in the

first three legs of this so essentially an expensive pick

three that has no balls at the end.

If you are not watching this, you can certainly go back to

Spotify or YouTube and watch it for sure.

But who did you land on the file and the finale here on Sunday,

JD? Yeah I think really if if you

know Coppola can get a perfect trip here from the one hole sit

right behind the speed and I I really think that you know he's

he's set up for this perfectly to wire them last time out at

Horseshoe Indy ran respectful respectfully enough in the japer

against you know much tougher AG bullet.

Obviously my boyfriend's shout out to our Ontario breads.

I'm always going to shout them out and you know, I think

that's, that's a horse. You know, overall for my ticket,

I'm 17311. I think the 11 is very

interesting to talk about charcoal because they, they've

kind of found something here with the, the, the freight train

close. And basically what's been

happening from a jockey standpoint and Martine rides

back from the last time is you're going to sit at the back

of the field of this horse and you're going to go far outside

or you're going to go rail and you're going to say, Yolo, we're

going to try to beat you at at the square on the square at the

end. And I think obviously I must

include, and I think you can make a lot of money potentially

on Sunday if you want to key Charcoal in 2nd and 3rd and

you're in your exotics. I think that's a very smart play

because I think there's a lot of horses that are going to be on

or near the lead. I think Charcoal is going to be

running like a freight train in this one.

Charcoal 27 to 1 when he won this race last year.

Just on the card last year on the Kentucky Downs Preview day.

Thanks to JD for hanging out with us.

He'll go 3 wide in the legs, one and three.

He'll single in the second and go 4 wide in the final leg of

his ticket on Sat on Sunday. Excuse me down there at Ellis

Park. A fun two days of racing down

there in Henderson. If you are a college student,

they will be doing college day on August 10th because they had

to move that because of the heat.

Got that cancelled in late July. They will move that event back

to August 10th. Stop by Cox's Spirit Shop to

pick up all your favorite cooler beverages, cold beers, hard

seltzers and more. When you can only make one stop,

you know where to go. Cox's Louisville's Go to liquor

store. Yes, it is and we deliver it.

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Yes, it is. We guarantee it.

Yeah, it's that good. Fernos pizza.

Yeah, it's that good. When it comes to stepping up to

the plate, you need the right support.

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