Saturday Stakes at Churchill | Kevin Kilroy

A smart speaker kind of guy is Kevin Kilroy.

I don't really know how to transition from that to that.

Eyes over there at Churchill Downs.

We are racing back here in Jefferson County.

Happy dirt racing, my friend. How are you?

It's out of turf racing down there in.

Franklin, Louis. Louis.

I mean, those smart speakers don't get me started.

I mean, they drive me crazy every time.

I just want to sit back and relax and put some music on.

The Bluetooth's out. Something's off, Something's

going wrong. It drops in, drops out.

I don't know if I can just buy the cheap stuff or what, but

take me back to the old days of having the receiver and the CD,

you know, deck and all that sort of stuff.

And speakers, big speakers. Take me back, Louis.

Take me back. All right.

So of the headliners at Bourbon and Beyond, we've kind of been

asking our guests this week between The Lumineers, Sturgill

Simpson and Fish and then Noah Kahan, who's not one that I know

very well. Any of those four doing it for

you? No, no, I've always wanted to

like Sergio Simpson. It seemed like he was super

interesting and you know, he was going to be doing something that

was that was that was different than than the country that he

does. And you know, I think he's still

cool, still good guy, but not not my music.

And I mean, I've been to a couple fish shows back in the

day, but in the end, too much noodling around for me, too much

noodling around. So I don't know what to do with

Bourbon Beyond. Have you been before?

I've never been. I have.

It is, it's bonkers. I mean, it's it's it's bonkers.

It's it's a massive set up. It's unbelievable, frankly.

How many people are there? Everything else, yeah, it's

incredible. Yeah, I mean, I'll choose a

small venue, you know, over over I.

Largely agree with. I actually largely agree with

you. I'm just happy everybody's

getting good weather. You're getting good weather at

Churchill there, good, good weather over there.

We'll take all of it for sure as we get into these.

I got to say Congrats on six years horse players.

Happy hour, man, That's that's amazing.

Yeah, we're having cool a ton of fun.

Do you know that you are still our number one rated episode

ever? That was the time Mike and I

were wearing the Kia Forte hats behind a pizza counter with you

at Chef's Cut Pizza. That is still our number one

episode. I don't know if it's you or the

OR the hats or both or what it was Kevin.

I don't know. It's the pizza.

That's actually not wrong. There you go.

Yeah Chef's cut is a silent spot there in Linden, but the the

race is tomorrow as when we get into two year old season and you

know especially as we lead in the Breeders Cup and and those

sorts of things when we're looking at horses you know the

Pocahontas race 6. This kicks off your pick 6

tomorrow there at Churchill. When you're looking at a race

like the Pocahontas all these horses you know many of them

haven't gone a mile before. What is Kevin Kilroy looking at

to know, for example, if a, I don't know, taken by the wind,

trained by Kenny Mcpeak, one time runner at 7 furlongs in

Saratoga or probably a better example, our 2 girls went six

furlongs at Ellis Park. She's going to have to go 8 at

Churchill. What are you looking for for in

in those cases? Yeah, you know, some of it.

Sometimes it's the barn. Just trusting.

Like, I mean, when Mcpeak stretches horses out, I trust it

for sure. You know, I mean, there's times

when you stab and you're just trying to trying to see, but he

knows how to to get him fit and get him ready to, to be able to

sustain those big runs longer. So there's that.

And then I mean, just tapping into the pedigree, right?

I mean, rock your world. I don't think of as longer.

Caravaggio, on the other hand, I think goes both ways.

So of those two, for sure, I mean, our 2 girls are my top,

top play in that one. But keeping that, keeping that

mile, you know, in mind is, is very key.

Can you get the distance? But the one turn makes it makes

it a soft entry and to then to go on further, right.

So I think that that helps these two year olds.

Yeah, I agree. With a big, big time I have both

of the Kenny horses in my place for tomorrow.

I think those are the two that I'm going to take a shot at only

because I don't know what I'm going to get from this

complicated at this point. I think she's still largely

figuring it out out of that even Wilkes part.

I think she can absolutely get a check.

And then the two East Coast shipper shippers, excuse me, in

dazzling Dane, the six horse trained by Brittany Russell,

who's plenty of good stakes races.

I'm not worried about that part. And then, you know, Greg

Compton's got a couple coming in from that colonial slash, you

know, Mid-Atlantic thing and embrace the moment on the

outside. How are you?

How are you handicapping the horses coming in from places

like Colonial and and Delaware? Are you trusting the buyers or

the, you know, speed figures, that kind of thing?

Yeah, I mean that a little bit but then just sort of you know,

watching the races back and and getting a feel for it.

So I mean embrace the moment One thing just we're coming back so

quick. It seems like it's tough to to

wheel back. You know August 28th here to

September will be the 13th right You know wired the field has it

outside post. Can we get the distance is a

question for sure. But but ran a huge figure ran A7

on 3rd raft. I mean, she's she's a major

player our 2 girls though for me, I mean, just I've been

watching her work Louis and she's she's just showing me

everything I want to see. So and then another shipper that

she didn't mention on the rail starlet sky.

She's one that was catching my eye.

She's working with this horse Dreidel collector.

What a great name Dreidel collector for for the barn.

And you know, she tried the turf in the last two and ran good,

but just hung a little bit there at the end going a mile.

But she's got the mile under her belt twice.

Moving back to the main track. I think they might sleep on

Starlit Sky and that that could be 1 you want to use as well.

George Weaver, Tyler Gafelion 24% winners in their last 21

combined mounts. Race 7 is the Grade 2 Locust

Grove, technically the the highest grade on the card, a

mile and a 16th here on the dirt.

Royal Spa's in here at 8:00 to 5:00 and Alpine Princess is 2 to

1. And I see Royal Spa winning the

Shawnee running second to Torpedo and at four and a

quarter lengths ahead of Tax. And then Alpine Princess won at

Horseshoe on Indiana Derby day. Like what am I missing here?

Why are they so close on the morning line do you think?

You know, I mean, I think the the Brad Cox factor and the Irad

Ortiz factor, right? I mean, which is interesting.

I mean, Irad's got 9 calls for the Cox Barn over the the 1st 5

cards that we drew. So that's, that's going to be an

interesting combination that them teaming up.

Definitely, definitely dangerous.

I mean, the Alpine Princess always takes money.

You can just see it there with all the stars next to the to the

dots. So that's that's something huge.

And Royal Spa does have that class edge.

So I don't know, I think we can be both of them.

I think, you know, anybody can win this race.

It's wide open for sure. But I think that when we look to

the outside here, our Pretty Woman, that was another big

effort there up at Horseshoe Indianapolis on the 5th of July.

And she ran A2 on 3rd graph, a four year old, good spacing

since that last effort. Strong work tab since I think

she's got a big look in here. So our pretty woman's the my my

top play in there. Our Pretty Woman, the winner of

the Monomoy Girl over the same distance and course at Churchill

Downs in June of 2024, gets Louis Size back in the mound.

He was aboard that day as well. Race 8 is the first Derby prep

of the year in the Grade 3 Iroquois.

I don't know, Kevin, if you have this kind of memory about stakes

races, but I think forever for me, the Iroquois I will

associate with Larry Demerit because I just so enjoyed being

around him. And when W Saratoga won the race

and he beandered that path all the way to the starting gate of

the Kentucky Derby. One of the better training jobs

I've ever seen over an 8-9 month kind of span from Larry Demerit.

So I always think of him when I think of the Iroquois.

We're going a mile on the dirt, $300,000 on the line here.

Kapoor to 6:00 to 5:00. I'm not going to fight on that

course. Has already won at 7 furlogs in

the juvenile that ended up being a really important race for

predictive purposes last year, but feels like there's a couple

that could beat him in here. Yeah.

Yeah, I mean, he, he's the one to me.

He he's the one to me. I think he's just, yeah, he's

he's got a little more experience in a few of these.

Just just ran two big figures beat spice runner Romeo was just

the best. Jerry Robb's Romeo in the

bachelor Manor was was fantastic that day and a little bit more

than Comport was ready to do down the stretch.

But all sides are are saying that he's he's doing fantastic

and and ready to move forward. I mean, it's no fun six to five.

I mean, I might be a little bit short.

I bet we'll probably get a little bit better price than

that getting away if you want to get away that boss Will Walden's

Instagram Colts and then Riley Mott's 9 ball.

They were. Visually the most impressive of

of the of the winners that I've seen, You know, watching all

these races back, they just proved that they could take

contact, they could take dirt, they could work out trips, you

know, maneuver pass horses, all that sort of stuff.

You want to see they'll have to move forward in a big way. 9

balls coming back a little bit quick but but those two I think

will offer you a price that you want to at least use those two

underneath. What do you make of the four in

here so special? Kenny Mcpeak moving this one

after two efforts on the turf at Ellis Park over to the dirt for

this one. Is this just a, you know, I, I

think of Kenny Mcpeak as sort of the, the, the inheritor of the,

of the Wayne Lucas mentality of no, we'll just go try, you know,

like we're we're just going to go running this thing.

Is that a case of this, or does he think he might have something

here? Who knows?

I mean, definitely. Because turf to dirt is an

excellent angle for him. I mean, maybe his best.

Excellent angle. It's over 20% right and Mcpeak's

sort of you know, he runs them a lot like you said.

So you kind of see more of those sort of teens for for a lot of

the stats. I mean in the works we've been

going better than no more sense according to my eye.

So sometimes you can just read that by Brian's up on the on

this one, just like in the in the Pocahontas that maybe that's

the right one to to take. But I think so special is going

well. And I mean, that's the thing.

You look at the form established form for these two year olds.

They're they're improving every week and you can you can see

some, some some surprises. So, so special turf to dirt mile

16th back to a mile. We'll have that foundation and

and Brian watch for this one rolling up the rail, that's for

sure. Of course, yes, we get into the

open mind in Race 9. My upset of the of the later

part of the card here is going to be Minx Palace, the five

horse who won in the Rocks Atlanta to.

Do it, Lou. I'm with you.

Do it. Talk to me.

Tell me why I like this. This Philly too?

No, I, you know, I think just in the winning colors that if you

go back, that pace was 21 flat. No one was, no one was dealing

in the winning colors. Just a weird, just a weird race

there. Then gets into the Chicago with

Vava and Zeitlos and those kinds.

I have great news for her. No one like that is in this

field. Eddie Connealy gets back to

Churchill with this one where she's 4 for eight lifetime, one

for two at the distance. The worst finish was in second

place at 6 1/2. So I just, I, I like the effort

last out too, coming from off the pace.

But we also saw this one sitting much closer in the rocks.

Atlanta, who was riding that day, It was Louis Saez.

So give me all those factors. I'll take her tomorrow.

I I agree, look back if you can see that the Louis is able to

take their closer and I think that's kind of what we're going

to need to to be because how much pace signed on and big

effort like not much pace in the last one loves it here.

All the factors. Will we get a 1?

I don't know. Sometimes they've let this one

go off at a fair enough price, though we might get it.

We get it. I mean those been very, very,

very good cutback just makes me wonder a little bit for her.

But but I think she's she's just been 1, you know, running in in

a way that you got to you got to recognize that she's she's a

major player in here. Maybe in terms of in terms of

tax, the cutback doesn't make a lot of sense.

You know, I'm sure you're familiar with Armando Hernandez

as I am, you know, running a Hawthorne, running a horseshoe

Indianapolis in different spots. He he's a, he's a fantastic

trainer, great lightning. If they if they let her go, she,

she could steal it. She doesn't need the lead by any

means, you know, but she, she tried him in Chicago.

So he's been feeling that that she's she's got more and this is

a big step up from that Hawthorne run, but she's a

little bit interesting here. Pennsylvania bread is great

lightning. A daughter of social inclusion,

of course, from that pioneer of the Nile family, of course.

Pasatanosan set in here. One for 8 lifetime at Churchill,

2 to one on the line here for Ian Wilkes.

Surprised to see her 2:00 to 1:00.

I mean the class, you know, it's just it's there, but I, I think

I think she will should be two to one or higher.

I, I wouldn't imagine her going below.

She's not going to be, you know, one of those those favorites

that's you just have to stay away from.

If you like her and you know, you want to use a couple more,

it makes sense. She's she's fantastic.

The pace scenario here is the what she has going against her,

that's for sure. Louisville Thoroughbred Society

Final stakes of the day, 10th race, 300,000 on the line, 6

furlong Sprint here, 3 and up. Lots of names people are going

to know, A couple coming off of layoffs that I wanted to ask you

about here. Of course, Ben Tornado, the

likely favorite here and probably the deserved favorite

coming out of a second place finish in the Breeders Cup

Sprint. Jose DeAngelo, We've been

debating lately if he's the nicest person in horse racing.

He's certainly in the top three. Brings this one to Churchill

Downs. I think this is a spectacular

spot to bring him back. I don't know if he wins Kevin,

but I think it's the right spot. Yeah, I mean, it's a it's a soft

spot. I mean, I was able to see one

work recently. It was with a with a another

softie with Lodato, maybe, maybe an up a Comer, but seems like a

softie in the barn on the 22nd made a huge move.

But you know, moving with the with the cupcakes in the morning

and and and choosing this what seems like it should be a soft

spot, right. It's not a great mistake, but

but look around world records in here also being a Breeders' Cup,

you know, bound quality runner roll on Big Joe's been in great

form. So it's not as soft I think as

maybe expect. If we run back to to to our

best, then Ben Tornado's the one for sure.

But I do think that little knees got to look.

I think we've got a four year old that's moving forward.

I thought that was a a very good win over over salty sprinters up

at Saratoga on the 9th and we've got a bullet workout since Jose

Ortiz keeps his call. We'll see the 4th place finisher

in here for Bill Mott to run today, Nova Rags, who had a ton

of excuses. So that could give you a little

bit of a hint. If Nova Rags runs well, then

this is a better group than maybe it seemed.

And but little knee. I think it is worth worth a

swing, especially at at 12:00 to 1:00.

But you know, world record Ventrinato Nash even can we draw

a line through that? Vanderbilt, He's just.

Fascinating to me. I, I wanted to talk about him

because I think, do you know, this is such a strange thing to

say about a horse and, but it's very 2025.

I think they should work backward from the, the synthetic

championships at at Turfway with him.

Like I think they should run him in that quarter $1,000,000

Sprint because I think he'll win it like I.

I that that could I mean. I think he's on horse.

I think he's, I think he's just an authentic tourist.

I just do. I think he is.

Yeah, I mean, maybe he's a Kentucky horse.

I don't know. He ran, you know, not, not great

at fairgrounds a couple times. Saratoga hasn't worked out for

him. It does seem like, I don't know,

Turfway Churchill. I mean, he he looked great over

Harrodsburg. Another one we'll see here

today. And Harrodsburg, Mike Thompson

runner has just been been fantastic.

Didn't look good at all. I mean, he took a little bit of

a pinball action out of the gates there in the Vanderbilt so

that there's an excuse, but he just really didn't show any

hearts. And I think that's sort of been

the knock on Nash all along. So we'll see.

I mean, you know, Cox at the at, at Churchill Downs, Godolphin,

watch out. You know, you don't want to, you

don't want to sleep on them too hard.

So Nash is a player in here. It's a great race.

It might be the best race on the card.

I think it probably is. Wanted to ask you about Skelly

before we get out of here. Are we drawing a line through

the Aristides? You know, I mean that Aristotle,

who wasn't that that he he went I bought eyeball with that.

He couldn't sustain it was it was world record.

So that's a big question. Is T gas going to send world

record? Is he going to have his hand

force roll on Big Joes also got some some very good gate speed.

I mean if they do if they go all out again you know they'll watch

out. They're going to they're going

to fade a little bit. But world record rated very

nicely last out in the Bing Crosby.

So that might be the tactics of calling up T gas is is is

interesting. I got to think that maybe he's

going to have a softer hand from the gates and and sit that real

trip. But yeah, Skelly coming in here

fresh, I think there's speed is outside, there's speed is

inside. I think we want to play against

them. But but again, if he if he gets

out there and he has enough of a of a lead, enough of a

commanding spot, he's he's super dangerous.

So yeah, I don't know. But I'm I'm going to try to beat

him. And Full Mood Madness goes ahead

and wins the whole thing. There you go.

He's going to go right and trust your luck on the socials.

He'll be over there at Churchill Downs tomorrow and you should be

to go ahead and head out there first.

Oaks and Derby preps for 2026 already happening tomorrow in

the Pocahontas and Iroquois. Kevin, we always appreciate you,

buddy. We'll talk to you soon, I'm

sure. Louis, hopefully see you around

the track and yeah, trust your luck my man.

Alright buddy, see you there you go.

Give a kill right with us here over there at Churchill Downs.

Appreciate him jumping on.