WinStar stallions Distorted Humor, Paynter and Pioneerof the Nile all will be represented during Friday’s all-juvenile Breeders’ Cup day at Churchill Downs.
Kicking off the trio will be Distorted Humors brilliant Restless Rider in the Juvenile Fillies (G1), race 7 at 4:40 p.m. Undefeated in two starts at Churchill, the gray/roan filly won at first asking on June 8, then ran one of the more remarkable races of the year when winning the June 30 Debutante S. by nearly a dozen lengths. A rough trip in the Spinaway S. (G1) resulted in a second place finish, but she more than made up for it with another electrifying performance in the Alcibiades S. (G1) on Oct. 5. The Ken McPeek trainee drew post 4 in the 10-horse field going 1 1/16-miles.
In the following race, the Juvenile Turf (G1) at 5:22 p.m., Pioneerof the Nile’s Much Better was assigned post 3 in the full field of 14 youngsters going one mile. Trained by Hall of Famer Bob Baffert, Much Better won his debut on dirt Sept. 1 at Del Mar, then followed that up with a sneaky-good second in the Zuma Beach S. Oct. 8 at Santa Anita Park. The $600,000 weanling purchase is out of the multiple graded stakes winner Dust and Diamonds.
Wrapping up the day in the $2 million Juvenile (G1) is Paynter’s first Grade 1 winner Knicks Go. The gray/roan colt blasted onto the scene with a 5 1/2-length victory in the Oct. 6 Breeders’ Futurity (G1) at Keeneland. The Ben Colebrook trained colt drew post 10 in the full field of 14. Knicks Go’s dam Kosmo’s Buddy won or placed in 14 stakes. Knicks Go is one of Paynter’s 10 stakes horses this year, helping him to a top-five spot on the 2018 Second-Crop Sire list.
