Shotgun Gulch to stop and race in the Thoroughbred Club of America Stakes before the Breeders’ Cup Sprint
Owned/bred and trained by C. R. Trout, the 4-year-old filly Shotgun Gulch is coming off a third place finish in the Grade 2 Presque Isle Masters at Presque Isle Downs on 10 September, 2011, at about 6 ½ furlongs on synthetic surface, and her main goal is
to target the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint.
However, on the way to Churchill Downs to participate in the big race, she’s making a pit stop to analyse the situation before hand by giving it a go in the Grade 2, $200,000 Thoroughbred Club of America Stakes.
The race will commence on 8 October, 2011, at Keeneland, it is also part of the Grade 1, $1million Breeders’ Cup series “Win and You’re In” race held at Churchill Downs on 4 November, 2011.
On 4 October, Shotgun Gulch got shipped to Keeneland from her Oklahoma base at Kentucky. With one win to show for the entire season, Shotgun Gulch would have to turn the tables around in the Thoroughbred Club of America Stakes to take with her the “feel
good” factor into the Breeders’ Cup.
The daughter of Thunder Gulch, out of Rosieville by Boston Harbor, Shotgun Gulch kicked of the season with couple of weak performances, as she finished 5th in both of her first two races.
The Spring Fever Stakes at Oaklawn Park and the Grade 3 Azeri Stakes too at Oaklawn Park, but at Keeneland the filly found her winning touch.
Successful in the Grade 1 Madison, Shotgun Gulch moved on back to dirt from synthetic surface and suffered a fifth place finish yet again in the Grade 1 Humana Distaff at Churchill Downs.
Trainer rectifying it and sending her back to Poly Track, hoping to get the best out of her over the track she had only run once before.
Grade 2 A Gleam Stakes over Poly Track saw her roll in a 7th place finish followed by a finish on the money, 3rd in the Grade 2 Masters.
Now Thoroughbred Club of America Stakes is also run on Poly Track and over a distance of 6 furlongs, which could ultimately prove out to be the prep race thee filly was looking for before the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint.
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