Simmard will be the one to beat in the Louisville Handicap
Trained and owned by Roger Attfield in partnership with William K. Werner, Simmard will be making his fourth start of the season in the Grade 3 Louisville Handicap at Churchill Downs. The seven-year-old horse, with his lone victory and two placed finishes in three starts this season, is in great form, and has given him advantage over the rest of the Louisville Handicap field.
The Grade 3 event will be run over a distance of 1 ½ mile over the Churchill Downs turf on 26 May, 2012, as the race has reeled in eight older males.
Bred in Kentucky by Haras Santa Maria de Araras S.A. Simmard started his 2012 campaign with a win in the Grade 2 Mac Diarmida Stakes at Gulfstream Park on 26 February, 2012.
Over a distance of 1 3/8 miles under rider, Javier Castellano, the older horse triumphed over Newsdad after a gruelling rally to win the race by 2 minute and 11.71 seconds, as Musketier finished third.
The son of Dixieland Band exited the Gulfstream Park meet with a third place finish in the Grade 2 Pan American Stakes under Patrick Husbands to winner, Newsdad, who took his revenge on Simmard and wrapped up the race in 2 minute and 24.93 seconds, defeating Hailstone in second.
Out of Spectacular Bid mare Dibs, Simmard is exiting a third place finish in the Grade 2 Elkhorn Stakes on 27 April, 2012, at Keeneland, where Point of Entry spurted to the lead in the stretch and downed, Tahoe Lake in second with the winning time of 2 minutes and 29.45 seconds.
Tahoe Lake after finished 1 ½ lengths adrift to winner, Point of Entry in the 1 ½ miles event will look to win his first stakes race of his career, while Cease, the son of War Chant, is the only one with a stakes win other than Simmard this year.
Albert M. Stall Jr. trained 5-year-old gelding won the Maxxam Gold Cup Handicap, but in his next two starts finished second in an allowance/optional claimer at about 1 mile and 70 yards, and then finished a distant fourth in the Grade 3 Ben Ali Stakes.
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