Tapiture Returns to Take on Six in The Matt Winn Stakes

Tabbed as the 9-5 morning line favorite in the mile and a sixteenth event, Tapiture will break from post position two on the main track. Ridden by Rosie Napravnik and trained by the controversial Steve Asmussen, the three-year-old son of Tapit was near the top of the early Kentucky Derby lists following a sharp win in the Southwest Stakes (G3) in February. He has gone winless from three starts since then and will try to improve off of a pair of recent off-the-board finishes.

Almost Famous chasing after first stakes win

Second choice at 2-1 is another familiar name from the early Triple Crown trail, Almost Famous for trainer Patrick Byrne. Popular Kentucky jockey Calvin “Bo-rail” Borel will be aboard and has been in the irons for two of this colt’s three victories. A son of Unbridled’s Song who sold for $500,000 as a two-year-old, Almost Famous has yet to win a stakes race but demolished allowance company at Churchill Downs in front-running fashion by 7 ¾ lengths in his most recent start in May.

Third choice knows how to find the winners' circle

Also in the field and also coming off of an open-length triumph is the Tom Amoss-trained Rise Up, 3-1 morning line odds from post position three. Leandro Goncalves will be aboard the three-year-old son of Rockport Harbor as he seeks his sixth win in his tenth career start, with his most recent a score in the Robert Hilton Memorial Stakes at Charles Town.