Aristides Preview: Bobby’s Wicked One Faces Volatile Field

LOUISVILLE, KY – Autumn Hill Farms Racing Stables Bobby’s Wicked One leads a compact but competitive cast of six sprinters that were entered in Saturday’s 32nd running of the $100,000 Aristides presented by Woodford Reserve at Churchill Downs.

The 6-furlong Aristides is carded as race 8 of 11 with a post time of 4:46 p.m. Saturday’s program at Churchill Downs also will feature the $100,000 Dogwood presented by Woodford Reserve (G3), which is a prep race on the Road to the Longines Kentucky Oaks (G1). First post is 1 p.m.

Bobby’s Wicked One, a 5-year-old son of Speightstown, has earned $545,423 with 6 victories through 16 starts including stakes scores in the $250,000 Commonwealth (G3) at Keeneland, the $100,000 Thanksgiving Handicap, and the $100,000 Duncan F. Kenner at Fair Grounds. Trained by Al Stall, Jr., Bobby’s Wicked One will enter the Aristides following a disappointing 11th-place effort in the $350,000 Count Fleet Sprint Handicap (G3) at Oaklawn Park.

“We are still puzzled by his last race,” said Stall, Jr. “We know he is a much better horse than that. It’s still puzzling he ran as poorly as he did, but sometimes horses don’t like the surface at Oaklawn.”

Miguel Mena will have the mount on Bobby’s Wicked One, who drew post position 4.

Chief among Bobby’s Wicked One’s rivals that entered the Aristides is Phoenix Thoroughbred and Three Chimneys Farm’s three-time winner Volatile. The gray 4-year-old son of Violence sports a 107 Brisnet Speed Rating in his last race, a 7 1/2-length allowance win at Oaklawn Park. Trained by Hall of Famer Steve Asmussen, the speedy Volatile will be ridden by Ricardo Santana, Jr., from post 6.

The Aristides field from the rail out (with jockey and trainer): Manny Wah (Corey Lanerie, Wayne Catalano); Honest Mischief (Tyler Gaffalione, Chad Brown); Heartwood (David Cohen, James Chapman); Bobby’s Wicked One (Mena, Stall); Seven Nation Army (Joe Talamo, Ron Moquett); and Volatile (Santana, Asmussen).

Honest Mischief, the winner of the City of Laurel Stakes last November, was supplemented to the race for $2,000.

The early National Weather Service forecast for Saturday in Louisville calls for mostly sunny skies with a high near 91 degrees and a 30% chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly after 2 p.m.

Racing from Churchill Downs on Saturday will air on FS2 from 2:30-3 p.m. and FS1 from 3-8 p.m. as part of FOX Sports’ “America’s Day at the Races” coverage. It also will be broadcast on MSG+ from 1-7 p.m. and FOX Sports Ohio from 3-7 p.m.

For complimentary Brisnet past performances, visit www.churchilldowns.com/handicapping.