(Admiral Dennis / Photo by Coady Media)

(Admiral Dennis / Photo by Holly M. Smith)

From the Ellis Park Media Team / Kevin Kerstein:

ADMIRAL DENNIS HEADLINES FIELD OF EIGHT IN $300,000 ELLIS PARK DERBY PRESENTED BY HALLWAY FEEDS

 

Ellis Park Derby Headlines One of Six Stakes Programs on Sunday’s Blockbuster Card

 

HENDERSON, Ky. (Monday, Aug. 4, 2025) – Albaugh Family Stables’ improving 3-year-old Admiral Dennis, winner of the Delaware Derby in mid-June, will lead a field of eight colts entered in Sunday’s eighth running of the $300,000 Ellis Park Derby presented by Hallway Feeds (Listed), the featured race on a stakes-filled card at Ellis Park Racing & Gaming.

Run at one mile, the Ellis Park Derby goes as Race 8 on the 10-race program that also features the $200,000 Groupie Doll (Listed), the $200,000 Audubon Oaks, the $200,000 R.A. “Cowboy” Jones, the $200,000 Ellis Park Juvenile and the $200,000 Ellis Park Debutante. First post for the card is 11:50 a.m. (all times Central) with the Ellis Park Derby field going to post at 3:12 p.m. as Race 8.

Trained by 2024 Ellis Park Derby winning conditioner Brad Cox, Admiral Dennis, scored a breakthrough 3 ¼-length victory in the June 14 Delaware Derby. A son of Constitution, Admiral Dennis’ two other victories include a 3 ½-legnth maiden special weight victory in November at Churchill Downs and a three-quarters of a length score in a first-level allowance in January at Fair Grounds. Luan Machado, who rode Admiral Dennis to victory in the Delaware Derby, will have the call in Sunday’s race from post No. 8.

Among the other 3-year-olds in the field include Chick Lang Stakes winner Retribution; recent six-length local allowance winner Big Boat and trainer Brain Lynch’s improving duo of Woody Stephens (GI) third-place finisher Big Truzz and Jimmy’s Dailys, who will run for the first time since his sixth-place finish in the Florida Derby (GI) in late March.

The field for the Ellis Park Derby from the rail out (with jockey and trainer):

  • Brodeur (Jaime Torres, Ethan West)
  • Sinister Smile (Edgar Morales, Genaro Garcia)
  • Jimmy’s Dailys (Mario Gutierrez, Lynch)
  • Retribution (Brian Hernandez Jr., Cherie DeVaux)
  • Master Controller (Chris Emigh, Brittany Vanden Berg)
  • Big Truzz (Tyler Gaffalione, Lynch)
  • Big Boat (Orlando Mojica, Jimmy DiVito)
  • Admiral Dennis (Machado, Cox)

PIGALLE SET TO DEFEND TITLE IN $200,000 GROUPIE DOLL – Claiborne Farm’s homebred Pigalleis set to defend her title in a competitive field of nine fillies and mares entered in the 44th running of the $200,000 Groupie Doll Stakes (Listed), part of a sixpack of stakes Sunday afternoon at Ellis Park Racing & Gaming.

Run at one mile, the Groupie Doll Stakes goes as Race 10 with a post time of 4:12 p.m. (all times Central), first post is 11:50 a.m.

Trained by Tom Drury Jr. Pigalle scored a 23-1 upset in last year’s race. The 5-year-old daughter of Blame has won six starts overall including an eye-catching allowance win two months ago at Churchill Downs. Luan Machadowill have the call in this year’s race from post No. 6.

Another accomplished mare in the Groupie Doll is Richard Bahde’s five-time winner Taxed. Trained by Randy Morse, Taxed has competed against some of the top fillies and mares in the country, including a narrow runner-up effort to Raging Sea in the Fasig-Tipton La Troienne (Grade I) at Churchill Downs. Taxed will be ridden in the Groupie Doll by Rafel Bejarano from post 7.

Also in the field is a duo of horses from the Brad Cox barn: Full of Run Racing II and Madaket Stables’Alpine Princess and Juddmonte’s Impel.

Alpine Princess, a five-time winning daughter of Classic Empire, recently scored a one-length win in the Mari Hulman George Memorial Handicap at Horseshoe Indianapolis while her stablemate Impel overcame a troubled trip for an allowance victory in late June at Churchill Downs. Tyler Gaffalione will have the mount on Alpine Princess while Florent Geroux will ride Impel.

The field for the Groupie Doll from the rail out (with jockey and trainer):

  • Alpine Princess (Gaffalione, Cox)
  • Everland (Corey Lanerie, Eric Foster)
  • Harbor Springs (Edgar Morales, Greg Foley)
  • Lemon Muffin (Cristian Torres, Rodolphe Brisset)
  • Regaled (Tyler Gaffalione, Whit Beckman)
  • Pigalle (Machado, Drury)
  • Taxed (Bejarano, Morse)
  • Impel (Geroux, Cox)
  • Too Much Kiki (Axel Concepcion, Bret Calhoun)

The Groupie Doll is part of a sixpack of stakes Sunday at Ellis Park that also includes the $300,000 Ellis Park Derby (Listed), $200,000 Audubon Oaks, the $200,000 R.A. Cowboy Jones, the $200,000 Ellis Park Juvenile and the $200,000 Ellis Park Debutante. Fans can watch and wager on all the action on www.twinspires.com, the official wagering provider of Churchill Downs Incorporated.

JEFF HALL MEMORIAL WINNER BANISHING RETURNS IN $200,000 R.A. ‘COWBOY’ JONES – Lawrence P. Roman and David Jacobson’s talented 5-year-old Banishing is set to face a competitive field of seven horses entered in Sunday’s fourth running of the $200,000 R.A. Cowboy Jones Stakes at Ellis Park Racing & Gaming.

Run at one mile, the R.A. “Cowboy” Jones Stakes is one of six stakes contests on the Ellis Park program. First post is 11:50 a.m. (all times Central) with the R.A. “Cowboy” Jones Stakes going as Race 7 at 2:42 p.m.

The stellar Sunday card features the $300,000 Ellis Park Derby (Listed) in Race 8. Other stakes contests on the card are the $200,000 Groupie Doll (Listed), the $200,000 Audubon Oaks, the $200,000 Ellis Park Juvenile and the $200,000 Ellis Park Debutante.

Banishing, who’s trained by his co-owner Jacobson, scored a victory over Booth by a scant nose two weeks ago in the Jeff Hall Memorial. A son of Ghostzapper, Banishing won the Oaklawn Mile (GIII) earlier this year and went on to finishing second by a neck to top older horse Mindframe in the Churchill Downs (GI) on Kentucky Derby Day. Banishing will be ridden Sunday by Samuel Camacho Jr. out of post No. 5.

The R.A. “Cowboy” Jones field also includes a duo of horses owned by Wathnan Racing: Grade III winner Tumbarumba and 2024 Hanshin Stakes (Listed) winner Cagliostro. The duo most recently finished fourth and fifth, respectively, in this year’s edition of the Hanshin.

The field for the R.A. “Cowboy” Jones from the rail out (with jockey and trainer):

  • Tumbarumba (Tyler Gaffalione, Brian Lynch)
  • Cagliostro (Brian Hernandez Jr., Cherie DeVaux)
  • This Is Uscar (Edgar Morales, Jordan Blair)
  • Prince of Power (Javier Padron-Barcenas, Jesus Esquivel)
  • Banishing (Camacho, Jacobson)
  • Frosted Departure (Jaime Torres, Aaron Shorter)
  • Three Technique (Rafael Bejarano, Jason Cook)

MULTIPLE GRADED STAKES PLACED FILLY VODKA WITH A TWIST RETURNS TO DIRT IN ULTRA-COMPETITVE AUDUBON OAKS – Five-time graded stakes-placed filly Vodka With a Twist is set to return to dirt and face 10 rivals entered in Sunday’s sixth running of the $200,000 Audubon Oaks, one of six stakes races on the 10-race card at Ellis Park Racing & Gaming.

Run at seven furlongs, the Audubon Oaks will go a Race 10 on the stakes-laden card with a post time of 4:12 p.m. (all times Central), first post is 11:50 a.m.

Vodka With a Twist, trained by Phil D’Amato, finished second to Immersive in last year’s Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies (GI). Prior to that start, she won the Debutante Stakes at Churchill Downs then finished second in the Del Mar Debutante (GI) and Sorrento (GIII). As a 3-year-old, the daughter of Thousand Words was third in the Santa Anita Oaks (GII) and second in the Leslie’s Lady (Listed). Most recently, D’Amato tested Vodka With a Twist on turf but she finished a disappointing sixth in the Pea Patch Stakes. Jockey Cristian Torres will have the mount on Sunday and break from the rail.

Other accomplished 3-year-old fillies entered in the Audubon Oaks include Ruthless Stakes winnerVolleyballprincess; Fern Creek Stakes winner Impulse Buy; Valdale winner Hollygrove and recent allowance winners Mendela, Princess Proud and Ruby’s Ghost.

The field from the rail out (with jockey and trainer):

  • Vodka With a Twist (Torres, D’Amato)
  • Sturgeon Moon (Axel Concepcion, Will Walden)
  • Ruby’s Ghost (Erik Asmussen, Steve Asmussen)
  • Volleyballprincess (Florent Geroux, Lou Linder)
  • Run Camila Run (Jann Hernandez, Anna Decker)
  • Princess Proud (Jaime Torres, Bill Mott)
  • Mendela (Brian Hernandez Jr., Chris Hartman)
  • Trusty Troutman (Edgar Morales, Lindsay Schultz)
  • Impulse Buy (Tyler Gaffalione, Rodolphe Brisset)
  • Viral Plane Lady (Arcelio Flaco, Rogelio Labra)
  • Kimchi Cat (Rafael Bejarano, Tom Amoss)
  • Hollygrove (Joe Ramos, Whit Beckman)

BASHFORD MANOR RUNNER-UP COMPORT LEADS SIX 2-YEAR-OLDS ENTERED IN THE $200,000 ELLIS PARK JUVENILE – Joseph Sutton’s precocious 2-year-old Comport, runner-up in the Bashford Manor Stakes (Listed) in late June, leads six horses entered in Sunday’s 10th running of the $200,000 Ellis Park Juvenile.

Run at seven furlongs, the Ellis Park Juvenile was carded as the sixth race on Sunday’s blockbuster card that also includes the $300,000 Ellis Park Derby (Listed), $200,000 Groupie Doll (Listed), the $200,000 Audubon Oaks, the $200,000 R.A. “Cowboy” Jones and the $200,000 Ellis Park Debutante. First post is 11:50 a.m. (all times Central) with the Ellis Park Juvenile field going to post at 2:12 p.m. in Race 6.

Comport, trained by Eddie Kenneally, was entered in last Saturday’s Saratoga Special but scratched in favor of this spot. A son of Collected, Comport was a 2 ¼-length debut winner on June 1 at Churchill Downs. JockeyTyler Gaffalione will have the call from post No. 6.

The Ellis Park Juvenile field also includes two horses from Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen’s barn: Winchell Thoroughbreds’ Spice Runner and Ken Relmer’s Papa Ken. Spice Runner, who won his debut at Churchill Downs then finished fifth in the Bashford Manor, will be ridden by Keith Asmussen from post 5 while debut winner Papa Ken will have Brian Hernandez Jr. in the irons from post 1.

The field for the Ellis Park Juvenile from the rail out (with jockey and trainer):

  • Papa Ken (Brian Hernandez Jr., Steve Asmussen)
  • Shake and Rattle (Jaime Torres, Keith Desormeaux)
  • Street Player (Gabe Saez, Nolan Ramsey)
  • Longstrider (Edgar Morales, Genaro Garcia)
  • Spice Runner (Keith Asmussen, Steve Asmussen)
  • Comport (Gaffalione, Kenneally)

SCHUYLERVILLE WINNER KINGSOLVER HEADLINES ELLIS PARK DEBUTANTE – Schuylerville Stakes winner Kingsolver is set to return to stakes action Sunday at Ellis Park Racing & Gaming and face five rivals in the eighth running of the $200,000 Ellis Park Debutante, one of six stakes on the blockbuster 10-race program.

Run at seven furlongs, the field of 2-year-old fillies will go to post at 1:16 p.m. (all times Central) in Race 4. First post is 11:50 a.m. with other stakes including the $300,000 Ellis Park Derby (Listed), the $200,000 Groupie Doll (Listed), the $200,000 Audubon Oaks, the $200,000 R.A. “Cowboy Jones” and the $200,000 Ellis Park Juvenile.

Kingsolver, a daughter of Omaha Beach, broke her maiden in the July 4 Schuylerville for trainer Rodolphe Brisset and owners Storyteller Racing, Schroeck Racing, Open Gate Horse Ventures, Brian Cahoe, Scott Catlett, Dave Russel, Matthew Randsell, Michael Motley and Joel Braun. Kingsolver will break from the rail in Sunday’s race with Tyler Gaffalione in the boot.

The Ellis Park Debutante field also includes Selective LLC’s Churchill Downs maiden special weight winner Chopsticks along with Dream Big Racing’s Ellis Park debut winner Prowess.

The complete field for the Ellis Park Debutante from the rail out (with jockey and trainer):

  • Kingsolver (Gaffalione, Brisset)
  • Mescat (Jann Hernandez, Marcelino Torres)
  • Red Beretta (Evin Roman, Michel Douaihy)
  • Chopsticks (Florent Geroux, Brad Cox)
  • Prowess (Brian Hernandez Jr., Kenny McPeek)
  • Boom Boom Bell (Gabe Saez, Harry Lynch)

 

ABOUT ELLIS PARK RACING & GAMING

Ellis Park, Racing and Gaming (“Ellis Park”) located north of the Ohio River and just south of Evansville, Indiana, has been the home of summer Thoroughbred racing in Kentucky for more than 100 years. Ellis Park also features a gaming entertainment venue with approximately 300 historical racing machines. www.ellisparkowensborogaming.com