(Wadsworth / Photos by Holly M. Smith)

From the Churchill Downs Media Team:

Godolphin’s newly-minted turf specialist Wadsworth will return to Ellis Park and headline a field of 12 3-year-olds entered in Saturday’s second running of the $200,000 Ky Downs Preview Dueling Grounds Derby.

          The Dueling Grounds Derby Preview, run at 1 1/8 miles on turf, is one of seven stakes contests that will be held next Saturday-Sunday at Ellis Park as part of Kentucky Downs Preview Days. The Ky Downs Dueling Grounds Preview will go to post in Race 8 with a post time of 3:22 p.m. (all times Central) The nine-race card has a first post of 11:45 a.m.

          Saturday’s stakes trio also includes the $200,000 Ky Downs Preview Mint Ladies Turf Sprint and the $200,000 Ky Downs Preview Mint Millions Mile. The winner of the Dueling Grounds Derby Preview will receive an automatic entry to the $1 million Dueling Grounds Derby (Grade III) on Sunday, Sept. 3 at Kentucky Downs.

          Trained by Brad Cox, Wadsworth dug in late to defeat five rivals in the American Derby by one length. The 3-year-old gelded son of Quality Road is a three-time winner from 10 starts. Prior to the American Derby Wadsworth finished second by a scant nose to Gigante in the Caesars Stakes. Wadsworth spent his winter at Turfway Park where he impressively broke his maiden by 10 lengths and won a first level allowance by 2 ½ lengths on the Tapeta surface. Jockey Florent Geroux will once again have the mount from post No. 10.

Richard Ravin and Patricia’s Hope’s Act a Fool will be in search of his fifth-consecutive victory when he breaks from post 6 in the Dueling Grounds Derby Preview. Act a Fool’s only blemish in his young career was in his debut when he didn’t show much run over the Tapeta surface at Turfway. Since then, the Larry Rivelli-trained son of Oscar Performance has won four straight starts by open lengths including a 4 ½-length score in the Hawthorne Derby. Jockey Gerardo Corrales will have the call.

          Another accomplished 3-year-old that entered the Ky Downs Preview Dueling Grounds Derby is Barryand Joni Butzow’s Golden Bandit. Trained by Coty Rosin, Golden Bandit was a former $12,500 claim but has since won the Canterbury Derby. Jockey Adam Beschizza will retain the mount from post 2.

          Here is the complete field for the Ky Downs Preview Dueling Grounds Derby from the rail out (with jockey and trainer):

  1. Highway Robber (Mitchell Murrill, Brian Lynch)
  2. Golden Bandit (Beschizza, Rosin)
  3. Hidden Path (Corey Lanerie, Todd Pletcher)
  4. Worthington (Gerardo Corrales, Mike Maker)
  5. Lincoln Highway (Rafael Bejarano, Vicki Oliver)
  6. Act a Fool (Torres, Rivelli)
  7. Anglophile (Declan Cannon, Brian Lynch)
  8. Tall Boy (Rey Gutierrez, Doug O’Neill)
  9. Georgie W (Alex Achard, Will Walden)
  10. Wadsworth (Geroux, Cox)
  11. Desert Duke (Francisco Arrieta, Chris Hartman)
  12. Sharar (James Graham, Todd Pletcher)
  13. Manciata d’Oro (Martin Chuan, Cox)

Ellis Park Racing Analyst Joe Kristufek will be live on-site for Kentucky Downs Preview Weekend. Kristufek will offer analysis and post-race interviews for the stakes events throughout the weekend on the simulcast signal while analyst Scott Shapiro will offer his expert thoughts from the studio. Fans can also watch Kentucky Downs Preview Weekend on FanDuel TV.

          For more information about racing and wagering from Ellis Park, visit www.ellisparkracing.com.