Study Guide: 2024 Aristides Stakes

May 30, 2024 J. Keeler Johnson/TwinSpires.com

Named after inaugural Kentucky Derby (G1) winner Aristides, the $275,000 Aristides S. is a six-furlong sprint taking place this Saturday at Churchill Downs.

Recent winners of the Aristides include top-tier sprinters like Gunite (2023) and Volatile (2020), plus local star Bango (2021 and 2022), one of the winningest horses in Churchill Downs history.

The 2024 Aristides field has come up strong. Let's check out the entries:

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Tejano Twist

Start(s): 32
Wins: 9
Place: 9
Show: 4

Owner: JD Thoroughbreds and Joey Keith Davis
Breeder: Tom Durant
Trainer: Chris Hartman
Jockey: Rafael Bejarano

Top Speed Rating: 104
Total Earnings: $1,359,604

Sire: Practical Joke
Dam: Haley's Lolipop
Color: Chestnut

A veteran of 32 starts, Tejano Twist has earned well over a million dollars during his decorated career. He placed in the seven-furlong Churchill Downs (G1) over this track last year and won the six-furlong Bet On Sunshine S. at Churchill last fall, so look for this stretch-running sprinter to challenge for his 23rd top-three finish.

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Closethegame Sugar

Start(s): 6
Wins: 3
Place: 2
Show: 0

Owner: Adam Rice and Sugar Diaz
Breeder: Brereton C. Jones
Trainer: Adam Rice
Jockey: Irad Ortiz Jr.

Top Speed Rating: 95
Total Earnings: $220,650

Sire: Girvin
Dam: Casual Cocktail
Color: Bay

Closethegame Sugar has finished first or second in five of his six starts, including a $100,000 allowance optional claimer on May 2 at Churchill Downs. But Closethegame Sugar was beaten 4 1/2 lengths in that contest by Angkor, who is back for the Aristides, so Closethegame Sugar needs improvement in order to turn the tables.

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Skelly

Start(s): 15
Wins: 10
Place: 4
Show: 0

Owner: Red Lane Thoroughbreds
Breeder: H. Allen Poindexter
Trainer: Steve Asmussen
Jockey: Ricardo Santana Jr.

Top Speed Rating: 104
Total Earnings: $1,574,163

Sire: Practical Joke
Dam: Adande
Color: Dark bay/brown

Hands-down the horse to beat in the Aristides is Skelly, a brilliant sprinter who has won his last nine U.S. starts in gate-to-wire fashion. He's set blazing pace fractions while winning the Count Fleet Sprint H. (G3) and Lake Hamilton S. over the past two months and will be mighty tough to catch if he brings his A-game to Churchill Downs.

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Angkor

Start(s): 21
Wins: 4
Place: 5
Show: 6

Owner: Rigney Racing
Breeder: Wynnstay and H. Allen Poindexter
Trainer: Philip Bauer
Jockey: Martin Garcia

Top Speed Rating: 100
Total Earnings: $428,795

Sire: Anchor Down
Dam: Afleet Lover
Color: Gray/roan

Angkor was much the best in a $100,000 allowance optional claimer at Churchill Downs last month, winning by 4 1/2 lengths with a career-best 100 Brisnet Speed rating. But it remains to be seen if this speedy six-year-old gelding can match strides with Skelly early on.

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Payne

Start(s): 36
Wins: 8
Place: 9
Show: 6

Owner: Steve Asmussen
Breeder: Millennium Farms and Paynter Syndicate
Trainer: Steve Asmussen
Jockey: Keith Asmussen

Top Speed Rating: 102
Total Earnings: $650,287

Sire: Paynter
Dam: Vertical Vision
Color: Dark bay/brown

Payne couldn't keep up with Skelly in the Lake Hamilton, finishing third by 6 3/4 lengths, but his stretch-running style is a good fit for this speed-packed Aristides field. If Skelly sets his typical blazing pace, Payne may be able to rally late and secure a top-four finish at enticing odds.

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Bourbon Heist

Start(s): 25
Wins: 4
Place: 9
Show: 4

Owner: Bourbon Lane Stable
Breeder: Mueller Throughbred Stable
Trainer: Ian Wilkes
Jockey: Luis Saez

Top Speed Rating: 102
Total Earnings: $471,971

Sire: Practical Joke
Dam: Elusive One
Color: Bay

Bourbon Heist has finished behind Aristides rivals Surly Furious and Angkor in recent starts, but in an April 25 $100,000 allowance optional claimer sprinting seven furlongs at Keeneland—his first dirt race since last November—Bourbon Heist employed pace-tracking tactics to win by three lengths with a career-best 102 Brisnet Speed rating, His ability to rate off the pace should come in handy in the Aristides, allowing him to settle behind a fast pace before closing ground late. Don't count Bourbon Heist out of the mix for a top-two or top-three finish.

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Surly Furious

Start(s): 29
Wins: 8
Place: 3
Show: 4

Owner: Novogratz Racing Stables
Breeder: Brereton C. Jones
Trainer: Glenn Wismer
Jockey: Abel Cedillo

Top Speed Rating: 99
Total Earnings: $585,186

Sire: Upstart
Dam: Perfect Prediction
Color: Bay

Surly Furious has won multiple stakes over a wide variety of distances, but his 8-for-16 record over synthetic tracks towers over his 0-for-13 tally on dirt. While Surly Furious has occasionally run well on dirt, he seems at his best over synthetic footing and might not relish the traditional dirt surface at Churchill Downs. He's run over this track four times in the past, with his best finish being a third in a June 2021 allowance.

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Here Mi Song

Start(s): 24
Wins: 6
Place: 8
Show: 1

Owner: Nathan Hayden
Breeder: Nathan Hayden
Trainer: William Stinson Jr.
Jockey: Tyler Gaffalione

Top Speed Rating: 100
Total Earnings: $869,380

Sire: Cross Traffic
Dam: Mi Viera
Color: Gray/roan

Here Mi Song ran a big race over this track on Kentucky Derby Day, carving out the pace in the Churchill Downs (G1) before staying on to finish second by 2 1/2 lengths. He'll have to reckon with several other pace players in the Aristides, including Skelly, but Here Mi Song is progressing in the right direction and shouldn't be underestimated.