$100,000 Locust Grove Features Four Graded Stakes Winners

Run at a mile and a sixteenth on the main track, multiple grade-one winner On Fire Baby is the deserving 2/1 morning line favorite despite struggling to a fifth place finish June 14 at Churchill in the Grade II Fleur de Lis.  That race can probably be viewed as a throw-out given the fact that it was run at a mile and an eight – a distance that has proven a bit too far for On Fire Baby throughout her career.  After a freshening and a series of steady local works for trainer Gary Hartlage, On Fire Baby returns to her preferred distance and should be a commanding pace presence under jockey Joe Johnson. 

Don't Tell Sophia working lights out 

Don’t Tell Sophia and Molly Morgan –both graded stakes winners- are co-second choice favorites at odds of 5/2.  Additionally, both mares have been successful on the Churchill Downs dirt as Molly Morgan captured the Fleur de Lis June 14 by three lengths and Don’t Tell Sophia won the Grade II Chilukki in 2013.  Don’t Tell Sophia has not raced since March, but has a pair of sharp local workouts hinting at her readiness for trainer Phillip Sims. 

Ria Antonia looking to rebound 

Despite winning the Breeder’s Cup Juvenile Fillies last year, Ria Antonia (8/1) is winless in the 2014, and looks to be a bit of an afterthought in the Locust Grove.