For the second straight race, MCKINZIE’s Amarth visited the winner’s circle with a Churchill Downs Allowance Optional Claiming victory.
The Green Lantern Stables homebred was kept under a snug hold early in the 1 1/16-mile dirt race when running just behind the leader in a tightly packed field. Kept along the rail for much of the running, she was moved a path out and let loose around the far turn.
As the field raced into the stretch, Tyler Gaffalione switched her a few paths wider and she battled with another horse nearly every step of the way. She proved to be the more determined of the two, winning by a head at the line.
The victory took her record to two wins in three starts for trainer Eddie Kenneally, who has timed her races to be almost exactly one month apart each run.
Amarth is one of three winners from three to race out of the stakes placed Criminal Mischief, who also won two races herself.
Criminal Mischief’s dam is a half-sister to multiple graded stakes winner and champion sire Distorted Humor and stakes winner Dancing Gulch. Many of her siblings have also produced stakes performers, led by Grade 3 winner Liam’s Dream.
Criminal Mischief had a colt by MCKINZIE in April of this year for Offshoot Farm.
MCKINZIE is tied with Nyquist by number of juvenile Grade 1 winners at two while his four juvenile Grade 1 performers leads all North American sires.