After breaking his maiden on his third start, Burnham Square surged from last to first in the Holy Bull Stakes (G3) at Gulfstream Park, a speed‑favoring track. Trainer Ian Wilkes admitted he was astonished by the colt’s rapid progress.
“I’m very happy with what he’s done, but if I told you I knew he was something good before I ran him, I’d be lying,” Wilkes said 18 months ago.
Following that performance, the four‑year‑old gelding captured the Blue Grass Stakes (G1), placed sixth in the Kentucky Derby (G1) and finished fifth in the Haskell Stakes (G1). It was after these runs that Wilkes opted to shift Burnham Square to turf, a decision that quickly turned him into a standout.
Making his turf debut at Kentucky Downs last summer in the 1 5⁄16‑mile Nashville Derby (G3), Burnham Square performed better than expected, losing only by a head despite starting at 13‑1 odds. Though encouraged by the showing, Wilkes opted to give the horse the remainder of the year off rather than pursue a Breeders’ Cup start.
“He’s had a long year,” Wilkes said. “I’ll keep him on the grass and bring him back next year. He’s a gelding, and I’ve got to take care of him. I’d like to have him as an 8-year-old.”
Burnham Square Betting: 2-1 Favorite Loves Turf
The move to grass has paid off handsomely. Entering Saturday’s 1½‑mile Turf Cup at Kentucky Downs, Burnham Square rides a four‑race winning streak. The $2 million Grade 2 event serves as a “Win and You’re In” qualifier for the Breeders’ Cup Turf (G1) at Keeneland on October 31, and it also features last year’s Turf champion, Ireland‑based Ethical Diamond, along with Tiffany, a recent Group 1 victor in Germany.
“It’s a very intriguing race, and it’ll be a fun challenge,” Wilkes said. “You have the Europeans coming and the local horses, so the competition is getting deeper.”
With regular jockey Brian Hernandez Jr., Burnham Square is the 2‑1 morning‑line favorite in a ten‑horse field. Ethical Diamond sits at 3‑1, while Tiffany and Fort George are both listed at 9‑2; Fort George narrowly missed a photo finish in Saratoga’s Bowling Green (G2) behind the defending Turf Cup victor Ole Crazy Bone (8‑1).
Top Challengers? Try Ethical Diamond, Tiffany
Ethical Diamond boasts a top‑tier pedigree, trained by Willie Mullins and ridden by Ryan Moore. Tiffany, while not as decorated as the two leaders, has hit the board in all of her grass starts.
Over 12 furlongs, Ethical Diamond has won three of six starts, including his Breeders’ Cup triumph. In preparation for the Turf Cup, he secured a head‑to‑head win over Group 2 victor Green Impact in the 1½‑mile Ballyroan Stakes (G3) at Leopardstown.
“He had to work a bit harder than I thought,” Mullins said. “We’re looking at the Breeders’ Cup and working back from there.”
The even‑money favorite’s recent resurgence follows disappointing efforts in the Dubai Stakes (G1), where he finished fifth, beaten by six and a half lengths, and the Royal Ascot Hardwicke Stakes (G2), in which he came ninth, nine and a quarter lengths adrift.
“I am looking forward to visiting Kentucky Downs again,” Mullins said. “The last time I was there was the opening of the racetrack, then known as Dueling Grounds, when my father [Paddy] trained a [jumps] winner there.”
Tiffany has hit the board in two of her seven starts over 1½ miles, registering five place finishes, while Burnham Square remains perfect in two grass outings.
“The race being a mile and a half will be more to his liking,” Wilkes said. “He’ll appreciate the added distance. The farther they go, the better for him.”
Although Burnham Square benefits from prior experience on Kentucky Downs’ unique layout, he has yet to encounter the elite caliber of opposition that Ethical Diamond has faced. He did upset Rebel’s Romance, one of the world’s premier grass performers, in the Turf. His most recent victories came against modest fields in the 1¼‑mile Arlington Million (G1) and the ungraded Chorleywood. It remains to be seen whether he can rise to the challenge of facing the sport’s best turf horses.
The Picks: 1 Burnham Square, 2 Tiffany, 3 Ethical Diamond
The Field for the $2 million Kentucky Downs Turf Stakes (G2), from the rail out, with jockey, trainer, odds:
# Horse Jockey Trainer Odds 1 Troubleshooting (KY) T Gaffalione G D Foley 3-1 2 We’re in Trouble (KY) Y Hazlewood M W McCarthy 30-1 3 Mondogetsbuckets (KY) F Geroux C M Block 12-1 4 Beach Gold (KY) K J Asmussen P L Biancone 20-1 5 Quereme Pass (ARG) L Saez J F D’Angelo 15-1 6 Possiblemente (KY) J L Ortiz J Sharp 10-1 7 Usually Wrong (KY) G Franco R Diodoro 12-1 8 Okiro (KY) J Bravo L Garoffalo 6-1 9 Golden Afternoon (KY) J A Torres N Vaccarezza 15-1 10 My Boy Prince (ON) J R Velazquez M E Casse 9-2 11 John the Beer Man (KY) K Carmouche R Atras 4-1 12 Durante (KY) J Castellano D Jacobson 30-1 13 Let My People Go (KY) (AE) A Fresu M J Maker 12-1 14 Anmer Hall (KY) (AE) A Fresu P Eurton 15-1
Ed McNamara is an award‑winning racing writer who has covered the sport since 1981 for outlets such as The Bergen (N.J.) Record, Newsday, ESPN, Thorocap and USRacing. He is the author of Cajun Racing: From the Bush Tracks to the Triple Crown and Racing Around the World, and a contributor to The Most Glorious Crown and The Racetracks of America. He has also contributed to racing publications in France and Italy.
