The Time for a Return to the Track for Uruguayan Champion Touch of Destiny, in the United States

The son of Midshipman, last seen finishing at the back of the pack in the recent Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile (G1), will run this Wednesday on the dirt at Churchill Downs

LOUISVILLE, Kentucky (Special for Turf Diario).– The wait is over. Uruguayan champion Touch of Destiny will return to the track this Wednesday in the United States, and an entire racing community back home will be rooting to see him begin showcasing his true potential.

The son of Midshipman will feature in this afternoon's eighth race at Churchill Downs, a US$ 100,000 allowance optional claiming event with a US$ 141,000 purse, to be contested over 1200 meters on the dirt track.

Trained by José Luiz Correa Aranha, the representative of Haras Phillipson and Brownwood Farm, their local satellite, will break from the outermost post among the 11 confirmed runners and will be ridden by experienced French jockey Julien Leparoux.

Undefeated at Maroñas, the gray made the trip last November to contest the Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile (G1) at Del Mar, where he faced a harsh reality check and finished eighth and last behind the brilliant Nysos (Nyquist), after inexplicably engaging in a hot duel at the front of the field.

Touch of Destiny heads into this engagement on the back of 6 official workouts at Keeneland, mostly without being overly asked, as logic dictates using this outing as the final sharpening tool to regain his best form.

Winner of the Clásico Irineo Leguisamo, Clásico Adolfo Folle Juanicó, Clásico Lavalleja (L), Clásico Campeones Juvenile, and the Clásico Asociación Uruguaya de Propietarios de Caballos de Carrera (G3), Touch of Destiny has been quoted at 20/1 in the morning-line as one of the outsiders.

In that market, the morning-line favorite is Champlin (Ransom the Moon), winner of the Sam's Town Stakes (L) at Delta Downs and coming off a fourth-place finish in the Colonel Power Stakes (L) at Fair Grounds.

However, most eyes will be fixed on Verifire (Authentic), trained by Brad Cox, who failed to fire in his recent comeback when finishing third here. Winner of the Maxfield Stakes (L) on this very track, he had previously gone safe to the sidelines after disappointing in the H. Allen Jerkens Memorial Stakes (G1) at Saratoga.