FRANKLIN — A check of the entries shows that Kentucky Downs is making progress in the drive to attract more international runners to its all-turf, large-purses seven-day meeting.

For the first time, Aidan O’Brien, the Irish superstar trainer who handles the powerful Coolmore stable, sent two runners to Kentucky Downs. Also shipping horses in from Europe are trainers Andrew Balding, whose Bellum Justum won the $3.1 million DK Horse Nashville Derby (G3) on Aug. 31; Charlie Hills; Aidan O’Brien’s sons, Joseph and Donnacha; Michael O’Callaghan; and Roger Varian.

Since joining the Kentucky Downs team as the co-director of racing, Martin Panza has been a leader of the plan to draw more stables from outside North America.

“This is probably the second year where Kentucky Downs has made an effort to try and get some Europeans to come over,” Panza said. “It’s the first year that we’ve had the help of the International Racing Bureau in my first year here. And I think it’s gone OK so far for this meet.”

Among the internationals in the six stakes on Saturday are Varian’s Three Priests, a Japanese-bred, and Aidan O’Brien’s Greenfinch in the $2 million Light & Wonder Ladies Marathon (G3); Hills’ defending champ Ancient Rome in the $2 million Mint Millions (G3); Aidan O’Brien’s Chief Little Rock in the $2 million Kentucky Turf Cup (G2) Hills’ Khaadem in the $2 million Ainsworth Turf Sprint (G2).

“It’s a good start,” Panza said. “I think Adrian Beaumont (of the IRB) and I both learned a lot that will help the process, probably for next year. Certainly, with Bellum Justum winning the Derby, that’s probably going to help.

“You want to get them in and you want to sort of improve the brand and help the quality of racing at the same time. There’s going to be a limited amount that we bring in. We’re going to be selective on what comes over and we’ll probably target certain races. That’s not to say that if a horse wants to come for some race that we won’t look at it, but we’ve certainly got some specific races that we’re going to look at that probably play prominent roles in maybe the Breeders’ Cup at the end of the year.”

In 2022, Joseph O’Brien’s Reckoning Force was the first horse European-trained horse to win a stakes at Kentucky Downs, the Juvenile Mile, though he ran at Saratoga first. The 4-year-old colt, now trained by Brendan Walsh, will make his second start at the track in the Mint Millions. Ancient Rome last year became the first horse to win a Kentucky Downs stakes coming straight from Europe, and Bellum Justum has extended the winning streak this year.

“I think we’re headed in the right direction,” Panza said. “We’ve been doing this a long time, and you’ve got, (racing secretary) Tyler Picklesimer, who does a good job; (stall superintendent) Kevin Greely was in Dubai for years; (co-director of racing) Rick Hammerle was at Santa Anita for years; I was at Hollywood Park and NYRA for years. And I’ve worked with Adrian Beaumont for probably 35 years. We’ve got some good people here that know how to get this done. I think it will grow, but there’s probably some sort of a limit or range that we’re looking at and probably in specific races.”

Vergara can join Snapper Sinclair as 3-time stakes winner

It is no accident that defending champ Vergara, who is 2-for-2 at Kentucky Downs, landed in the entries for the $2 million Light & Wonder Ladies Marathon (G2) on Saturday.

“This was the race that we kept in training for and kind of pointed her for all year,” trainer Graham Motion said.

Should she repeat in the Marathon, Gary Broad’s 5-year-old mare will move into a tie with Snapper Sinclair as the only three-time stakes winners at Kentucky Downs. Snapper Sinclair won three different races. Vergara started her run with a victory in the 2022 Dueling Grounds Oaks. Last year she added the Marathon to her resume. Both races are at 1 5/16 miles and both times her speed enabled her to be pressing or on the lead. At Kentucky Downs, Vergara has earned $899,680 – 73% – of her $1,228,888 career total.

Motion ran her in the 1 3/8 miles Glens Falls (G2) last summer at Saratoga but skipped that race this year to have her fresh for the Ladies Marathon. In her most recent start, Vergara was third, 1¾ lengths behind multiple Grade 1 winner War Like Goddess, in the Robert G. Dick Memorial (G3) on July 7 at Delaware Park.

Motion said it is difficult to predict which horses will take to the course at Kentucky Downs, but that Vergara has made it clear that she is a horse for the course on the border with Tennessee.

“I must say, I think this is a really good distance for her,” Motion said. “I think we’ve found that a mile and a half is a little far for her. Obviously, she likes the track, but obviously the distance really suits her.”

Vergara is named for award-winning actress Sofia Vergara, a judge on America’s Got Talent and a star on the former hit TV show Modern Family.