Kutz Lost Voice, Not Desire

Even though he finished eighth and seventh with his only two mounts on Wednesday’s card at Ellis Park in Henderson, Ky., jockey Dean Kutz made a successful comeback. Presented with the George Woolf Memorial Jockey Award in an emotional ceremony at Santa Anita earlier this year, Kutz, 44, has been battling throat cancer for a year and a half and it didn’t appear he would be able to resume his riding career. A jockey for about 28 years, Kutz has to use a device to speak because he lost his voice box to his illness, but that didn’t deter the rider. His comeback has earned the admiration of his peers and others around the track. “It’s inspiring,” jockey Jon Court was quoted as saying. “He’s a leader.” Kutz said he won’t ride much during the rest of the Ellis Park meet, which continues until Sept. 3, but plans to get back on a fuller schedule when Turfway Park opens next month.

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Race of the day: The $64,000-added Relaunch Stakes is a turf race for 3-year-olds who don’t want to run in Saturday’s La Jolla Handicap. The morning-line favorite at 2-1 is Our Main Man, but the gelding is a so-called “dot” horse on the overnight, meaning he will probably be scratched. Given that I Love Silver was scratched Thursday morning, that would leave a field of six in the one-mile Relaunch. Macabe, who finished sixth after a slow start in the stronger division of the opening-day Oceanside Stakes, would then become the horse to beat. The son of Gone West is reunited with Chris McCarron. The last time the two got together was for a win on May 3 at Hollywood Park at the Relaunch distance. Last year, Walkslikeaduck won the Relaunch, then came back and won the Del Mar Derby.

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Who’s hot: Victor Espinoza. The rider won three times Wednesday, taking the early double with Miner’s Marquise and Funny Meeting, then capturing the fourth with Motto.

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Who’s not: The field in today’s eighth race. The nine fillies entered in the $25,000 claimer are a combined 0 for 55.

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Exotically speaking: We’ll play a double in races five and six, using Sharp Park in the fifth and Subpoena in the sixth.