Chilukki Winner Distinctive Dixie Heads Field of Six in Thanksgiving Day's Falls City Handicap

Nov 21, 2010 Gary Yunt

The Robert and Beverly Lewis Trust’s Distinctive Dixie, winner of the Chilukki (Grade II) at Churchill Downs on Nov. 6, will carry top weight of 120 pounds and concede 2-6 pounds to her five rivals in the 95th running of the $150,000-added Falls City Handicap (GII) for fillies and mares going 1 1/8 miles on the main track on Thanksgiving Day.

The Falls City will go as the 11th race on Thursday’s holiday program with a 4:24 p.m. (all times Eastern) post time as the centerpiece of the 12-race holiday program. First post time Thursday is 11:30 a.m.

Trained by Wally Dollase, Distinctive Dixie earned her first graded stakes victory in the one-mile Chilukki. Robby Albarado, who was aboard the 5-year-old daughter of 2000 Kentucky Derby (GI) winner Fusaichi Pegasus  for that triumph, has the call again Thursday on Distinctive Dixie, who will break from post position four.

Returning to challenge Distinctive Dixie is Ike and Dawn Thrash’s Chilukki runner-up Third Dawn, who has failed to win in three 2010 starts.  Now trained by Jeff Thornbury, the 4-year-old Sky Mesa filly finished 1 ½ lengths behind Distinctive Dixie in the Chilukki.  She will break from post position two under jockey Kent Desormeaux and will carry 118 pounds.  Third Dawn’s career highlights thus far have been a nose defeat to champion Stardom Bound in the 2009 Santa Anita Oaks (GI) and a victory in Del Mar’s $100,000 Torrey Pines for 3-year-old fillies later that year.

The only other graded stakes winner in the field is Stevestan Stables’ Striking Dancer. Trained by Ken McPeek, Striking Dancer won the Grade II La Canada on Santa Anita’s synthetic Pro-Ride surface in February. Julien Leparoux, who rode Serenading to victory in last year’s Falls City, has the call on Striking Dancer, who will break from post position three under 117 pounds.

Striking Dancer, a 4-year-old daughter of Smart Strike, won her only start over the main track at Churchill Downs.  That victory came in an optional claiming allowance race at 1 1/16 miles on Nov. 3 in which she defeated Falls City rivals High Quail and Ravi’s Song.

The Falls City field, from the inside out, is as follows: Dundalk Dust (Shaun Bridgmohan, 114 pounds), Third Dawn (Desormeaux, 118), Striking Dancer (Leparoux, 117), Distinctive Dixie (Albarado, 120), High Quail (Jesus Castanon, 115) and Ravi’s Song (Miguel Mena, 114).