Churchill Downs Stakes Advance: Multiple Stakes Winner Nice as Pie Headlines Over-subscribed Field of Sprinters in Saturday's $225,000 Mamzelle

May 07, 2024 Kevin Kerstein

Dede McGehee’s talented homebred Nice as Pieheadlines an oversubscribed field of 14 3-year-old fillies and four also-eligibles that entered Saturday’s fifth running of the $225,000 Mamzelle Stakes (Listed) at Churchill Downs.

Run at 5 ½ furlongs on the Matt Winn Turf Course, the Mamzelle is the 10th and featured event on the card with a post time of 5:27 p.m. (all times Eastern). The first of 11 races will get underway at 12:45 p.m.

Nice as Pie, trained by Kelsey Danner, dominated her competition this winter at Turfway Park, winning her last four races over the Tapeta surface. Among her victories at Turfway were the Valdale Stakes and Serena’s Song Stakes. Jockey Adam Beschizza, who’s been aboard Nice as Pie in all four wins, will have the return call from post No. 2.

The body of the Mamzelle is ultra-competitive with stakes winners Honey Dijon, Let Them Watch, Pipit, Toupie and Twirling Queen. Should two late scratches occur, Limestone Stakes winner Hot Beach could draw into the field.

While several fillies already have black-type placings, e Five Racing Thoroughbreds’ undefeated Imaboutago (IRE) will be seeking her first stakes victory. Trained by Wesley Ward, Imaboutago debuted Dec. 8 at Gulfstream Park where she cruised to a 2 ½-length score in a maiden special weight contest and followed up that win 14 weeks later with a convincing allowance victory at Fair Grounds. Tyler Gaffalionewill have the call from post 12.

Here is the complete field for the Mamzelle from the rail out (with jockey and trainer): Let Them Watch (Jareth Loveberry, Mike Maker); Nice as Pie (Beschizza, Danner); Big Trouble (Brian Hernandez Jr., Greg Foley); Pipit (Axel Concepcion, Brendan Walsh); Cloudwalker (Cristian Torres, Brendan Walsh); Tipsy Runner (Julien Leparoux, Tom Amoss); Parola Sicura (Jaime Torres, Joe Sharp); Twirling Queen (Francisco Arrieta, Jose D’Angelo); Toupie (Jorge Ruiz, Graham Motion); Twirl Around (Jose Ortiz, Greg Foley); Niki Nine Doors (Abel Cedillo, Chris Davis); Imaboutago (IRE) (Gaffalione, Ward); and Honey Dijon (Ricardo Santana Jr., Joe Sharp). Also Eligibles: Tipsy Tammy (Mitchell Murrill, Phil Bauer); Hot Beach (Jose Ortiz, Brian Lynch); Moonlit Lady (Ricardo Santana Jr.); and Fibber (Mitchell Murrill, Bret Calhoun).

The four-day race week will kick off with Twilight Thursday, an eight-race card that gets underway at 5 p.m. The evening will feature $2 domestic beer, live music and an array of local food trucks in The Grove. Gates open at 4 p.m.

Racing Friday-Sunday will have first posts of 12:45 p.m. For more information, visit www.churchilldowns.com