Churchill Downs Stakes Advances and Update: Musical Mischief Eyes Falls City Glory on Thanksgiving Day

Nov 21, 2024

Wathnan Racing’s Musical Mischief, a standout 3 ¼-length upset winner two months ago in the Fasig-Tipton Locust Grove Stakes (Grade II), will face a strong field of fillies and mares entered in the 109th running of the $400,000 Falls City Stakes (Grade II), the featured event on Thanksgiving Day at Churchill Downs.

Run at 1 1/8 miles, the Falls City highlights a 12-race program that has become a cherished Louisville tradition since 1969. Along with top-class racing, more than 7,000 turkey dinners with all the trimmings will be served, marking the largest Thanksgiving celebration in the region. The Falls City is carded as Race 9 with a post time of 3:16 p.m. First post is 11 a.m.

Trained by Michael McCarthy, Musical Mischief has thrived since relocating to Kentucky earlier this year. The 4-year-old daughter of Into Mischief boasts an overall record of 12-4-2-1—$515,024, including three victories at Churchill Downs. Following her Locust Grove victory at odds of 16-1, her connections considered the Breeders’ Cup Distaff (GI) but opted instead to target the Falls City. Musical Mischief previously raced for owners Stoneway Farm but was recently sold to Wathnan Racing. She’ll break from post No. 4 under jockey Edgar Morales.

Among her challengers is Godolphin’s Tarifa, a multiple graded stakes winner trained by Brad Cox. The 3-year-old daughter of Bernardini is stepping up to face older company for the first time after a gutsy head victory over Gun Song in the Mother Goose Stakes (GII) one month ago at Aqueduct. Tarifa also counts wins in the Fair Grounds Oaks (GII) and Rachel Alexandra Stakes (GII) among her accomplishments. She will break from post 2 with jockey Flavien Prat aboard.

The field for the Falls City in order of post position (with jockey and trainer):

Neon Icon (Luis Saez, Rusty Arnold II)
Tarifa (Prat, Cox)
Peignoir (Florent Geroux, Rodolphe Brisset)
Musical Mischief (Morales, McCarthy)
Enclosure (Brian Hernandez Jr., Bill Mott)
Loved (Tyler Gaffalione, Brendan Walsh)
Lexa (Gerardo Corrales, Whit Beckman)
Quatro Y Vinte (URU) (Luan Machado, Paulo Lobo)
Limited dining tickets remain for Thanksgiving Day at Churchill Downs. For reservations, visit www.churchilldowns.com.

 

WELL-MATCHED FIELD OF 11 FILLIES AND MARES ENTERED IN 49TH RUNNING OF GRADE III, $300,000 CARDINAL – Eleven talented turf fillies and mares will line up Thursday at Churchill Downs for the 49th running of the $300,000 Cardinal Stakes (Grade III), the co-featured event on the special 12-race Thanksgiving Day program.

The Cardinal, contested at 1 1/8 miles on turf, is scheduled as Race 11 with a post time of 4:14 p.m. The day’s early first post is set for 11:30 a.m. and includes the $400,000 Falls City (GII) in Race 9 at 3:16 p.m.

Headlining the Cardinal are Bronwood Farm’s Quality Star, winner of the Ellis Park Turf Stakes; Bradley Thoroughbreds, Belmar Racing and Breeding, Cambron Equine, and Laura Leigh Stable’s Nassau (GII) winner Implicated; and Whitham Thoroughbreds’ Magical Lute, victorious this summer in the Iowa Distaff.

Joining them are several up-and-comers looking to make their mark in graded stakes company, including Paradise Farms Corp. and David Staudacher’s five-time winner Stir Crazy; Blue Devil Racing’s ultra-consistent Dreaming of Mo; and Richard Dunn, Ten Strike Racing, Gary Barber, Jeremy Sussman, and Todd Onken’s three-time winner She’s Lookin Lucky.

The complete field for the Cardinal from the rail out (with jockey and trainer):

She’s Lookin Lucky (Florent Geroux, Matt Shirer)
Magical Lute (Brian Hernandez Jr., Ian Wilkes)
Duvet Day (IRE) (Flavien Prat, Michael McCarthy)
Queen Regent (GB) (Frankie Dettori, Brendan Walsh)
Heart Spin (Irving Moncada, Anna Navarrete)
Implicated (Tyler Gaffalione, Brendan Walsh)
Stir Crazy (Luis Saez, Mike Maker)
Harvey’s Princess (John McKee, Marcelino Salas)
Adrasteia (Albin Jiminez, Fergus Bogle)
Dreaming of Mo (Corey Lanerie, Dale Romans)
Quality Star (Luan Machado, Paulo Lobo)
Limited dining tickets remain for Thanksgiving Day at Churchill Downs. For reservations, visit www.churchilldowns.com.

 

ASMUSSEN HOPES LAGYNOS HAS ‘BREAKTHROUGH RACE’ IN COMMONWEALTH TURF – Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen has always shown confidence with HRH Prince Sultan Bin Mishal Al Saud’s Lagynos and is hoping Saturday’s $300,000 Commonwealth Turf (Grade III) will serve as an opportunity for him to notch his first graded stakes victory.

“He’s been a beautifully consistent horse,” Asmussen said. “He’s had a couple less-than-ideal traffic trips but he always keeps trying. We’re expecting this to be his breakthrough race.”

Run at 1 1/16 miles on the Matt Winn Turf Course, the Commonwealth Turf goes as Race 10 with a post time of 5:25 p.m. First post for the 11-race card is 1 p.m. and also will feature the $300,000 Chilukki in Race 8 at 4:25 p.m.

Lagynos has yet to win a graded stakes contest but sports a narrow runner-up effort to Neat in the Hall of Fame Stakes (GII) at Saratoga and a third-place finish to Trikari and Formidable Man in the American Turf (GII) at Churchill Downs.

The complete field for the Commonwealth Turf, from the rail out (with jockey, trainer and morning line odds):

My Boy Prince (Florent Geroux, Mark Casse, 6-1)
Telescopic (Luan Machado, Vicki Oliver, 30-1)
Dashman (Luis Saez, Brian Lynch, 5-2)
Ak Sar Ben Derby (Junior Alvarado, John Ortiz, 10-1)
Piper’s Factor (Brian Hernandez Jr., Katerina Vassilieva, 20-1)
Will Take It (Cristian Torres, Eddie Milligan Jr., 30-1)
Lagynos (Flavien Prat, Asmussen, 4-1)
Herchee (Edgar Morales, Helen Pitts, 3-1)
Evade (FR) (Tyler Gaffalione, Mike Maker, 7-2)
DOWN THE STRETCH – Racing resumed Thursday with a 10-race card and first post of 1 p.m. There was a $135,173 carryover in the 20-cent Derby City 6 Jackpot that spanned Races 5-10. … Jockey Julien Leparoux had three mounts in Races 4, 8 and 9 on Thursday’s card to continue his pursuit of 3,000 wins. The veteran rider entered the day two wins away from the milestone. … The season 10 finale of “Inside Churchill Downs” will air Friday at 6 p.m. on ESPN 680/105.7. The one-hour show will preview the action on Saturday’s card plus give an advanced look at some of the Thanksgiving week stakes fields. Those outside the Louisville area can listen live on www.espnlouisville.com. … For more information about the Churchill Downs Fall Meet, visit www.churchilldowns.com.