Churchill Downs Stakes Advances: Dogwood (GIII), Bourbon Flight, Harrods Creek and Seneca

Sep 14, 2024

William Butler and WinStar Farm’s Eight Belles Stakes (Grade II) winner My Mane Squeeze will return to Churchill Downs next Saturday where she’ll face a field of nine 3-year-old fillies that entered the 49th running of the $300,000 Dogwood Stakes (GIII).

Saturday’s card features four stakes events across the 11-race program. First post is 12:45 p.m. (all times Eastern) with the seven-furlong Dogwood scheduled for 4:25 p.m. as Race 8. The stakes brigade will kick off in Race 7 with the $300,000 Bourbon Flight. Following the Dogwood Stakes will be the $300,000 Harrods Creek in Race 9 and the $175,000 Seneca Overnight Stakes (Listed) in Race 10.

Trained by Mike Maker, My Mane Squeeze scored the biggest win of her career on Kentucky Oaks Day when she defeated 10 rivals by two lengths in the Eight Belles over the sloppy main track. Following that start, My Mane Squeeze has yet to find the winner’s circle but sports a fourth-place finish in the Acorn (GI), third in the Test (GI) and second in the Charles Town Oaks (GII). Jockey Luis Saez will retain the mount for the Dogwood and break from post No. 5.

The New York-bred’s rivals in the Dogwood include a duo of horses from Rigney Racing and trainer Phil Bauer: two-time stakes winner Halina’s Forte and Goldfinch Stakes winner Legadema.

Halina’s Forte, a daughter of Mitole, recently won the Galway Stakes at Saratoga when she rallied up the rail under jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. Prior to that race, Halina’s Forte won the Ruthless Stakes and finished third in the Victory Ride (GIII) at Aqueduct. Jockey Junior Alvarado will be in the irons for the Dogwood from post 9.

Her stablemate, Legadema, will break from post 8 under jockey Gerardo Corrales. A daughter of Arrogate, Legadema enters the Dogwood following a three-month freshening after finishing third in the Leslie’s Lady in early June at Churchill Downs.

Another accomplished filly entered in the Dogwood is Flatland Racing Stable’s Audubon Oaks winner Fibber. Trained by Chris Hartman, Fibber was claimed by her connections for $100,000 from trainer Bret Calhoun on May 25 and since won a conditioned allowance contest at Churchill Downs along with the Aug. 11 Audubon Oaks at Ellis Park. Axel Concepcion maintains the mount on Fibber in the Dogwood from post 2.

Here is the field for the Dogwood Stakes from the rail out (with jockey and trainer):

Uphill Dance (Tyler Gaffalione, Bill Mott)
Fibber (Concepcion, Hartman)
Reagan’s Flame (Francisco Arrieta, Lindsay Schultz)
Cap Classique (Corey Lanerie, Brittany Russell)
My Mane Squeeze (Saez, Maker)
Neom Beach (Cristian Torres, Steve Asmussen)
Manama Gold (Ramon Vazquez, Todd Pletcher
Legadema (Corrales, Bauer)
Halina’s Forte (Alvarado, Bauer)
For those unable to attend, www.TwinSpires.com is the official wagering provider of Churchill Downs Incorporated and every race will be broadcasted on FanDuel TV.

For more information on the September Meet, visit www.ChurchillDowns.com.

 

OHIO DERBY WINNER BATTEN DOWN TOPS $300,000 BOURBON FLIGHT – Juddmonte’s Ohio Derby (Grade III) winner Batten Down is set to take on five fellow 3-year-olds in next Saturday’s fourth running of the $300,000 Bourbon Flight at Churchill Downs.

Run at 1 3/16 miles, Batten Down and his rivals will break from the gate in Race 7 at 3:53 p.m. First post for the 11-race program is 12:45 p.m. and will also include the $300,000 Dogwood (GIII), the $300,000 Harrods Creek and $175,000 Seneca Overnight Stakes (Listed).

Trained by Hall of Famer Bill Mott, Batten Down became a highly touted 3-year-old following his runaway 8 ¾-length maiden special weight score on Kentucky Derby Week at Churchill Downs. Seven weeks later, the regally-bred son of Tapit scored a gutsy 1 ¾-length front-running victory in the Ohio Derby at Thistledown. Batten Down then shipped to Saratoga where he disappointed in both the Jim Dandy (GII), finishing a well-beaten third to Fierceness and Sierra Leone, and the Travers (GI), finishing fifth by 11 ¾ lengths. Jockey Junior Alvarado will have the call in the Bourbon Flight and break from post No. 6.

Another top 3-year-old contender entered in the Bourbon Flight is D.J. Stable and Robert Cotran’s Holy Bull (GIII) winner Hades. Trained by Joe Orseno, the Florida-bred Hades briefly jumped on the Road to the Kentucky Derby after winning the Holy Bull in early February at Gulfstream Park. Following that victory, the son of Awesome Slew disappointed when finishing fifth in the Florida Derby (GI) and seventh in the Lexington Stakes (GIII). Following those starts, Hades shipped to his summer base at Monmouth Park and eventually shipped south to Colonial Downs one month ago and finished a hard-fought third in the Petramalo Mile Stakes as the heavy 1-2 favorite. Luis Saez is set to ride Hades for the first time in the Bourbon Flight and break from post No. 2.

Here is the field for the Bourbon Flight in order of post position (with jockey and trainer):

Next Level (Jareth Loveberry, Keith Desormeaux)
Hades (Saez, Orseno)
Mugatu (Ramon Vazquez, Jeff Engler)
Real Macho (Tyler Gaffalione, Rohan Crichton)
Elephants Ear (Colby Hernandez, Kenny McPeek)
Batten Down (Alvarado, Mott)
FIVE-TIME STAKES WINNER VALENTINE CANDY HEADLINES $300,000 HARRODS CREEK – William and Corinne Heiligbrodt, Jackpot Farm, Whispering Oaks Farm and Coteau Grove Farms’ multiple stakes winning 3-year-old colt Valentine Candy leads six rivals set to contest next Saturday’s fourth running of the $300,000 Harrods Creek at Churchill Downs.

Run at seven furlongs, the Harrods Creek is one of four stakes on the Saturday program. First post is 12:45 p.m. and the Harrods Creek will go as Race 9 at 4:58 p.m. The other stakes contests on the card are the $300,000 Dogwood (GIII), $300,000 Bourbon Flight and $175,000 Seneca Overnight Stakes (Listed).

Trained by Steve Asmussen, Valentine Candy was brilliant to close his 2-year-old campaign and begin his 3-year-old season, reeling three open-length victories in the Advent Stakes, Renaissance Stakes and Ozark Stakes at Oaklawn. Following a disappointing fourth-place finish in the Animal Kingdom Stakes over the Tapeta surface at Turfway Park, Valentine Candy returned to Oaklawn and won the Bachelor Stakes in late April and, most recently, was victorious in the Robert Hilton Memorial Stakes at Charles Town. Valentine Candy will be ridden by Cristian Torres in the Harrods Creek out of post No. 2.

Making his stakes debut in the Harrods Creek is Centennial Farms’ undefeated Illuminare. Trained by Todd Pletcher, the son of City of Light broke his maiden at Saratoga by 1 ¾ lengths on Belmont Stakes Weekend. Five weeks later, Illuminare returned to Saratoga where he bested five rivals by 4 ¾ lengths in a first-level allowance contest. Jockey Luis Saez has the mount from post 6.

Here’s the field for the Harrods Creek from the rail out (with jockey and trainer):

Jefferson Street (Junior Alvarado, Bill Mott)
Valentine Candy (Torres, Asmussen)
Henro (Rafael Bejarano, Chris Hartman)
Willy D’s (Julien Leparoux, Greg Compton)
Alwaysintomischief (Fernando De La Cruz, Eric Foster)
Illuminare (Saez, Pletcher)
Dilger (IRE) (Tyler Gaffalione, Saffie Joseph Jr.)
PLETCHER DUO LIFE TALK, MISS JUSTIFY LEAD COMPETITVE 13-HORSE FIELD IN $175,000 SENECA OVERNIGHT STAKES – Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher’s dynamic duo of Repole Stable’s Demoiselle (Grade II) winner Life Talk along with Twin Oaks Bloodstock, Joseph Bulger, Will Campbell and IEE Racing Stable’s Wilton Stakes winner Miss Justify lead a competitive field of 13 3-year-old fillies entered in Saturday’s fourth running of the $175,000 Seneca Overnight Stakes (Listed) at Churchill Downs.

Run at 1 1/16 miles, the 3-year-old fillies will take the stage in Race 10 of 11 with a post time of 5:29 p.m. First post is 12:45 p.m.

Life Talk, who will break from post No. 9 under Junior Alvarado, closed her 2-year-old campaign with a 3 ¾-length victory in the Demoiselle Stakes. As a 3-year-old, she returned to action in the Suncoast Stakes where she disappointed as the 2-5 favorite, finishing sixth. Two months later, the daughter of Gun Runner added blinkers for the Gazelle Stakes (GIII) but finished fifth. Life Talk will make her return in the Seneca Overnight Stakes after being on the sidelines for more than five months.

Her stablemate, Miss Justify, drew post 12 for Saturday’s race and will be ridden by Luis Saez. The three-time winner most recently finished fourth to Power Squeeze in the Alabama (GI) at Saratoga.

Another accomplished filly entered in the Seneca Overnight Stakes is Untapable Stakes winner Alpine Princess. Trained by Brad Cox and owned by Dann Glick’s Full of Run Racing II in partnership with Sol Kumin’s Madaket Stables, Alpine Princess tested the Road to the Kentucky Oaks earlier this year when she finished fourth in the Rachel Alexandra (GII) at Fair Grounds and third in the Bourbonette Oaks (Listed) at Turfway Park. The daughter of Classic Empire went to the sidelines following the March 23 Bourbonette Oaks but has been steadily working at Churchill Downs this summer. Jockey Cristian Torres will have the mount on Alpine Princess for the first time in the Seneca Overnight Stakes and break from post 11.

Also entered in the Seneca Overnight Stakes is Indiana Oaks (GIII) winner Chatalas; Bourbonette Oaks (Listed) winner Everland and runaway 11-length allowance winner Home Game.

Here is the field for the Seneca Overnight Stakes from the rail out (with jockey and trainer):

Midshipman’s Dance (Colby Hernandez, Kenny McPeek)
Everland (Luan Machado, Eric Foster)
Dazzling Move (Axel Concepcion, Mike Trombetta)
Little Jamie (Tyler Gaffalione, Robert Medina)
Neon Icon (Luis Saez, Rusty Arnold II)
Just Be Quiet (Fernando De La Cruz, Bob Gorham)
Here’s the Spider (Luan Machado, Ed Fernandez)
Chatalas (Corey Lanerie, Grant Foster)
Life Talk (Alvarado, Pletcher)
Home Game (Gerardo Corrales, Bill Morey)
Alpine Princess (Torres, Cox)
Miss Justify (Saez, Pletcher)
Letstalkaboutme (Rafael Bejarano, Troy Green)
Saturday’s card at Churchill Downs features a four-pack of stakes contests led by the $300,000 Dogwood Stakes (GIII) in Race 8. Also included is the $300,000 Bourbon Flight in Race 7 and the $300,000 Harrods Creek in Race 9.

For those unable to attend, www.TwinSpires.com is the official wagering provider of Churchill Downs Incorporated and every race will be broadcasted on FanDuel TV.

For more information on the September Meet, visit www.ChurchillDowns.com.