Musical Prodigy Offers Virtuoso Performance in Downs After Dark feature

Nov 19, 2011 Darren Rogers

Elizabeth Tobin and Joseph Vaudo’s Musical Prodigy overtook the lead from pacesetter Kenny Lane in deep stretch and won the $49,284 Friday night feature for fillies and mares on the Matt Winn Turf Course at Churchill Downs by 1 ¼ lengths.

Trained by Phil Sims and ridden by Ben Creed, Musical Prodigy covered the five furlongs over the firm turf course in :57.72 before a 'Downs After Dark' night racing crowd of 15,719.  It was the second Fall Meet night racing session since permanent lights were installed at the home of the Kentucky Derby and the attendance total reflected a slight increase from last year's autumn 'Downs After Dark' crowd of 15,583.

Musical Prodigy broke alertly and rated a neck behind Kenny Lane through an opening quarter-mile in :22.78. Creed set Musical Prodigy down for the drive at the top of the stretch, gained the lead at the sixteenth-pole and continued to increase her advantage from there.

A 3-year-old daughter of Bernstein, Musical Prodigy broke from the gate at odds of 2-1 and returned mutuels of $6.40, $3.60 and $2.80. St. George Farm Racing LLC’s Kenny Lane held on for second and returned and $6 and $3.60 with favored Networking another half-length back in third returning $2.60.

The victory was worth $30,000 and increased Musical Prodigy’s bankroll to $66,072 with a record of 3-0-0 from seven lifetime starts.

Racing continues Saturday with a 10-race program highlighted by the 34th running of the $100,000-added River City Handicap (Grade III). The River City is scheduled to be run as race nine at 4:37 p.m. EDT with first post at 12:40 p.m.