Promising Super Majesty to Make Stakes Debut Beneath the Lights in Grade III Dogwood

Sep 17, 2015 Darren Rogers

 Super Majesty, a promising Southern California-based 3-year-old filly from the powerful barn of Hall of Fame trainer Jerry Hollendorfer, is headed east to Churchill Downs for her stakes debut against 11 rivals in Saturday night’s 40^th running of the $100,000 Dogwood Stakes (Grade III) – the featured seven-furlong event for 3-year-old fillies during a special 11-race Downs After Dark nighttime racing program.

LNJ Foxwoods’ Super Majesty, a daughter of 2010 Kentucky Derby champ Super Saver that sold for $400,000 at the 2014 Fasig-Tipton Florida Sale, has won two of her three starts, including a 15 ¼-length frolic in a first-level allowance/optional claiming race at Los Alamitos in July.

She suffered her lone defeat last time as the heavy 1-5 favorite on Aug. 23 when Kyriaki edged her in a two-turn, one-mile affair at Del Mar. Super Majesty raced in her usual forwardly-placed position that day but was caught at the head of the stretch by the $59.20 winner. She tried to re-rally in the final strides but fell a nose short.

Super Majesty, who’ll be ridden by regular rider Alex Solis, has been an odds-on favorite in each of her three starts, and she’s expected to be in that position again Saturday, having won her two springs by a combined 21 ½ lengths.

Not an original nominee, Super Majesty was supplemented to the Dogwood for $3,000.

Saturday night’s Dogwood field from the rail out (with jockeys): All Day Alice (Rosemary Homeister Jr.); Zeven (Robby Albarado); I’m a Looker (Francisco Torres); Chide (Shaun Bridgmohan); Super Majesty (Alex Solis); Pleasant Tales (Jamie Theriot); Sweet Swingin (Channing Hill); Huasca (Eddie Castro); Street Song (Chris Landeros); Kathballu (Julien Leparoux); Heart’s Song (Jon Court); and Sweet Success (Corey Lanerie).

All but Super Majesty and Whitham Thoroughbreds’ Street Song, another filly that is 2-for-3 for trainer Ian Wilkes, have graded stakes experience and six are graded-stakes placed.

Claiborne Farm and Adele Dilschneider’s homebred Chide was third behind Include Betty and Wonder Gal in the Grade I Mother Goose at Belmont Park in June. In her most recent start, the daughter of Blame was fifth in July’s Coaching Club American Oaks (GI) at Saratoga for trainer Al Stall Jr.

St. George Stable’s Florida invader Huasca, trained by Efren Loza Jr., and Glenmare Farm’s I’m a Looker, from the barn of Pat Dupuy, were second and third, respectively, in the $150,000 Azalea (GIII) at Gulfstream Park in July. Huasca won Gulfstream Park’s $75,000 Uanme on Sept. 6 for her fourth career victory. I’m a Looker returns after a 76-day break from the races, as does Azalea fifth-place finisher Sweet Swingin, owned by Jim Bakke and Gerry Isbister and trained by Dale Romans.

Five D Thoroughbreds’ Kathballu, a winner in two of four starts at Churchill Downs for trainer Kenny McPeek, was third in the $147,000 Victory Ride (GIII) at Belmont Park.

G. Watts Humphrey Jr. and W.S. Farish’s Sweet Success, who was second to runaway winner Sweet Whiskey in an allowance/optional claiming race at Saratoga in late July, was beaten only three-quarters of a length in the Bourbonette Oaks (GIII) at Turfway Park in March for trainer Rusty Arnold.

Meanwhile, Bernard G. Schaeffer’s Heart’s Song, another four-time winner with two victories beneath the Twin Spires, was runner-up in last year’s Golden Rod (GII) at Churchill Downs for trainer Bill Connelly.

Joseph Sutton’s Zeven, fourth in Keeneland’s $250,000 Beaumont (GII) this spring for trainer Eddie Kenneally, returns to sprints after a 4 ¾-length triumph at Ellis Park over one mile.

Charles Fipke’s Pleasant Tales, fourth in the Mother Goose, looks to rebound for trainer Dallas Stewart after faltering in the $500,000 Test (GI) at Saratoga on Aug. 8.

Another horse seeking a return to form is Ragnar Korthase’s Chicago invader All Day Alice, who broke her maiden at Churchill Downs over six furlongs in May under the care of trainer Jon Cowan.

The Dogwood, won last year by Thank You Marylou in a stakes record 1:23.19, will be run as Race 9 at 10:11 p.m. (all times Eastern) on an 11-race card that begins at 6 p.m.

Presented by Stella Artois and Jack Daniel’s, the theme for the lone Downs After Downs event at the 11-date September Meet is “Summer Sunset” – a celebration of the final days of summer. Guests are encouraged to wear their favorite summer fashions.

Admission gates open Saturday at 5 p.m. and the final race of the evening is scheduled for 11:10 p.m. General admission is $10. Reserved seat packages are available for purchase on www.ChurchillDowns.com.

Saturday’s National Weather Service forecast for Louisville calls for mostly sunny skies with high near 83 and a 30-percent chance of showers between 2-8 p.m.