Grade II Winner Stitched Takes on 11 Rivals in Saturday’s River City

Nov 04, 2023

Nathan McCauley, Michael Olszewski and William Minton’s Wise Dan Stakes (Grade II) winner Stitched headlines an over-subscribed field of 15 turf specialists that entered Saturday’s 44th running of the $300,000 River City Stakes (GIII) at Churchill Downs.

The 1 1/8-mile River City, scheduled to be run on the Matt Winn Turf Course, was carded as Race 10 of 11 with a post time of 5:35 p.m. (all times Eastern). Along with the River City, Saturday’s program also will feature the 18th running of the $300,000 Dream Supreme (Listed). First post is 1 p.m.

Trained by Greg Foley, Stitched achieved his biggest honors winning the Wise Dan three starts ago at Ellis Park. The 4-year-old son of Mizzen Mast has won six races overall and also sports stakes victories in last year’s Caesar’s and Mystic Lake Derby. Jockey Florent Geroux will be in the irons from post No. 9.

Among the other rivals entered to face Stitched is Calumet Farm’s three-time winner Cellist. Trained by Rusty Arnold, Cellist nearly led gate-to-wire three weeks ago in the 1 ½-mile Sycamore (GIII) at Keeneland but was caught in the last jump by Bold Act. Cellist will break from the rail under Martin Garcia.

Here is the complete River City field from the rail out (with jockey and trainer): Cellist (Garcia, Arnold);F Five (James Graham Brian Lynch); Red Run (Ricardo Santana Jr., Mike Maker); Rockemperor (IRE) (Tyler Gaffalione, Chad Brown); Kitodan (Alex Achard, Eric Foster); Smokin’ T (John Velazquez, Shug McGaughey); Dominican Pioneer (Gerardo Corrales, Wesley Ward); Grand Sonata (Luis Saez, Todd Pletcher); Stitched (Geroux, Foley); Injunction (Rafael Bejarano, Carlo Vaccarezza); Siege of Boston (Jorge Ruiz, Jimmy Toner); and Harlan Estate (Joe Ramos, Whit Beckman). Also-eligibles: Accredit (Luan Machado, Pavel Matejka); Beatbox (Cristian Torres, Cherie DeVaux); and Street Ready (Luis Saez, Mike Maker).

Fans can watch and wager on all the action from Churchill Downs on www.TwinSpires.com, the official wagering provider of Churchill Downs Incorporated.

Live racing from Churchill Downs continues through Nov. 26 on a Wednesday-Sunday schedule. Daily first post is 1 p.m. with the exception of Thanksgiving Day which has an early 11:30 a.m. start.

WICKED HALO LEADS COMPACT FIELD OF SIX IN $300,000 DREAM SUPREME – Multiple graded stakes-winning sprinter Wicked Halo will attempt to win her ninth-career race in Saturday’s 18thrunning of the $300,000 Dream Supreme (Listed) at Churchill Downs.

Owned and bred by Winchell Thoroughbreds and trained by Steve Asmussen, the accomplished Wicked Halo remained based at Churchill Downs instead of shipping to California and competing in the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint (GI). Wicked Halo and her rivals will go to post at 2:30 p.m. as Race 4 of 11. First post is 1 p.m.

Wicked Halo has been an ultra-consistent filly throughout her career, only finishing out of the top three positions once in 17 starts while banking $1,395,950. Recently, Wicked Halo battled Filly and Mare Sprint competitor Yuugiri in the Thoroughbred Club of America (GII) at Keeneland but lost by a scant nose at the wire. Jockey Tyler Gaffalione will have the return call and break from post No. 5.

While many fillies and mares entered in the Dream Supreme have unsuccessfully faced Wicked Halo in the past, a new filly on the scene is Rigney Racing’s Little Prankster, who enters the race off three-consecutive victories for trainer Phil Bauer. The daughter of Practical Joke broke her maiden by an impressive 7 ¾ lengths in late July at Saratoga and followed up that victory with two allowance wins at Saratoga and Keeneland. Hall of Famer John Velazquez will be in the irons from post 4.

Here is the Dream Supreme field in order of post positions (with jockey and trainer): Your So Sillea(Corey Lanerie, Phil Sims); Last Leaf (Luis Saez, Eddie Kenneally); Fire On Time (Martin Garcia, Dale Romans); Little Prankster (Velazquez, Bauer); Wicked Halo (Gaffalione, Asmussen); and Royal County (Charlie Oliveros, Eric Reed).