Churchill Downs, Race 11 – Saturday, November 11, 2023
By 2YO EdgeMan
CD11:111123 – One and 1/16th miles over the dirt oval. Eleven fillies in the eleventh race on 11/11 are looking forward to going to the post to compete in this affair. All of these gals have been out at least one time before – six of them just once, two fillies have raced twice previously and three have got three starts under their belt. We’ll break it down for you – off we go…
#1 – Loveland (4/1) – Munnings produces nice fillies and this seems to be another solid one. Her Empire Maker dam was unraced and has only produced one other foal of racing age – a 3YO filly who won at first asking at ELP as a 2YO and has put together a 3 for 8 record, with total winnings of $157K. This gal sold as a weanling back in 2021 for $120K (15/27), before being pinhooked back as a yearling for $370K (9/91). She’s competed one time – on 10/6/23 she went six panels over the Keeneland dirt oval and she ran second the whole way around, finishing 4 ¼ lengths shy of the winner. She earned an 81 Equibase Speed Fig for her work that day. Trainer Norm Casse (1 for 18 – 5/6% with 2YO MSW Non FTSers here at CD in the fall from 2018 thru 2022) then shipped her west to Churchill Downs and has had her out to work on three mornings under the Twin Spires.
#2 – Enigmatic (5/1) – This filly, similar to the horse above, also comes from an unraced dam and also has graced the afternoon surface one time. She’s by West Coast and is a homebred, trained by Brad Cox (8 of 38 – 21.1% as a Non FTS in 2YO MSW here at Churchill over the past five years). In her only start, from the 11 post, she set the pace (splits of 22.97, 47.23 and 1:12.65) in a one mile event over the lawn at Kentucky Downs on 9/2/23, before fading to fourth of 12 on the wire, beaten by 7 lengths. The winner that day was Pharoah’s Wine who went on to run second in the G2 Jessamine at KEE. Since this filly’s last run, Cox shipped her to Turfway Park for three breezes, then over to Keeneland for one and then finally over to Churchill Downs for two more, so she’s logged 25 furlongs since her last race. Florent gets an opportunity to pilot this filly for the second time.
#3 – Murphy’s Gift (10/1) – Another one-time starter, this filly is by Street Sence and is out of an Eskendereya mare who won $271K by sporting a 5 for 22 race record. Today’s competitor initially sold for $145K as a yearling (29/52), before being brought back for a 2YO sale earlier this year where she demanded $235K (6/13). Back on 9/30/23, she raced a mile on the dirt oval here at Churchill in her debut. She didn’t show much, as she raced mid pack for most of the race and finished sixth of 12, 10+ lengths behind the winner. Conditioner Brendan Walsh (5 for 31 – 16.1% with 2YO MSW Non FTSers here at CD in the fall from 2018 thru 2022) has given her three works on the CD strip since her race, the first was four furlongs and then two at five panels. Tyler will get to pilot her for the first time.
#7 – Class Act (8/1) – Is a filly who is also sired by Street Sense. Her Afleet Alex dam never made it to the race track, but has foaled six of racing age, with only one of them earning north of $100K while racing. Today’s runner first sold as a yearling for $100K (34/52), but then was wheeled back as a two-year-old and she was purchased by Repole Stables for $270K (4/13). She snuck off at odds of 19/1 in her debut at Churchill going seven furlongs on the dirt. After trailing early, she passed some horses and was spun wide into the lane, ending fifth of 12, but was only beaten by 3 lengths. Trainer Todd Pletcher has found time for four works for her since her race, all her at Churchill, with one covering five furlongs. Luis Saez will be her reinsman for the first time.
#8 – Happy Talk (12/1) – The Coach – D. Wayne Lukas – is responsible for preparing this filly who is a daughter of Arrogate. Speightstown is her broodmare sire, with mom having had a career on the track of two wins in 16 starts, with $104K in purse winnings. She’s had nine total foals of racing age (in addition to today’s filly), but her produce has only managed to win a total of two races. However, one of those was a Grade 1 score in the 2016 Jim Dandy Stakes at Saratoga, by Laoban ($562K), who has gone on to be a sire. This gal put in her race over seven furlongs at Keeneland on the dirt and she started slow, but found a bit of momentum, moving up to be only five lengths short of the winner and finished fifth of 12, while going off at odds of 7/2. Lukas then shipped her down to CD for two recent works – one at a half mile and one covering 5/8th of a mile.
#9 – Genetics (7/2) – The Morning Line fav is trained by HOFer – Bill Mott (2 for 22 – 9.1% – Non FTS 2YO MSW races here at CD from 2018 thru 2022). He’s had this Tapit filly out for three afternoon competitions – the first two at Saratoga and the most recent at Keeneland. She was an expensive yearling, hammering for $525K at auction (10/39). Mama – by Point Given – did some good work on the track in her day by winning 7 of her 16 races and bringing home a cool $502K, including a G2 race trophy. Mott shipped Genetics over to Louisville after her last race and given her the opportunity to travel a half mile here at Churchill on two mornings. Johnny V. will tickle the reins for the first time in this one.
Pick – #2 Enigmatic – The mile and a 1/16th distance should suit this gal better than her previous race at a mile, as she can hopefully make the lead and then Florent can get her to relax. Her work two back was with Pursuit of Liberty who is a 2YO Constitution filly that has already visited the Winner’s Circle. Cox is awfully tough here at the Downs in the fall and he’s definitely added some seasoning to this gal with six works since her race. 5/1 works just fine for me – let’s give her a shot in this tough field. Sunkosi Stables owns this filly in the Game of Silks – so, good luck to you!
