FRANKLIN, Ky.— Sunday’s FanDuel Meet at Kentucky Downs racing program is headlined by three stakes: the $550,000, Grade 3 AGS Ladies Marathon, $500,000 Nelson’s Green Brier Tennessee Whiskey Music City for 3-year-old fillies and the $500,000 Ainsworth Untapable Stakes for 2-year-old fillies.
Family Way is back to defend her victory in the 2021 Ladies Marathon at 1 1/2 miles. The 3-2 favorite in the Global Tote morning line is one of 11 stakes winners from last year’s meet to return to Kentucky Downs.
Family Way comes into the Ladies Marathon off a third-place finish in the Grade 1 Beverly D., whose 1-2 finishers Dalika and Princess Grace were to run in Saturday’s $1 million Kentucky Downs Ladies Turf (G3). Family Way won Gulfstream Park’s Orchid (G3) in her second start at age 5, then had successive seconds in Keeneland’s Bewitch Stakes (G3) won by divisional leader War Like Goddess and a narrow defeat in Belmont’s Grade 1 New York Stakes.
“She’s had a very productive year,” said Paul Madden, trainer Brendan Walsh’s assistant trainer. “Last year she had just come over and she kind of stepped up. This year we campaigned her with this race in mind. She looks on form to be the one to beat. I think if she produces her last couple of runs I think she’ll be tough to beat. She clearly likes this place, and she’s trained great… Be we always are more hopeful than confident.”
Walsh also has Majestic d’Oro in the Music City.
“She’s a nice filly,” Madden said. “She’s another one who has had a good year. She won the (Alywow) stakes at Woodbine on the grass and came back and ran a good second on the Polytrack (in Presque Isle’s Lady Erie). I think the 6 1/2 (furlongs) is ideal to her.”
Kentucky Downs Press Release
Photo: Family Way wins the Grade 3 Orchid at Gulfstream Park (Ryan Thompson)
