Xigera an easy winner of the Falls City (Jenny Doyle/Past The Wire)
Churchill Downs Press Release
LOUISVILLE, Ky.— Richard Rigney’s Xigera tracked pacesetter Jag Warrior early on, pounced to the lead at the top of the stretch and drew away down the stretch to easily win Thursday’s 108th running of the $400,000 Falls City (Grade III), the traditional Thanksgiving Day fixture for fillies and mares at Churchill Downs, by a widening 6 ½ lengths.
Trained by Phil Bauer and ridden by Julien Leparoux, Xigera ran 1 1/8 miles over a fast track in 1:50.75 while defeating longshots Music Street, who surged late for second, and Jag Warrior, who was another head back in third. Rigney and Bauer teamed to win last year’s Fall City with the now-retired Played Hard.
“She’s a special type of horse which makes our job easy,” Bauer said. “You hang a bridle on her and she knows what she needs to do. I’m so fortunate to be in the position I am with a great stable and owner. At the time we thought grass was her preferred surface as a 2-year-old but she’s proven us wrong. She has such a quick turn of foot which makes her so dynamic.”
After convincing back-to-back stakes wins in September’s $171,750 Seneca Overnight Stakes at Churchill Downs and last month’s $250,000 Mother Goose (GII) at Belmont at the Big A, Xigera was sent to post as the odds-on 1-9 betting favorite in the field of seven fillies and mares.
Breaking from post six, Xigera settled in the clear in third down the backstretch as Jag Warrior dictated the terms through fractions of :24.03, :49.02 and 1:13.38. With a three-wide move on the final turn, Xigera dragged Leparoux to the front and emerged as the leader with a quarter of a mile to run. The only questions were 1) who would run second and 2) how far the winning margin would be.
“We’ve always loved her since she was a 2-year-old,” Leparoux said. “May have made a mistake keeping her in the grass as long as we have but she’s had a great year overall. She’s going to be even better next year. I think she’s a very exciting horse.”
Xigera paid $2.30, $2.20 and $2.10. Music Street, ridden by Gerardo Corrales at odds of 49-1, returned $11.56 and $9.76. Jag Warrior at odds of 52-1 under Brian Hernandez Jr. paid $8.98 to show.
Misty Veil, Shezz Koldazice, Skratch Kat, Bellamore and Distinctlypossible completed the order of finish. Hidden Connection was scratched.
With the Falls City win, Xigera improved her overall record to six wins, one second and one third in 10 starts. Thursday’s $240,455 first prize jumped her earnings to $817,056.
The Grade I La Troienne, to be run next May at Churchill Downs, could be Xigera’s next start after a freshening.
Xigera was bred in Kentucky by Cedar Hill LLC. She is a 3-year-old daughter of Nyquist out of the Black Tie Affair (IRE) mare Argent Affair.
Racing at Churchill Downs continues Friday with the popular day-after Thanksgiving card highlighted by the 149th running of the $600,000 Clark presented by Norton Healthcare (GII) for older horses. The Clark goes as Race 11 of 12 at approximately 5:58 p.m. (all times Eastern). The first race is 1 p.m.
