Bositerous Ships to Louisville for River City

Phipps Stable’s Boisterous completed the Knickerbocker (Grade III)–Red Smith Handicap (GII) double for the second straight year at the beginning of the month, but rather than get a break following the Red Smith like last year, trainer Shug McGaughey shipped the 5-year-old son of Distorted Humor to Louisville from New York on Tuesday for Sunday’s $100,000-added River City Handicap (GIII) at Churchill Downs.

“The horse is doing really well and he came out of his last race in great shape,” McGaughey said. “He’s trained well since the race and has been in good shape since he got (to Churchill Downs). We’re looking forward to Sunday.”

McGaughey said the cooler temperatures expected in Louisville Sunday (mid-to-high 40s) played a part in the decision to ship Boisterous, a five-time graded stakes winner, to Churchill Downs.

“He seems to like the cool weather,” said McGaughey, a 30-time stakes winner at Churchill Downs. “That’s one of the reasons I liked this spot and didn’t want to send him to Calder. I wouldn’t have shipped him if it was going to be 80 degrees.”

The River City will be the final race of the year for Boisterous. He will ship to Payson Park in Indiantown, Fla. to be prepared for a 2013 campaign.