Churchill: Fields are shaping up for Thanksgiving weekend stakes
Churchill Downs’s fall meet is set to close with a flourish as the Louisville racetrack will feature nine stakes events during Thanksgiving weekend, headlined by the 149th running of the Grade 2, $600,000 Clark Stakes.
Entries for the 1 1/8-mile Clark will be taken Friday, and the race will run seven days later. This year’s Clark field is likely to be led by Grade 3 winner First Mission and accomplished Florida-based 3-year-old Il Miracolo.
Other probable entrants include Lukas Classic (G2) third-place finisher Blue Devil and recent impressive allowance winner Gasoline.
The road to the Kentucky Derby and Kentucky Oaks will resume Nov. 25 for Stars of Tomorrow II and feature the Kentucky Jockey Club (G2) for open company 2-year-olds along with the Golden Rod (G2) for 2-year-old fillies. Both races will award the top five finishers points on a 10-5-3-2-1 scale toward the 2024 Kentucky Derby and Kentucky Oaks (G1), respectively.
Trainer Brad Cox nominated seven 2-year-olds to the Kentucky Jockey Club, including impressive debut winner Awesome Road.
Another possible entrant in Kentucky Jockey Club is Iroquois (G3) winner West Saratoga, who will attempt to rebound from his fifth-place finish in the Breeders’ Futurity (G1).
In the Golden Rod, Frizette (G1) runner-up Central Avenue is a possible contender, according to Churchill Downs assistant racing secretary and stakes coordinator Dan Bork.
The Stars of Tomorrow II program also will include two 6 1/2-furlong stakes contests, the Ed Brown for open company and Fern Creek for fillies. Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen reported that dazzling debut winner Booth is targeting the Ed Brown.
Entries for Stars of Tomorrow II will be taken Friday.
Thanksgiving day will feature the return of recent Grade 2-winning 3-year-old filly Xigera in the $400,000 Falls City (G3). Owned by Richard Rigney and trained by Phil Bauer, Xigera recently won the Mother Goose (G2) at Aqueduct. Entries for the Falls City, along with the co-featured Cardinal (G3), will be taken Thursday.
The other stakes scheduled over Thanksgiving weekend are the Mrs. Revere, scheduled on the undercard of the Clark, and Commonwealth Turf (G3) which is scheduled for Sunday, Nov. 26.