Don't Tell Sophia Rallies in Locust Grove

Returning from a 175-day layoff, Don’t Tell Sophia rallied from last in a field of six fillies and mares to roll past Molly Morgan en route to a 2 ¼ length victory in the 31^st running of the $108,200 Locust Grove on Saturday at Churchill Downs.

 

Don’t Tell Sophia, a 6-year-old daughter of Congaree out of the Valid Expectations mare Lost Expectations, ran the 1 1/16 miles over a fast track in 1:44.93 to notch her sixth career stakes win.

 

Don’t Tell Sophia, who banked $66,413 and improved her record to 21-10-4-3—$679,295, paid $6.20, $2.80 and $2.60 as the 2-1 second betting choice. Molly Morgan returned $3.40 and $2.60. Frivolous was another nose back in third and paid $5.20. Ria Antonia, Baby Fresh and On Fire Baby, who stopped on the second turn, completed the order of finish.

 

Don’t Tell Sophia, the winner of last fall’s Chilukki (GII) at Churchill Downs, began her 2014 campaign with back-to-back $100,000 stakes victories at Oaklawn Park in the Pippin and Bayakoa before finishing third beaten 1 ¾ lengths behind Magic Union and multiple Grade I-winner Close Hatches in Oaklawn’s Azeri (GII). She also won the Pippin and Bayakoa in 2013.

 

The bay mare was purchased by Sims as a yearling for the bargain price of $1,000.

 

The Locust Grove was one of four stakes races Saturday at Churchill Downs. The stakes race is named after the 1790 Georgian mansion in Louisville that played home to ancestors of Churchill Downs founder Col. M. Lewis Clark.