Pauline's Pearl leads 11-horse field in Locust Grove

Stonestreet Stables’ accomplished 5-year-old mare Pauline’s Pearl tops a field of 11 entered in Saturday’s 39th running of the Grade 3, $400,000 Locust Grove at Churchill Downs.

The 1 1/16-mile Locust Grove, which serves as a local prep toward the Breeders’ Cup Distaff, will go as the 10th race on the stakes-laden 11-race program. Post time is 5:26 p.m. EDT.

Trained by Steve Asmussen, Pauline’s Pearl gamely returned to the winner’s circle in the Fleur de Lis (G2) where she dug in late to defeat Bellamore and A Mo Reay by three-quarters of a length. Before the Fleur de Lis, Pauline’s Pearl was the half-length winner of the 2022 La Troienne (G1) at Churchill Downs. Ricardo Santana Jr. will have the mount in the Locust Grove from post 2.

The deep field in the Locust Grove also includes Grade 1 winner A Mo Reay, who also is making her first start since crossing the wire just a length behind Pauline's Pearl in the Fleur de Lis. She won at the top level on March 11 in the Beholder Mile at Santa Anita, which she took by a head over Fun to Dream. The Locust Grove lineup also includes Groupie Doll Stakes winner Falconet and multiple-graded-stakes winner Search Results.