Churchill Downs handicapping roundup: Week of Nov. 23

Sophomores in spotlight

The first Saturday in May will always be the day for 3-year-olds, obviously, with the annual running of the Kentucky Derby. But last Saturday – the third Saturday in November – also proved noteworthy for 3-year-olds, admittedly those of a lesser stakes quality.

Churchill ran two graded stakes for that age group under the lights, and with a combined 26 horses competing in the pair of stakes, it made for good racing and wagering.

Up first in the Grade 3 Commonwealth, Canadian invader River Seven surged between horses in early stretch and caught Frac Daddy to win by a half-length under Shaun Bridgmohan. Owned by the Tucci Stable and trained by Nick Gonzalez, River Seven covered the 1 1/16 miles on good turf in 1:44.11. The victory was his second consecutive stakes triumph on grass.

Although Canadian-based horses often take winter breaks, Gonzalez hinted after the race that he might race River Seven in the coming months, given how well he performed.

“Actually, I’m very looking forward to running him on the dirt,” he said. “You can see he’s got tremendous workouts on the dirt.”

Frac Daddy lost little in defeat. Used early to grab position after breaking from post 12, he only tired late, producing his second straight top effort following an allowance win at Keeneland last month.

Although never a threat to the top two, Kaigun ran deceptively well to be third.

“I had to check him three or four times with the slow pace,” jockey Leandro Goncalves said. “The whole way we were between horses and had nowhere to go and had to wait. He finished well, but I just wish I could get him free earlier to make a longer move.”

A couple of races after the Commonwealth, the Grade 2 Mrs. Revere was run for 3-year-old fillies on the grass, and in what has been a recurring theme this year, there was a Kitten’s Joy winner, as Emotional Kitten rallied to score over Effie Trinket and Dance Again.

With the fractions of the Mrs. Revere quicker than the Commonwealth – 48.53 seconds and 1:13.17 compared with 49.39 and 1:14.09 – the race set up for closers. Four of the top five finishers were in the rear half of the 14-horse field as far as six furlongs into the 1 1/16-mile race.

The girls in the Mrs. Revere ran slower than the boys in the Commonwealth. Emotional Kitten ran 1 1/16 miles under Victor Espinoza in 1:44.53, while River Seven covered the same distance in 1:44.11. Those times resulted in an 89 Beyer Speed Figure for Emotional Kitten and a 93 for River Seven.

Emotional Kitten, trained by Wesley Ward for Ken and Sarah Ramsey, gave her owners and breeders their second Mrs. Revere triumph. They had won the Mrs. Revere in 2006 with Precious Kitten, trained by the late Bobby Frankel.

Disappointing in the Mrs. Revere was Pucker Up Stakes winner I’m Already Sexy, who tired to ninth as the favorite.

“She’s had a tough campaign, and we’re just going to freshen her a little bit,” trainer Wayne Catalano said.

◗ Although turf racing took place Saturday after some rain earlier in the day, a couple of days of grass racing were lost due to weather last week. Storms forced Sunday’s grass races to a sloppy main track, and though it was dry last Wednesday, overnight frost and cold temperatures also resulted in no turf racing being conducted. The grass races that day were moved to a fast main track.

◗ Although jockey Julien Leparoux entered last week as the man with the momentum, it was Goncalves who made the biggest impact among riders last week. Goncalves won with 7 of 29 mounts, topping Miguel Mena and Corey Lanerie, who won five races apiece. With two weeks remaining in the meet, Lanerie had a 22-17 edge in victories over Goncalves, with Mena and Leparoux next at 16 and 10.

◗ Just one stakes race is on tap Saturday, the Grade 3 River City Handicap for older horses at 1 1/8 miles on grass, before Churchill gears up with four graded stakes to conclude its fall meet over the Thanksgiving weekend. A modest but competitive River City field is expected to include Daddy Nose Best, Guys Reward, Grand Arch, Keep Up, Skyring, and Villandry.