Coppelia grabs first stakes victory with Dream Supreme

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – A trio of stakes with maximum purses of $300,000 capped a busy race week Sunday at Churchill Downs, where Coppelia and Bango accounted for twin sprint stakes and Hozier captured a scratch-laden renewal of the off-the-turf River City.

All 10 Sunday races were run over a fast main track and amid temperatures just above freezing.

$300,000 Dream Supreme

Always in a forward spot under Martin Garcia, Coppelia notched her first stakes victory when pulling away from Joyful Cadence in the final furlong of the Dream Supreme. The winner returned $6.90 as third choice in a field of six fillies and mares after finishing the six-furlong distance in 1:09.90.

Phil Bauer is the trainer of Coppelia for his private clients, Richard and Tammy Rigney. The 4-year-old Not This Time filly has shown dramatic improvement in recent months and was coming off a dominating allowance score last month at Keeneland.

:: DRF Bets members get FREE DRF Past Performances - Formulator or Classic. Join now!

“Maybe maturity is why she’s finally started putting it all together,” Bauer said. “She’s always shown brilliance in the morning, and now it’s coming through. We’re pretty excited.”

Joyful Cadence, the lukewarm 2-1 favorite, was 2 3/4 lengths behind the winner and another 5 1/2 lengths before Sconsin, who loomed into contention at the quarter-pole before settling for third. Sconsin, a 5-year-old Lloyd Madison Farms homebred mare with 21 starts, tipped past the $1 million earnings mark Sunday and most likely will be retired to be bred in early 2023 to Gun Runner, according to trainer Greg Foley.

$299,750 Bet On Sunshine

Bango padded his already remarkable record at Churchill when getting a patient ride from leading jockey Tyler Gaffalione in rallying to win the six-furlong Bet On Sunshine in 1:10.

Saving ground through the turn before angling out in midstretch, Bango wore down front-running Sibelius to win by three-quarters of a length, with Top Gunner another 1 1/2 lengths back in third. Bango returned $5.06 as favorite in a field of nine.

An objection against the winner by the rider of fifth-finisher Surveillance for alleged interference was quickly dismissed.

Bango, a 5-year-old Congrats horse trained by Foley for owner-breeder Tamaroak Partners, now has won nine of 16 starts at Churchill, with the vast majority of his $947,715 bankroll being earned here. “I might have to put him up for the winter just to get him ready to run here in the spring,” a tickled Foley said.

The race underwent a dramatic change just before post time when Miles Ahead, co-favored at 2-1 with Bango at the time, was ordered scratched by the stewards on advice of the state veterinarian.

$292,500 River City

The lingering effects of a Saturday snowstorm gave Churchill officials no choice but to move the 43rd River City to the main track, leading to the predictable slew of scratches. An original lineup of 14 older horses was cut in half by the time the 1 1/8-mile race was run under the lights as the 10th and final race.

Hozier clearly was the controlling speed on paper – and on the track. Perfectly rated by Julien Leparoux after breaking from post 1, the 4-year-old Pioneerof the Nile gelding casually shrugged off 14-1 shot Starting Over at the top of the stretch before strolling home a 3 1/2-length winner. He paid $11.90 after finishing in 1:51.67.

Starting Over held second, with In Love third and Militartist a no-threat sixth as a surprise 6-5 favorite.

Rudy Brisset trains Hozier for Storyteller Racing. Hozier had been trained for his first five starts by Bob Baffert, with a runner-up finish in the Rebel Stakes in March 2021 being his most noteworthy feat, before being transferred to Brisset.

The River City is a longstanding Grade 3 race, although that rating comes under automatic review by the American Graded Stakes Committee in the case of a surface switch.

Only one turf race has been run so far at a 19-day fall meet that began Oct. 30. Three of eight Claiming Crown events scheduled for turf Saturday were moved to the main track. The next turf race is carded for Friday.

:: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.