Don't Tell Sophia tops 10 entered for Falls City
RACE REPLAY IS NOT AVAILABLE
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Don’t Tell Sophia was assigned post 7 as the 125-pound highweight and solid favorite when entries were drawn Sunday for the Grade 2, $200,000 Falls City Handicap, the first of four graded stakes on closing weekend of the Churchill Downs fall meet.
The 1 1/8-mile Falls City, to be run Thursday, drew a field of 10 fillies and mares, with Molly Morgan, Strut the Course, and Flashy American the top threats to Don’t Tell Sophia, a stretch-running 6-year-old mare coming off a runner-up finish to Untapable in the Oct. 31 Breeders’ Cup Distaff.
Phil Sims closely monitored the health and training of Don’t Tell Sophia before ultimately deciding to van her from his Keeneland home base to Churchill for a half-mile breeze Saturday morning in 49.60 seconds over a fast track. Sims did not fully commit his stable star afterward, but when entries were taken Sunday, she was in the entry box.
From the rail, and with weights and jockeys, this is the field for the 99th Falls City:
Mufajaah, 114 pounds, Shaun Bridgmohan; Imposing Grace, 114, Channing Hill; Strut the Course, 119, Robby Albarado; Endless Chatter, 117, Jesus Castanon; Flashy American, 118, Chris Landeros; Molly Morgan, 122, Corey Lanerie; Don’t Tell Sophia, 125, Joe Rocco Jr.; Teen Pauline, 118, Julien Leparoux; Frivolous, 117, Jon Court; and Tiz Windy, 117, Brian Hernandez Jr.
The Falls City is carded as the 11th of 12 Thursday races. Special first post for the Thanksgiving holiday is 11:30 a.m. Eastern, with the Falls City going at 4:22 and the 12th race at 4:52.
Post time for the last three days of the meet (Friday-Sunday) is the regular 12:40 p.m.
The other stakes this week are the Grade 1 Clark Handicap on Friday and the twin stakes for 2-year-olds, the Grade 2 Kentucky Jockey Club and Grade 2 Golden Rod, on Saturday. Closing day is Sunday, Nov. 30, with Turfway Park starting its holiday meet Dec. 4.