Envoutante outruns her elders to win Falls City
RACE REPLAY IS NOT AVAILABLE
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Even with his top 3-year-old filly standing in the barn, Kenny McPeek was the winning trainer Thursday in the Falls City at Churchill Downs.
Envoutante, always prominent under Brian Hernandez Jr., took her turn in the divisional spotlight with a dominant six-length romp in the 105th running of the Grade 2, $200,000 Falls City, the annual Thanksgiving Day feature at Churchill.
“We’ve had a good year with Swiss Skydiver,” said McPeek, referring to his stable star, who is likely to be the 2020 Eclipse Award winner for top 3-year-old filly. “But this filly isn’t chopped liver. She’s a special filly in her own right.”
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Always on the pace and saving ground after breaking alertly from post 1 in the 1 1/8-mile Falls City, Envoutante shook off Our Super Freak and Market Rumor leaving the quarter pole before putting a safe distance between herself and the eventual runner-up, Bonny South, the 4-5 favorite in a field of eight fillies and mares. Another Broad was another 3 1/2 lengths back in third.
Envoutante, owned by Three Chimneys Farm and Walking L Thoroughbreds, returned $7.20 after finishing in 1:49.11 over a fast track.
Envoutante became the first 3-year-old to win the Falls City since Ahh Chocolate in 2015. A Kentucky-bred daughter of Uncle Mo, Envoutante was coming off an easy score in the Grade 3 Remington Park Oaks in late September and now has won four of nine starts.
Envoutante, like Swiss Skydiver and other top McPeek runners, will soon head to his Summerfield Farm in central Florida for a brief rest before gearing up for a 2021 campaign.
“I feel like next year is going to a really good one for her,” said McPeek.
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The $2 exacta (1-3) paid $14.40, the $1 trifecta (1-3-2) returned $55.70, and the 10-cent superfecta (1-3-2-5) was worth $18.04.
* One race earlier, Bango was prominent for all six furlongs of a $94,365 third-level allowance, winning the race over Strike Power. Gabriel Saez was aboard for trainer Greg Foley. Bango was the only 3-year-old in a full field of 12. The winning time was 1:09.07 and Bango paid $24.40 to win.