Gargan, Divine Miss Grey ready to feast on Falls City Handicap
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LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Danny Gargan can’t remember a Thanksgiving without the racetrack.
“I might’ve missed once or twice, I don’t know,” said Gargan, 47. “We’d go to Fair Grounds when I was a little kid, then Churchill Downs as I got older. But yeah, every year on Thanksgiving you can find me at the track.”
Thanksgiving 2018 should be a particularly memorable one for Gargan, given that he is the trainer of heavily favored Divine Miss Grey in the featured Falls City Handicap at Churchill. Gargan spent most of his formative years just a couple of miles from the twin spires, and although he has branched out in recent years while overseeing a stable of increasing prominence in New York and Florida, he will always call Louisville home.
“I’m coming in Tuesday and leaving Friday,” he said last weekend. “I’m hoping it’s a happy homecoming.”
Divine Miss Grey, with Tyler Gaffalione to ride, will carry high weight of 122 pounds when she breaks from post 1 in a field of eight fillies and mares in the Grade 2, $200,000 Falls City, the 11th of 12 Thursday races. First post is 11:30 a.m. Eastern, with the Falls City going at 4:22.
Divine Miss Grey gave Gargan just the second graded victory of his career when she dominated the Grade 2 Chilukki, a one-mile race that ended the Nov. 3 Breeders’ Cup card at Churchill. Returning in 19 days “is pretty quick,” Gargan said.
“When an opportunity like this comes up, you’ve got to take it,” he said. “It sure looks like we’re in a good spot. You never know how they’re going to run, but I sure do like how she’s doing.”
Divine Miss Grey went back to New York after the Chilukki, then returned here by van overnight Sunday into Monday. She will be stretching back out to two turns in the 1 1/8-mile Falls City.
“She’s pretty versatile and all class,” Gargan said.
Claimed by Lucas Stritsman of Corms Racing for a mere $16,000 in a seven-way shake in March 2017 at Gulfstream Park, Divine Miss Grey has gone on to win nine of 16 starts since being turned over shortly thereafter to Gargan. Randy Hill has since bought in as an ownership partner.
Divine Miss Grey, a chestnut 4-year-old filly by Divine Park – best known as sire of Lady Eli – figures prominently from the opening bell, with only longshot Honor Ride (post 7, Corey Lanerie) and maybe Skeptic (post 4, Brian Hernandez Jr.) seemingly capable of posing an early challenge.
Potential late spoilers include Mannerly (post 2, Julien Leparoux), a sharp allowance winner here last fall; Dutch Parrot (post 3, Ricardo Santana Jr.), winner of the opening race on Breeders’ Cup Friday nearly three weeks ago; and Red Dane (post 8, Edgar Morales), who suddenly came alive when going turf to dirt last month at Keeneland for Charlie LoPresti of Wise Dan fame.
Rounding out the lineup are Dreamcall (post 5, Robby Albarado) and Prado’s Sweet Ride (post 6, Florent Geroux).
The Falls City and Grade 3 Cardinal Handicap (race 9) lead off the final group of graded stakes at this 21-day fall meet. They’ll be followed Friday by the Grade 1 Clark and Grade 2 Mrs. Revere, then the Grade 2 Kentucky Jockey Club and Grade 2 Golden Rod on a Stars of Tomorrow all-2-year-old card on Saturday. Closing day is Sunday.