Mr. Misunderstood ends skid with River City repeat

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Getting a savvy ride from Florent Geroux, Mr. Misunderstood broke a year-long losing streak Saturday when capturing the Grade 3 River City for the second straight year.

“To get him back on course and back to his winning ways is a big weight off our shoulders,” winning owner Staton Flurry said after Mr. Misunderstood outran nine other older horses in the 42nd running of the $175,000 River City over the Churchill Downs turf.

Trained by Brad Cox, Mr. Misunderstood had gone winless in four 2019 starts after winning the River City here last November. Racing in midpack for much of the 1 1/8-mile trip, the 5-year-old gelding split rivals at the furlong grounds before outfinishing two other closers, Cullum Road and favored Admission Office, in a four-way photo that also included Bemma’s Boy in fourth. The first three margins all were a neck.

Mr. Misunderstood, a Kentucky-bred by Archarcharch, returned $11.20 as second choice after finishing in 1:53.31 over a course that was rated good and leaned to yielding. He now has won 12 of his 21 turf starts and earned $916,954.

“He’s a horse that wants to win and knows how to win,” said Geroux. “He loves the Churchill course, for sure.”

“We thought he was going to give us his ‘A’ effort, and he did,” said Cox. “We hit a bump in the road with him early this year and it cost us some time with him. It looks like he’s back to himself and we’re really happy about that.”

Cox said Mr. Misunderstood will winter at Fair Grounds, with the Grade 2 Mervin Muniz in late March the likely long-term goal.

Run under the lights amid chilly but dry conditions, Get Western led as expected through splits of 24.90 seconds, 50.22, and 1:15.48 before the rest came calling. While Admission Office, the 13-10 choice under Jose Ortiz, was floated widest of all after racing in tandem with Mr. Misunderstood for much of the way, Geroux angled his mount inside of Bemma’s Boy while Cullum Road also found room near the hedge. It was a scramble in the final 40 yards, with Mr. Misunderstood narrowly best.

Mr. Misunderstood carried 121 pounds, as did they all. This was the first time the River City was run under allowance conditions following 41 years as a handicap. Churchill has eliminated handicap conditions for all its stakes, including the Grade 1 Clark, which will be run for the 145th time on Nov. 29.

The $2 exacta (4-1) paid $88, the $1 trifecta (4-1-9) returned $138.60, and the 10-cent superfecta (4-1-9-7) was worth $94.57.

For Geroux, the River City culminated what has been a successful week since he returned to action last Saturday (Nov. 9) following nearly a month off forced by a broken sternum sustained in an Oct. 13 training spill at Keeneland. Geroux has won with 5 of 13 mounts since returning, with one of his wins coming Saturday with the Cox-trained Mr. Monomoy, a 2-year-old half-brother to 2018 Kentucky Oaks winner Monomoy Girl.

► The River City (race 10) was part of a late pick five (races 7-11) that drew $792,711 in new bets, spurred by an $85,299 carryover from Friday. Winning 50-cent tickets returned $3,821 apiece.