Search Results takes early lead to the wire in Locust Grove

Favored Search Results led at every call for a 3 1/4-length victory in the Grade 3, $400,000 Locust Grove Stakes for fillies and mares on Saturday evening at Churchill Downs.

Search Results ($5.74), with Tyler Gaffalione in the irons, went straight to the front in the field of nine. Despite the presence of Hidden Connection on her hip, she was able to post comfortable splits of 24.30 seconds for the opening quarter and 48.16 for the half on the fast main track. With those moderate fractions behind her, the fleet-footed runner had plenty in the tank when asked, and kicked clear in the stretch as she pleased.

“She ran a great race today,” Gaffalione said. “I just sort of inherited the lead and she settled really well. In the stretch when I asked her to quicken, I had a lot of horse beneath me.”

The final time was 1:42.40 for the 1 1/16 miles.

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Hidden Connection easily held second, 4 1/4 lengths clear of Misty Veil, with Grade 1 winner Pauline's Pearl back in fourth. They were followed, in order, by Le Da Vida, another Grade 1 winner in A Mo Reay, Falconet, Soul of an Angel, and Fannie and Freddie.

This was the fifth career graded stakes victory for Search Results, trained by Chad Brown for Klaravich Stable. She also won the Grade 1 Acorn Stakes and Grade 3 Gazelle Stakes as a 3-year-old in 2021, when she also finished second in the Kentucky Oaks; and won the Grade 2 Ruffian and Grade 3 Molly Pitcher last year. The latter, in July 2022, was her most recent win before Saturday, although she continued to compete well against top competition, with a trio of Grade 1 placings over the last year.

“We got Search Results in earlier this week from the New York string and she settled in well to her surroundings here,” said Josh Flores, who oversees Brown’s Kentucky string at Churchill Downs. “She’s very professional and ran a great race on the lead today. I’m not sure what will be next for her but we’re very proud of the way she ran today.”

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