Soft turf creates interesting dynamic in Mrs. Revere

The rain that fell Tuesday at Churchill Downs was good news for the connections of Neecie Marie and Watch This Birdie, but not so much for Heavenly Sunday and the Churchill turf course itself.

Churchill hasn’t used its turf course – called slippery by some, merely soft by others – since the River City on Nov. 11. Few expect overnight races to remain on grass this week, but Churchill hopes to run three grass stakes during closing week, including the Grade 2, $300,000 Mrs. Revere on Friday.

The Mrs. Revere, carded for 1 1/16 miles, drew a dozen 3-year-old fillies, with Heavenly Sunday the tepid 7-2 morning line favorite. Heavenly Sunday drew post 12, which isn’t great, but course conditions could be the more serious concern.

“I’m not certain she likes much give in the ground,” said Brad Cox, who trains Heavenly Sunday for Miacomet Farm.

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Heavenly Sunday exits a good second-place finish in the Valley View at Keeneland, a performance that puts her in the thick of Mrs. Revere contention. She’s raced competitively on courses in Kentucky that were termed “good,” but the ground on both occasions tended toward firm more than soft. At Saratoga this summer, where a course labeled “good” was closer to soft, Heavenly Sunday didn’t fire. Heavenly Sunday, regardless of where she finishes, will be part of the pace under Florent Geroux.

Neecie Marie shipped earlier this week from Parx Racing for trainer Butch Reid, whose wife, Virginia, told Reid on Wednesday that the filly had traveled well and settled in nicely. Neecie Marie would be right at home on a wet, laboring course.

“She wouldn’t mind at all if it was a little soft,” Reid said.

It was more than a little soft Oct. 14 at Aqueduct, where Neecie Marie finished a fine second behind the favored Godolphin filly, Eternal Hope, in the Grade 2 Sands Point. Prior to the Sands Point, Neecie Marie won a Pennsylvania-bred grass stakes at Parx and was second, beaten a neck by Eternal Hope, in the Grade 3 Jockey Club Oaks Invitational. That’s a far cry from a horse who finished fifth facing $25,000 maiden-claimers sprinting on dirt in her career debut.

“The guy who had her on the farm said she went like a different horse on the turf, and he was right,” Reid said.

Watch This Birdie has come steadily forward through the summer and fall, winning a first-level Churchill turf allowance in September and an age-restricted second-level allowance on Nov. 1 when the Churchill course was wet.

“She likes the soft ground and I think she’s still improving,” said trainer Ignacio Correas. “The race is spicy no matter what.”

Cha Cha Tap, who ships from Maryland, is listed at 30-1 on the line but has a much stronger chance than that. Bling has the requisite ability but would struggle to see out this trip on firmer footing and is likely to tire over laboring going. Make the Boys Wink was privately purchased and turned over to trainer Robbie Medina since beating older horses in a Churchill first-level turf allowance on Nov. 5. Safeen appears to have gone past her best form, and Callie’s Grit must deal with Heavenly Sunday on the lead.

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