Sultry, Fight On win Spendthrift Farm juvenile stakes

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Sultry proved the winner of Sunday’s $200,000 Spendthrift Farm Juvenile Filly Stallion Stakes at Churchill Downs, though there was no mistaking the key role jockey Corey Lanerie played in the victory.

Despite breaking from the far-outside post in a field of eight, Lanerie was able to save ground with the late-running Sultry, sliding up the fence without ever getting stopped, and the filly did the rest, rallying past heavily favored Mia Mischief in the final sixteenth to win by 1 1/4 lengths.

“Sometimes you have to get that with a closer,” trainer Eddie Kenneally said of her clean journey. “Fortunately, Corey made all the right moves today.”

Also working in her favor was Mia Mischief drifting out at various stages of the race despite jockey Ricardo Santana’s repeated efforts to keep her on a straight course.

This race, as well as another division of the Spendthrift Juvenile Stallion Stakes for males, was restricted to horses sired by progeny from Spendthrift Farm sires, and it provided Sultry ($10.60) with her third win from five starts, and her first stakes victory.

A daughter of Malibu Moon owned by Joseph Sutton, she raced seven furlongs on a fast track in 1:24.51, 0.36 seconds faster than the time posted by the boys in the male division, run about an hour earlier.

Mia Mischief finished well clear in second, six lengths in front of Aerial Assets, in what was essentially a two-filly race.

• In a race that turned into a slugfest, it was fitting that a colt named Fight On took the male division of the $200,000 Spendthrift Juvenile Stallion Stakes, in which five horses finished within a half-length at the wire.

The winner was well positioned throughout under Ricardo Santana Jr., pressing a slow pace as favored Ezmosh carved out slow splits of 23.12 seconds and 46.74. And when that rival caved in at the top of the lane, Fight On surged ahead and had just enough to last for a narrow victory. He raced seven furlongs in 1:24.87, paying $12.20.

A son of Into Mischief, he recorded the first victory of his career, following a debut fourth at Ellis Park and runner-up finishes at Ellis and Churchill Downs in September.

“He’s getting better with racing…very proud of his win today,” said trainer Steve Asmussen.

Spendthrift Farm was the winning owner, taking a race it sponsored.

Captivating Moon finished second, a neck in front of Dream Baby Dream in third. Fourth-place O’Malley’s March and slow-starting fifth-place finisher John Tippman completed the cluster of runners closely behind the winner.