In her first nine starts, Lady Radler seemed a filly who needed the early lead to excel. Her four victories had come in front-running fashion.
Racing Sept. 23 under the lights in front of a crowd of 12,744 at Churchill Downs in the $299,750 Dogwood Stakes (G3), the 3-year-old Kantharos filly showed a new dimension by rating in fourth and exploding past the leaders. Given a seam between horses at the head of the lane by jockey Jesus Castanon, she blitzed the opposition, winning by 2 3/4 lengths going seven furlongs on a fast track in 1:22.71.
Metaphysical finished second over Yesternight , who weaved through the pack to grab third after surprisingly falling far off the pace to trail early.
Coming off an eighth-place finish in her last start in the Lady Erie Stakes at Presque Isle Downs—a race her trainer Mike Campbell said was a toss-out owing to her disliking the synthetic surface there—she slipped past much of the betting public, paying $48.40 to win.
Reaction From The Connections
- “Today she proved that she shouldn’t be underestimated,” Campbell said.
- “When I got to the quarter pole, I had so much horse that anytime I was able to pass them,” Castanon added.
Lady Radler, owned by Mellon Patch and bred by Stonestreet Thoroughbred Holdings out of the London News mare Sally Bowles , recorded her second stakes victory and first at the graded level.
Kantharos—sire of top-class sprinters like X Y Jet , World of Trouble , and Bucchero —stood the 2023 season for an advertised fee of $20,000 at Hill ‘n’ Dale Farms in Paris, Ky.
Video: Dogwood S. (G3)
Slip Mahoney wins the Bourbon Trail Stakes
Slip Mahoney Edges Big Data in Bourbon Trail
Slip Mahoney improved upon a narrow defeat in last month’s St. Louis Derby to take a dramatic running of the $300,000 Bourbon Trail Stakes in other Saturday evening stakes action beneath the Twin Spires.
Running for the colors of Gold Square, Slip Mahoney raced just off the early pace behind fractions of :23.63 and :48.04 in the 1 3/16-mile race before launching a wide move turning for home. Under steady encouragement from jockey Gerardo Corrales, the son of Arrogate wore down a stubborn Big Data by a neck.
- Big Data, the favorite in the field of six, was runner-up over Oscar Eclipse .
- Slip Mahoney ($6.76), trained by Brad Cox, was timed in 1:56.66 for the 1 3/16 miles on a fast track.
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Trace Messina, assistant trainer to Brad Cox: “We’re really proud of his effort tonight. He really fought hard the entire way down the lane and Gerardo (Corrales) really timed it well tonight. We knew a couple of horses may show some tactical speed in this race. It worked out well for us with this horse’s style.”
Video: Bourbon Trail S. (BT)
Everso Mischievous wins the Harrods Creek Stakes at Churchill Downs
EVERSO MISCHIEVOUS GIVES COX TWO STAKES ON NIGHT
Qatar Racing’s Everso Mischievous gave Cox back-to-back stakes winners by drawing away to a 3 1/4-length victory in the $300,000 Harrods Creek Stakes one race later.
- The 3-year-old son of Into Mischief improved to 3-2-0 in five starts with a winning time seven-furlong time of 1:22.15 after a pace-pressing trip under Cristian Torres. The Clearsky Farms-bred chestnut paid $4.38 to win.
- Bourbon Bash stalked the leaders and loomed a threat, but the winner had enough in reserve to power away. Bourbon Bash finished clear of Loyal Company , who edged Determinedly for the show.
- “The more you ask him, the more he gives you,” Torres said of the winner.
Video: Harrods Creek S. (BT)
Xigera wins the Seneca Overnight Stakes at Churchill Downs
XIGERA NOW A STAKES WINNER ON TURF AND DIRT
Already a stakes winner on the turf at Churchill in the Tepin Stakes, Xigera added another black-type contest to her resume—this time on the dirt—in the $171,750 Seneca Overnight Stakes.
The 3-year-old Nyquist filly is campaigned by Rigney Racing.
Tracking the pace under Julien Leparoux, Xigera let loose at the top of the lane and coasted home in a sharp final time of 1:41.92 for the 1 1/16 miles. She finished under wraps 6 1/4 lengths in front.
“She was super impressive tonight,” trainer Phil Bauer said of Xigera. “We’ve always been super confident with her in the mornings but to run like that is something special. With efforts like that you soak it up. Horse racing is hard. So we enjoy these moments. We knew the 3-year-old filly division was a little murky—especially on dirt. Once we brought her home we thought this would be a really good spot to get her back on dirt.”
She’s Lookin Lucky finished second while Taxed completed the trifecta.
Video: Seneca Overnight S. (BT)
