Late English Channel’s Filly Scores at Kentucky Downs

This column highlights the performance of unraced colts that have not raced more than five times and sold for more than $500,000 at public auction, have a sibling that is a graded/group winner, or have dams that are graded/group winners. BloodHorse research shows that unraced colts that meet these criteria are more likely to go on to become graded tournament winners.

Kentucky Downs

One of 37 foals born from the last litter of the great English Channel racehorse, Exactly paid tribute to his late father on September 1 with a convincing victory in the hills Kentucky Downs. This promising 2-year-old mare is owned and bred by Calumet Farm, where English Channel lived before her sudden death in 2021.

Correto’s pedigree, a proven formula exemplified by the exploits of her multi-winning sibling Spooky Channel, combines two of the most prolific stallions in North America over the past 20 years. Her dam, Spooky Kitten, is a daughter of six-time top-ranked stallion Kitten’s Joy.

Spooky Kitten, a two-time winner of the Canadian Classic for Ken and Sarah Ramsey, has produced four winners, led by Spooky Channel. The rags-to-riches gelding sold for just $10,000 as a foal at the Fasig-Tipton Kentucky Fall Sale and broke his own record at $30,000 at Turf Paradise. Persistent over the years, Spooky Channel worked his way into graded stakes company in his 5-year-old season, winning the 2020 WL McKnight Stakes (G3T) at Gulfstream Park. A two-round specialist on the turf, he would add four more wins to his resume over the next two years, highlighted by a victory in the 2023 Muniz Memorial Classic Stakes (G2T) at Horse Racing Tracks & Slots Fair GroundsSpooky Channel retired to Old Friends Farm in Kentucky later that year with a final bank balance of $1,380,142.

Graham Motion of Fair Hill has been appointed Correto’s trainer. Motion, unfazed by the long train or the challenging European-style turf course, will be making his debut against 11 other 2-year-old mares in a special seven-furlong colt class. Correto, the spitting image of her successful older sister with her pale face and fiery red coat, will not disappoint Motion on her debut.

Following the two leaders down the straight under the control of jockey Jorge Ruiz, the mare handled the steep inclines and tricky turns of the Franklin, Ky., track with ease and accelerated strongly up the steep climb to the finish. Correto broke away by 1 3/4 lengths and stopped the clock in 1:23.24.

#10 CORRETO ($12.84) races down Bembridge Ledge to win his second race at @KYDownsRacing.

Two-year-old English Channel mare breaks her own record with trainer @GrahamMotion and owner @CalumetFarm with @jorgeruizjockey on the saddle photo.twitter.com/LRpOyvidMw

— FanDuel Racing (@FanDuel_Racing) September 1, 2024