Mr. Misunderstood Goes for River City Repeat

Flurry Racing Stables' Mr. Misunderstood, winner of the River City Handicap (G3T) on Churchill Downs' turf a year ago, defends his title in the $175,000 feature Nov. 16, facing nine others in the 1 1/8-mile grass event. 

The 5-year-old Archarcharch gelding has gone off as the favorite in five consecutive races dating to the 2018 River City but is looking for his first win of 2019. The Brad Cox trainee has been on the board in three of four races this year, including the Sept. 29 Remington Green Stakes at Remington Park in which he rallied from 10th and missed Space Mountain, who also burst from the back of the field, by half a length.

Mr. Misunderstood also picked up major Churchill victories in the 2018 Wise Dan Stakes (G2T) and the 2017 Commonwealth Turf Stakes (G3T) and Jefferson Cup Stakes. He is 4-for-5 on the Churchill Downs turf course, finishing third in a June 27 allowance.

Space Mountain is one of three Mike Maker entries in the River City. Owned by Hooties Racing and Michael Hui, Space Mountain was a $62,500 claim at Gulfstream Park in February. The Remington Green was his first stakes win, and he was eighth in the Oct. 17 Sycamore Stakes (G3T) at Keeneland in his most recent start. Maker also entered grade 3-placed Cullum Road and last-out allowance winner Bemma's Boy.

Admission Office, an Amerman Racing Stables homebred trained by Brian Lynch, has placed in multiple graded events but is still in search of a black-type victory. The 4-year-old Point of Entry  colt hit the board in both the May 18 Dixie Stakes (G2T) at Pimlico Race Course and the June 15 Wise Dan Stakes. He receives class relief after running 11th in the Oct. 5 Shadwell Turf Mile Stakes (G1T) at Keeneland.

Also looking to break through is English stakes winner Emmaus, who was second in the June 1 Connaught Cup Stakes (G2T) at Woodbine—beaten a neck by eventual Ricoh Woodbine Mile Stakes (G1T) winner El Tormenta—and won a Keeneland allowance in his most recent start.

Ward Pitfield's Get Western, who defeated Cullum Road and Space Mountain to win the restricted Old Friends Stakes Sept. 5 at Kentucky Downs two starts ago, is the one to catch in the River City.

Blue Sky Kowboy, My Bariley, and Lascaux complete the field.

Entries: River City H. (G3T)

Churchill Downs, Saturday, November 16, 2019, Race 10

• Grade IIIT
• 1 1/8m
• Turf
• $175,000
• 3 yo's & up
• 5:36 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	1Cullum Road (KY)	Tyler Gaffalione	121	Michael J. Maker	10/1
2	2Emmaus (IRE)	Channing Hill	121	Conor Murphy	5/1
3	3Blue Sky Kowboy (IL)	Sophie Doyle	121	Michele Boyce	20/1
4	4Mr. Misunderstood (KY)	Florent Geroux	121	Brad H. Cox	5/2
5	5My Bariley (KY)	Santo Sanjur	121	Anthony J. Granitz	30/1
6	6Space Mountain (KY)	Ricardo Santana, Jr.	121	Michael J. Maker	5/1
7	7Bemma's Boy (KY)	Julien R. Leparoux	121	Michael J. Maker	15/1
8	8Get Western (KY)	Brian Joseph Hernandez, Jr.	121	Charles Lopresti	5/1
9	9Admission Office (KY)	Jose L. Ortiz	121	Brian A. Lynch	3/1
10	10Lascaux (KY)	Joseph Rocco, Jr.	121	Jose Fernandez	20/1