Mr. Misunderstood Repeats in River City at Churchill

There is no confusing Mr. Misunderstood's affinity for the Churchill Downs turf course. The 5-year-old Archarcharch gelding improved his grass record at the Louisville, Ky., track to 5-for-6 in winning the $175,000 River City Handicap (G3T) Nov. 16, successfully defending his title.

Winless in four starts this year, Mr. Misunderstood was chilly on the odds board at 9-2 after being made the 5-2 morning-line favorite. But he proved his doubters wrong with a midpack rallying effort, splitting horses down the stretch and outrunning a tightly grouped pack to edge inside-bidding Cullum Road and wide-traveling favorite Admission Office.

Though he drifted in at the start, Mr. Misunderstood had a largely uneventful trip. Sixth as Get Western established splits of :50.22 and 1:15.48, he raced in the two to three path before angling four wide for the drive and out-kicking his nine foes down the lane. 

In prevailing by a neck over Cullum Road, Mr. Misunderstood raced 1 1/8 miles in 1:53.31 on a good turf course that produced slow times in chilly conditions. Tiring as the damp ground was, it didn't compare to last year's race, when he covered the distance in 1:55.94 on yielding ground. He paid $11.20 for Saturday's victory.

Though Mr. Misunderstood is at his best at Churchill, his record is stellar most everywhere. The win improved his record to 13-for-26.

"That's pretty unbelievable, you know, having a horse winning 50 percent of his races, especially most of them on turf," Geroux said. "Turf races are very hard to win. Sometimes there is a lot of luck and (difficult) trips. He always finds a way of making it happen." 

The $103,075 winner's share elevated his earnings to $916,954 for owner Staton Flurry's Flurry Racing Stables.

"He looks like he’s back to the old horse that he was,” Flurry said. “I think that was a question in everyone’s mind, but we’re thrilled with today’s win." 

The gelding's other major victories at Churchill were the 2018 Wise Dan Stakes (G2T), 2017 Commonwealth Turf Stakes (G3T), and 2017 Jefferson Cup Stakes. His lone defeat there on the grass came when he was third in a June 27 allowance in his first race of the year.

According to Churchill Downs publicity, only three horses have won five stakes races at Churchill Downs over the past 28 years: 2012-13 Horse of the Year Wise Dan, top sprinter Limousine Liberal, and Mr. Misunderstood.

Relatively fresh after a midyear start to his 2019 campaign, Mr. Misunderstood will race at Fair Grounds Racecourse & Slots in New Orleans for the winter and spring. Trainer Brad Cox mentioned the $300,000 Muniz Memorial Classic (G2T) Mar. 21 as a long-term goal.

Bred in Kentucky by Athens Woods out of the stakes-placed Afternoon Deelites mare Jodys Deelite, Mr. Misunderstood was a $130,000 purchase as a 2-year-old from the 2016 Ocala Breeders' Sales March 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale by his owner from the consignment of Woodford Thoroughbreds. That was his second sale after being acquired in 2015 by Woodford Sales for $47,000 from Eaton Sales' consignment at The July Sale, Fasig-Tipton's Kentucky yearling sale.