Sally’s Curlin Carries Win Streak Into Falls City

With three straight wins including her first stakes victory in the Nov. 2 Chilukki Stakes (G3) at Churchill Downs, Sally's Curlin will try to extend that victory streak in the $300,000 Falls City Stakes (G2) Nov. 28 at the Louisville track.

Campaigned by CJ Thoroughbreds, Left Turn Racing, and Casner Racing, Sally's Curlin has found her best stride since trainer Dale Romans added blinkers five starts back. In her first start with blinkers, the 3-year-old daughter of Curlin  earned a 4 1/4-length victory in a one-mile maiden race at Churchill. After an off-the-board finish in the Indiana Oaks (G3), Sally's Curlin posted easy allowance wins at Ellis Park and Churchill before rallying from last of six to win the Chilukki.

All of her victories have come at a mile, though as a daughter of Curlin, she is bred for the longer trip.

"She's only a 3-year-old, so time should only make her better," said Romans, a two-time winner in this race with victories from Halory Leigh (2004) and Afleeting Lady (2012).

Corey Lanerie, who entered the final week of the Churchill Downs fall meet with a 28-22 advantage over Tyler Gaffalione in the jockey standings, has the mount, as he did in the Chilukki.

Video: Chilukki S. (G3)

Sally's Curlin isn't the only runner entered off a graded stakes win at Churchill. Jay Em Ess Stable's Go Google Yourself will make her first start since a narrow victory in the Sept. 14 Locust Grove Stakes (G3). That neck victory marked a second straight stakes win for the 4-year-old daughter of Into Mischief , after she posted a clear victory in the Aug. 11 Groupie Doll Stakes presented by Field and Main Bank at Ellis.

Video: Locust Grove S. (G3)

"(Jockey) Brian (Hernandez Jr.) mentioned that they weren't going to get by her in the Locust Grove if they had gone around again. So I liked hearing that," trainer Paul McGee said.

Like Sally's Curlin, Ratajkowski enters Thursday's 1 1/8-mile race for fillies and mares on a three-race win streak, including a narrow victory in the Oct. 19 Empire Distaff Handicap against other New York-bred fillies and mares at Belmont Park. The Falls City will mark her graded stakes debut.

Trained by Brian Lynch, the 5-year-old daughter of Drosselmeyer has won four of six starts—all in races for New York-breds—and has never finished off the board. 

The Chilukki saw daughters of Curlin finish first and second. The runner-up from that race, Sather Family homebred Mylady Curlin, also is entered in the Falls City. Before the Chilukki, she finished third in the Locust Grove behind Go Google Yourself and Brad Cox stablemate Moonlit Garden—also entered Thursday.

The third-place Locust Grove finish ended a five-race win streak for Mylady Curlin, a stretch that saw her win three stakes including the Allaire DuPont Distaff Stakes (G3) May 17 at Pimlico Race Course.

Jerry Marks Stables' Moonlit Garden will try for her first graded stakes win when she starts from the rail under Florent Geroux. The daughter of Malibu Moon  has placed in four graded stakes this season, most recently third in the Turnback the Alarm Handicap (G3) Nov. 2 at Aqueduct Racetrack. 

Rounding out the expected field of nine is Grandaria, who won an allowance-level race at Keeneland in October; stakes-placed Vevina; Over Thinking, who moves from turf to dirt; and Princess Causeway, who rallied from fifth to win an allowance level race Nov. 9 at Churchill.

Entries: Falls City H. (G2)

Churchill Downs, Thursday, November 28, 2019, Race 9

• Grade II
• 1 1/8m
• Dirt
• $300,000
• 3 yo's & up Fillies and Mares
• 3:24 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	1Moonlit Garden (KY)	Florent Geroux	121	Brad H. Cox	10/1
2	2Grandaria (KY)	Ricardo Santana, Jr.	118	Brendan P. Walsh	20/1
3	3Mylady Curlin (KY)	Tyler Gaffalione	121	Brad H. Cox	7/2
4	4Vevina (KY)	Martin Garcia	121	Philip D'Amato	15/1
5	5Over Thinking (KY)	Jon Kenton Court	121	Victoria H. Oliver	20/1
6	6Sally's Curlin (KY)	Corey J. Lanerie	118	Dale L. Romans	3/1
7	7Princess Causeway (KY)	Chris Landeros	118	Ian R. Wilkes	10/1
8	8Ratajkowski (NY)	Julien R. Leparoux	121	Brian A. Lynch	7/2
9	9Go Google Yourself (KY)	Brian Joseph Hernandez, Jr.	121	Paul J. McGee	3/1