Sharing Set for Stateside Return in Edgewood

Seven 3-year-old fillies will take aim at Breeders' Cup heroine Sharing in the $300,000 Edgewood Stakes Presented by Forcht Bank (G2T) Sept. 4 at Churchill Downs, but the Speightstown  filly is coming into the mile turf event with strong form to back up her 6-5 morning-line odds.

Having captured the Selima Stakes and the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (G1T) to end her juvenile season, Sharing returned May 23 to win the Tepin Stakes over the same course and distance as the Edgewood. The chestnut filly owned by Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners and Gainesway Stable then traveled to the Royal Ascot meeting, where she ran second to Alpine Star in the June 20 Coronation Stakes (G1).

Trainer Graham Motion said Sharing is doing "super" ahead of Friday's race. The filly was originally pointed to make her stateside reappearance in the Aug. 22 Del Mar Oaks (G1T), but a foot issue she's dealt with on and off came up after her return from England. 

"That's what delayed her a little bit getting into more serious work, and eventually we decided just to push back to this race instead of running at Del Mar, which would have meant we were quite under pressure to get there," Motion explained. "Since we decided to point toward the Edgewood, she's had an ideal preparation. Things have gone without a hitch."

Manny Franco, who has ridden Sharing in each of her races outside Ascot, will be back aboard from post 3. Franco will ride Hopeful Growth later on Friday in the Longines Kentucky Oaks (G1) and is also in town to ride Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve (G1) 3-5 morning-line favorite Tiz the Law Saturday.

"That's another reason we decided to point toward the Edgewood because we knew Manny would be able to ride her, which was an important factor for us," Motion said. "Working with Aron (Wellman of Eclipse) and Antony (Beck of Gainesway) to choose these races, I like to think we've done right by her all throughout her career, even just getting to the Breeders' Cup. Manny's a huge part of this filly. He's got a lot of confidence in her. It's exciting that Manny's in the spotlight this week for all these races; it's well deserved. He's a top rider."

Should the Edgewood go well, Sharing could then point to the Oct. 10 Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup Presented by Dixiana Farm (G1T) at Keeneland.

"We'd love to get to the QEII like anyone would with a 3-year-old (turf) filly at this time of year, so that would be certainly a goal if things went well," Motion said. "And the timing of this race works out for that race."

In Good Spirits, Walk In Marrakesh, and Outburst—fourth, seventh, and 11th in the Tepin, respectively—will meet Sharing again in the Edgewood. In Good Spirits finished third in the Regret Stakes (G3T) last out at Churchill and Walk In Marrakesh came back to run second beaten a nose in the Appalachian Stakes Presented by Japan Racing Association (G2T) at Keeneland. 

Stonestreet Stables' homebred Hendy Woods will make the step back up to graded company after rallying to take the Indiana Grand Stakes Aug. 12 over yielding turf. The Uncle Mo  filly's only loss in four starts came when she was seventh in the 1 1/8-mile Regret. All three of her wins have been at a mile.

Indiana Grand Stakes second Pranked, last out allowance winner Lucky Betty, and Mariafoot complete the lineup.

Entries: Edgewood S. presented by Forcht Bank (G2T)

Churchill Downs, Friday, September 04, 2020, Race 9

• Grade IIT
• 1m
• Turf
• $300,000
• 3 yo Fillies
• 3:40 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	1In Good Spirits (KY)	Miguel Mena	118	Albert M. Stall, Jr.	5/1
2	2Hendy Woods (KY)	John R. Velazquez	118	Mark E. Casse	4/1
3	3Sharing (MD)	Manuel Franco	123	H. Graham Motion	6/5
4	4Lucky Betty (KY)	Declan Cannon	118	William B. VanMeter	20/1
5	5Outburst (GB)	Tyler Gaffalione	120	Eddie Kenneally	8/1
6	6Pranked (KY)	James Graham	118	Thomas M. Amoss	8/1
7	7Mariafoot (FR)	Florent Geroux	118	Cherie DeVaux	20/1
8	8Walk In Marrakesh (IRE)	Javier Castellano	118	Ignacio Correas, IV	6/1