Stakes-Winning Sweet Dani Girl Leads Fern Creek

Joining the Kentucky Jockey Club (G2) and Golden Rod Stakes (G2) on the stakes slate Nov. 27 at Churchill Downs are a pair of new $200,000 races for juvenile sprinters, the Lively Shively Stakes and Fern Creek Stakes, both at 6 1/2 furlongs.

The Fern Creek, for 2-year-old fillies, seemingly drew the more competitive field, headed by J and J Stables and Nicholas Vaccarezza's undefeated $150,000 Myrtlewood Stakes winner Sweet Dani Girl . The race is the finale on a 12-race program at 6:24 p.m. ET.

Sweet Dani Girl defeated the Golden Rod entrant Famed on debut at odds of 45-1. Trained by Carlo Vaccarezza, Sweet Dani Girl rallied to a three-quarters of a length victory in the Myrtlewood under jockey Martin Garcia. The 2-year-old daughter of Jess's Dream   drew post 8 for the Fern Creek and will be ridden once again by Garcia. 

Randy Patterson's $125,000 Runhappy Ellis Park Debutante heroine Verylittlecents  will once again face Sweet Dani Girl in the Fern Creek after the duo battled in the Myrtlewood in their last start. Verylittlecents dueled on the lead in the six-furlong Myrtlewood but gave way to a third-place effort under jockey Joe Talamo. Trained by Randy Morse, Verylittlecents will have Talamo in the saddle again from post 4.

Also entered is class-dropping Matareya , who chased the pace in the Darley Alcibiades Stakes (G1) at Keeneland last month before yielding to fifth. Brad Cox trains and Joel Rosario rides the Godolphin homebred daughter of Pioneerof the Nile .

The Lively Shively, headed by Tom Durant's last-out winner Tejano Twist , goes a few races before the Fern Creek as the ninth race.

The Bret Calhoun trainee has made seven starts so far in 2021 and sports a pair of runner-up finishes in the $100,000 Exacta Systems Rosie's Stakes at Colonial Downs and $75,000 Kip Deville at Remington Park. Joe Rocco Jr. will ride the Practical Joke   gelding.

Among the challengers to Tejano Twist in the Lively Shively is Holy Cow Stable's five-length maiden winner Ignitis . Trained by four-time Kentucky Derby winner and Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas, Ignitis finished third two starts ago to future $500,000 Claiborne Breeders' Futurity (GI) winner Rattle N Roll . Ignitis will be ridden by Rafael Bejarano.

Steve Asmussen-trained stablemates Cool Papa G  and Chattalot  are other Lively Shively threats. The former, owned by Rockingham Ranch and Supreme Racing, ran third behind Tejano Twist most recently in an allowance optional claiming race at Keeneland, while the latter, who races for Bloom Racing Stable and David A. Bernsen, was a distant show finisher in the Bowman Mill Stakes last month at Keeneland. Both juveniles previously won races at Churchill Downs.

Joel Rosario rides Cool Papa G, while Florent Geroux is aboard Chattalot.

Entries: Lively Shively S.

Churchill Downs, Saturday, November 27, 2021, Race 9

• STK
• 6 1/2f
• Dirt
• $200,000
• 2 yo
• 4:57 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	1Charter Oak (KY)	Julien R. Leparoux	122	David R. Vance	15/1
2	2Cool Papa G (KY)	Joel Rosario	122	Steven M. Asmussen	5/1
3	3Chattalot (KY)	Florent Geroux	122	Steven M. Asmussen	7/2
4	4Ready to March (KY)	Albin Jimenez	122	James K. Chapman	20/1
5	5Tejano Twist (KY)	Joseph Rocco, Jr.	122	W. Bret Calhoun	7/5
6	6Ignitis (KY)	Rafael Bejarano	122	D. Wayne Lukas	8/1
7	7Barber Road (KY)	Tyler Gaffalione	122	John Alexander Ortiz	8/1
8	8Hoist the Gold (KY)	Brian Joseph Hernandez, Jr.	122	Dallas Stewart	5/1

Entries: Fern Creek S.

Churchill Downs, Saturday, November 27, 2021, Race 12

• STK
• 6 1/2f
• Dirt
• $200,000
• 2 yo Fillies
• 6:24 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	1Golden Sights (KY)	Florent Geroux	122	Brad H. Cox	10/1
2	2Matareya (KY)	Joel Rosario	122	Brad H. Cox	7/2
3	3Bali Del Sol (KY)	Brian Joseph Hernandez, Jr.	122	George R. Arnold, II	12/1
4	4Verylittlecents (KY)	Joseph Talamo	122	Randy L. Morse	7/2
5	5Knowing Glance (AB)	Tyler Gaffalione	122	Michael J. Maker	8/1
6	6Marissa's Lady (KY)	Rafael Bejarano	122	William E. Morey	3/1
7	7Laura's Charm (KY)	Corey J. Lanerie	122	Wayne M. Catalano	15/1
8	8Sweet Dani Girl (FL)	Martin Garcia	122	Carlo Vaccarezza	5/2