Wine Princess Strong in Falls City Victory
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Becky Winemiller's Wine Princess again proved her affinity for Churchill Downs with a strong victory in the $150,000 Falls City Handicap (gr. II) Nov. 28 at the Kentucky track .
Ridden by Shaun Bridgmohan for trainer Steve Margolis, Wine Princess previously finished second in the Chilukki Stakes (gr. II) at Churchill and third in the Spinster Stakes (gr. I) at Keeneland. Her Churchill record improved to four wins and two seconds in seven local starts.
Longshot Magic Hour set the pace in the 1/18-mile Fall City with early fractions of :25.01 for the opening quarter-mile and :49.30 for the half-mile. Wine Princess sat in third early, bid for the lead on the far turn, took over in the stretch, and pulled away to win by 2 3/4 lengths in 1:50.12 on a fast track.
Favored Don't Tell Sophia, last early in the field of eight, rallied well for second, 1 1/4 lengths ahead of second choice Flashy American in third. My Option finished evenly for fourth.
"I thought when Don't Tell Sophia came to us, we'd have to fight it out, but she just had another gear today," Margolis said. "She gave us a hell of a race today. She really did."
"It was emotional because I've ridden her every time she has run," Bridgmohan said. "I was around her when she first got here; I worked her for her first half-mile. She has run hard every time, and it's gratifying to get one of these for her. She deserves it."
Wine Princess paid $10.80, $5, and $2.80 across the board as the third choice in the Falls City. Don't Tell Sophia returned $3.40 and $2.20; Flashy American paid $2.60. The $2 exacta paid $28.80 and the trifecta $54.
Magic Hour, Ice Cream Silence, Molly Morgan, and Owl Mooncompleted the order of finish. Fiftyshadesofhay, who would have been among the choices, was scratched.
Wine Princess, a 4-year-old filly by Ghostzapper out of the champion Jade Hunter mare Azeri, was bred in Kentucky by The Allen Paulson Living Trust. She now has five wins, five seconds, and a third in 13 starts for earnings in excess of $440,000.