Set Piece Looks to Recapture Winning Ways in River City

Juddmonte's multiple graded stakes winner Set Piece  brings a 4-for-6 mark on grass at Churchill Downs into the $300,000 River City Handicap (G3T) Nov. 13, including three stakes wins, but his local mark comes with an asterisk.

All four of those victories came over the prior Churchill Downs course, which was replaced during a turf reconstruction project last year. Only one start, a non-threatening fourth-place finish as the favorite in the Arlington Million Stakes (G1T) this summer, has come over the new turf, which was first laid down with sod last fall. The Arlington Million moved to Churchill Downs this year after Churchill Downs Inc.'s closure of Arlington International Racecourse.

Sunday the Brad Cox-trained Set Piece will try to fare better in a second spin over the fledgling Churchill course, which has been in limited use since late in the spring meet, with Churchill Downs officials saying it needed time to mature and for the root system to take hold. They suspended the use of the course during the final weeks of the spring meet and over the entire September meet.

Cool weather is forecast in Kentucky this weekend after approximately two-thirds of an inch of rain fell Nov. 11. 

Regular rider Florent Geroux returns in the irons aboard Set Piece, a 6-year-old Dansili  gelding who finished a rallying fourth Oct. 8 in the Coolmore Turf Mile (G1T), beaten 1 3/4 lengths by Annapolis , at Keeneland in his most recent start. Needing to alter course in the stretch, he just missed in a blanket finish for the place and show positions.

With earnings of $919,573, accomplished by winning 11 of 24 starts, Set Piece can become a millionaire with a victory in the River City. Winner of the 2021 Wise Dan Stakes (G2T) at Churchill Downs, he earlier this year took the Dinner Party Stakes (G2T) and Baltimore/Washington International Turf Cup Stakes (G3T), both at Pimlico Race Course.

With horsemen eager to participate on turf, 11 horses have been entered to face Set Piece, with another two on the also-eligible list.

Other graded stakes winners in the River City include Cellist , Field Pass , In Love , and Pixelate .

Calumet Farm's Cellist has winning experience over the current course, having triumphed in the Louisville Stakes (G3T) at Churchill Downs May 21. Since then, the Rusty Arnold trainee has gone unplaced in three starts, though he was beaten just 1 1/2 lengths when seventh in the Sycamore Stakes (G3T) at Keeneland Oct. 14.

He was seventh in the Arlington Million Aug. 13, while Field Pass was eighth.

In Love, winner of the 2021 Turf Mile at Keeneland for owners Bonne Chance Farm and Stud R D I, showed signs of returning to form with a second last month at Keeneland in an allowance for trainer Paulo Lobo. Gerardo Corrales rides.

The River City is the nightcap on the 10-race card following a pair of $300,000 sprints at six furlongs on the main track, the Dream Supreme Stakes for fillies and mares and the Bet on Sunshine Stakes in which males compete.

Entries: River City H. (G3T)

Churchill Downs, Sunday, November 13, 2022, Race 10

• Grade IIIT
• 1 1/8m
• Turf
• $300,000
• 3 yo's & up
• 5:35 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	1Hozier (KY)	Julien R. Leparoux	121	Rodolphe Brisset	30/1
2	2English Tavern (KY)	James Graham	121	Michelle Lovell	20/1
3	3Beatbox (KY)	Brian Joseph Hernandez, Jr.	121	Cherie DeVaux	20/1
4	4Cellist (KY)	Corey J. Lanerie	123	George R. Arnold, II	6/1
5	5In Love (BRZ)	Gerardo Corrales	121	Paulo H. Lobo	7/2
6	6Militarist (KY)	Junior Alvarado	121	Carlo Vaccarezza	30/1
7	7Pixelate (KY)	Vincent Cheminaud	121	Michael Stidham	10/1
8	8Max K. O. (FL)	Ricardo Santana, Jr.	121	Saffie A. Joseph, Jr.	8/1
9	9Street Ready (KY)	Luis Saez	121	Ian R. Wilkes	8/1
10	10Accredit (KY)	Rafael Bejarano	121	Pavel Matejka	15/1
11	11Set Piece (GB)	Florent Geroux	123	Brad H. Cox	2/1
12	12Field Pass (MD)	Tyler Gaffalione	121	Michael J. Maker	10/1
13	13Starting Over (KY)	Adam Beschizza	121	Robert N. Falcone, Jr.	30/1
14	14Rupp N Ready (KY)	Edgar Morales	121	Helen Pitts	30/1