Fern Creek, Ed Brown to Showcase Juvenile Sprinters

Flurry Racing Stables and Hoffman Family Racing's three-time winning filly Key of Life  tops a field of seven entered in $200,000 Fern Creek Stakes, one of four stakes events on the "Stars of Tomorrow" program Nov. 26 at Churchill Downs.

The 6 1/2-furlong Fern Creek will go as the seventh race of 12 with a post time of 3:57 p.m. ET. The spectacular day of racing features the $400,000 Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes (G2) and $400,000 Golden Rod Stakes (G2). The open-company counterpart to the Fern Creek, the six-furlong $200,000 Ed Brown Stakes, will go as the ninth race.

Trained by Brad Cox, Key of Life scored her most notable victory one month ago at Keeneland, where she defeated nine rivals by 6 3/4 lengths in the $200,000 Myrtlewood Stakes. The daughter of Mo Town   began her career June 25 at Churchill Downs when she finished third as the 2-5 favorite. She returned seven weeks later to break her maiden on Arlington Million Day at Churchill Downs in August and followed that win on Oct. 7 with a 6 1/4-length allowance score at Keeneland.

She will be ridden in the Fern Creek by Florent Geroux from post 3.

Chief among her competitors is Ashbrook Farm and Upland Flats Racing's 10-length debut winner Red Carpet Ready . Trained by Rusty Arnold, Red Carpet Ready dominated 11 rivals in a maiden special weight contest over the sloppy going. The daughter of Oscar Performance   earned a fast speed figure for her win and rewarded her backers with a $2 win mutuel of $75.98.

Jockey Brian Hernandez Jr. will once again have the mount from post 6.

Another impressive maiden winner that was entered in the Fern Creek is Scott Dilworth, Randy and Susan Andrews' Twirled . Trained by Hall of Famer Steve Asmussen, Twirled won by eight lengths at second asking Oct. 22 at Keeneland. Twirled will be ridden by Tyler Gaffalione from post 4.

Frosted Departure Cuts Back for Ed Brown

C&H Racing and Magdalena Racing's two-time winner Frosted Departure  will return to a sprint for Saturday's second running of the $200,000 Ed Brown Stakes. 

Trained by Kenny McPeek, Frosted Departure broke his maiden at second asking at Ellis Park by 3 3/4 lengths. Frosted Departure's most notable victory came Sept. 16 at Churchill Downs, where he dominated a seven-furlong first-level allowance contest by 9 1/4 lengths. In his next two starts, Frosted Departure unsuccessfully tested two turns in the Claiborne Breeders' Futurity (G1) and $200,000 Street Sense Stakes (G3). He'll be ridden in the Ed Brown by Hernandez from post 4.

Also likely to benefit from a cutback in distance to 6 1/2 furlongs is Paradise Farms, David Staudacher, Three Diamonds Farm, and Mike Maker's Top Recruit , a Mike Maker trainee who won the seven-furlong Runhappy Ellis Park Juvenile Stakes this summer over Curly Jack  before he was twice outrun in graded stakes at a mile or longer. 

Entries: Fern Creek S.

Churchill Downs, Saturday, November 26, 2022, Race 7

• STK
• 6 1/2f
• Dirt
• $200,000
• 2 yo Fillies
• 3:57 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	1Baytown Lovely (KY)	Jack Gilligan	122	Paul McEntee	20/1
2	2The Great Maybe (KY)	Luis Saez	122	Cherie DeVaux	4/1
3	3Key of Life (KY)	Florent Geroux	122	Brad H. Cox	1/1
4	4Twirled (KY)	Tyler Gaffalione	122	Steven M. Asmussen	3/1
5	5Tell Me When (KY)	Gerardo Corrales	122	Timothy E. Hamm	20/1
6	6Red Carpet Ready (KY)	Brian Joseph Hernandez, Jr.	122	George R. Arnold, II	7/2

Entries: Ed Brown S.

Churchill Downs, Saturday, November 26, 2022, Race 9

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

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	1Accident (KY)	Edgar Morales	122	Tommy C. Short	30/1
2	2Bourbon Bash (KY)	Mitchell Murrill	122	D. Wayne Lukas	5/1
3	3Mr Bob (KY)	Luis Saez	122	Robert N. Falcone, Jr.	5/1
4	4Frosted Departure (KY)	Brian Joseph Hernandez, Jr.	122	Kenneth G. McPeek	3/1
5	5Powerful (KY)	Tyler Gaffalione	122	Steven M. Asmussen	5/2
6	6Top Recruit (KY)	Gerardo Corrales	122	Michael J. Maker	7/2
7	7Mounsieur Coco (KY)	Florent Geroux	122	Fausto Gutierrez	6/1