Xigera Leads Falls City, Saffron Moon the Cardinal

Xigera —pronounced "kee-jera"—might be a name hard to speak, but she is relatively easy to predict. She is 5-for-9, with her wins all coming when her odds were under 3-1.

Since shifted from turf to dirt this fall, the 3-year-old daughter of Nyquist   has rattled off two stakes victories for owner Rigney Racing and trainer Phil Bauer—rolling in the Sept. 23 Seneca Overnight Stakes at Churchill Downs before a follow-up score in the Oct. 28 Mother Goose Stakes (G2) during the Belmont at the Big A meet. Now, she is favored to win a third straight against eight older fillies and mares in the $400,000 Falls City Stakes (G3) at Churchill Downs Nov. 23.

The 1 1/8-mile Falls City is one of two stakes on the Thanksgiving program along with the $300,000 Cardinal Stakes (G3T). 

Though the seven-horse Cardinal appears competitive, the Falls City is less so, with Hidden Connection , Misty Veil  and Bellamore  appearing to be only mild threats to the Julien Leparoux-ridden Xigera.

The Cardinal, scheduled for 1 1/8 miles on turf, includes another up-and-comer in CHP Racing's Saffron Moon . The 4-year-old daughter of Malibu Moon  is 3-for-4 on turf by trainer Chad Brown.

Lovely Princess  and Juncture  are other contenders if the race remains as scheduled on turf. Numerous grass races have been moved to dirt this month due to a looseness issue with the Churchill Downs turf course.