No Restoration in Grade for Mrs. Revere, Commonwealth

Two races at Churchill Downs that were downgraded when moved from turf to dirt this past week—the Nov. 24 Mrs. Revere Stakes (G3) and Nov. 26 Commonwealth Stakes—will not have their initial grades restored following reviews by the American Graded Stakes Committee.

The Mrs. Reserve had been scheduled as a grade 2, the Commonwealth a grade 3. 

It is the policy of the American Graded Stakes Committee that a stakes race that is moved off turf is automatically downgraded one level, pending a review in which the committee can elect to reinstate its former status. 

Seven horses were scratched from the overdrawn Commonwealth, and Gigante  defeated seven rivals over a fast track in a race officially run under listed status. Heavenly Sunday  took the nine-horse Mrs. Revere on a fast track with three scratches, only one of which was formally noted as the result of the race coming off the turf.

Some rain fell Sunday in the Louisville, Ky., area, but officials pulled the Commonwealth from the grass two days earlier due to continued problems with its turf course. Just two races were run on it from Nov. 10-26 after a horse fell in a race Nov. 9.

Darren Rogers, senior director of communications and media services for Churchill Downs, said in mid-November that Churchill turf was deemed "loose." The  $10 million course, installed with sod in the fall of 2021, has not been able to sustain planned usage over the past two years.