My Mane Squeeze Returns to Churchill for Dogwood

After its opening Saturday of racing Sept. 14 focused on juveniles and older horses, the Churchill Downs stakes program spotlights the 3-year-old division Sept. 21

Four stakes for 3-year-olds take place, led by one graded race, the $300,000 Dogwood Stakes (G3) for fillies at seven furlongs where My Mane Squeeze  is the headliner. Fillies are also in action in the Seneca Overnight Stakes at 1 1/16 miles, while males pursue opportunities in the 1 3/16-mile Bourbon Flight Stakes and seven-furlong Harrods Creek Stakes, both worth $300,000.

My Mane Squeeze, trained by Mike Maker for owners William "Buck" Butler and WinStar Farm, returns to Churchill Downs to race for the first time since capturing the Eight Belles Stakes (G2) on Kentucky Oaks Day at the Louisville, Ky., track. Since then, she ran fourth in the June 7 Acorn Stakes (G1) at 1 1/8 miles at Saratoga Race Course, third in the Aug. 3 Test Stakes (G1) there, and second in the Aug. 23 Charles Town Oaks (G2), the latter two at seven furlongs.

Slow into stride in the Charles Town Oaks, she was carried wide around the first of two tight turns at Hollywood Casino at Charles Town Races but recovered to grab the runner-up spot behind blowout winner Mystic Lake .

Luis Saez, aboard since the Eight Belles, returns in the irons.

A homebred for Butler out of his top broodmare In Spite of Mama , My Mane Squeeze is a New York-bred daughter of WinStar Farm stallion Audible   and has a 5-1-3 record from 11 starts and race-high earnings of $838,110.

She races for $250,000 in the Dogwood, owing to $50,000 of the total purse being Kentucky Thorougbred Development Fund incentives for Kentucky-breds. The other three stakes are also bolstered by KTDF funds.

The Dogwood opposition is led by fellow stakes winners Halina's Forte , Manama Gold , and Fibber .

The latter, a 3-year-old daughter of Frosted   owned by Flatland Racing Stable, is 2-for-2 since being claimed by trainer Chris Hartman, most recently taking the Aug. 11 Audobon Oaks at Ellis Park

"We really liked this filly even before she was in for the $100,000 claiming tag," Hartman said. "She's been very impressive so far in both of her wins with us. She's always run solid races, even last year as a 2-year-old. Last time out at Ellis, she proved she really liked the seven-eighths distance."

Batten Down, Jefferson Street Receive Class Relief

Other notable stakes horses in action Saturday include Juddmonte's Batten Down , winner of the Ohio Derby (G3) and most recently fifth in the Travers Stakes (G1), who leads the Bourbon Flight; Godolphin's Jefferson Street , who drops in class after a seventh in a loaded renewal of H. Allen Jerkens Memorial Stakes (G1), now leads the Harrods Creek; and graded stakes winners Chatalas  and Life Talk  seek to get back on track after going unplaced in their most recent starts when they compete in the Seneca Overnight Stakes.

Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott trains both Batten Down and Jefferson Street and has brought his top New York-based rider, Junior Alvarado, in for the rides on that duo. Alvarado has also gained the mounts on Halina's Forte for Phil Bauer and Life Talk for Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher.

The four stakes are races 7-10 on an 11-race program, of which the entire card is on dirt.

There is no turf racing during the ongoing meet at Churchill Downs, as track officials hope to strengthen its troubled turf course after work performed on it this summer.