Horse for the Course Chasing the Crown Leads River City

Chasing the Crown  showed an affinity for the undulating course at Kentucky Downs in winning a massive $508,400 handicap at the Southern Kentucky oval Aug. 31. But through his career, the 6-year-old has been equally—if not more—effective on the grass at Churchill Downs, where he boasts four wins and two seconds from six starts.

That effectiveness could tip the scales in his favor when he battles graded stakes winners Wolfie's Dynaghost , Mercante , Lagynos , and Encino , and other foes in the $300,000 River City Stakes (G3T) Nov. 8. The tepid 7-2 favorite on the morning line, he is entered to race against 11 other older males—though the field figures to dip after one of the entrants, millionaire Epic Ride , raced Nov. 7 in an allowance optional claimer at Churchill rather than in the River City.

Chasing the Crown, a son of Skipshot  trained by Mike Maker for Paradise Farms, David Staudacher, and Angelo Carlesimo, has had just two 2025 starts, finishing a hard-charging third in the Jan. 25 Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational Stakes (G1T) seven months before his Kentucky Downs victory.

The Pegasus World Cup Turf marked his third graded stakes placing. As a 5-year-old in 2024, he also ran second to Ottoman Fleet  in both the Arlington Stakes (G3T) and Wise Dan Stakes (G2T) at Churchill Downs.

Bred by Mikhail Yanakov out of the Marquetry mare La Belle Marquet , Chasing the Crown is a full brother to dual grade 1 winner Vasilika , a standout on the West Coast in 2018-19.

Unlike many of Maker's stars acquired via a claim, Chasing the Crown was bought as a 2-year-old. Maker acquired him for $285,000 from the Top Line Sales consignment to Fasig-Tipton's The Gulfstream Sale in 2021.

Chasing the Crown has more than tripled his purchase price in earnings, making $1,012,740 in compiling a 6-5-4 record in 19 starts.

Encino, a versatile 4-year-old son of Nyquist   trained by Brad Cox for owner/breeder Godolphin, also brings sharp form into Saturday's race, having won stakes in two of his past three starts. He is 6-for-11 overall.

"He's a very classy horse who gives it his all on any surface," assistant trainer Trace Messina trainer.

Halina's Forte, R Distaster Rematch in Dream Supreme

The River City, the Saturday finale at 5:55 p.m. ET on an 11-race program, immediately follows another $300,000 stakes race, the ungraded Dream Supreme Stakes for fillies and mares at 6 furlongs on the main track.

Halina's Forte  and R Disaster , 1-2 in the Honorable Miss Stakes (G2) this summer over a sloppy track at Saratoga Race Course, are the Dream Supreme headliners.

Front-running R Disaster has since won two races in as many starts, most recently the Sept. 27 Gallant Bloom Stakes (G2) at Aqueduct Racetrack for trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. and owners Averill Racing, Two Eight Racing, and ATM Racing.

Rigney Racing's Halina's Forte has gone unplaced in two outings for trainer Phil Bauer since the Honorable Miss, finishing fifth in the Aug. 23 Ballerina Stakes (G1) at Saratoga and seventh in the Oct. 4 Thoroughbred Club of America Stakes (G2) at Keeneland.